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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Palestine are gathering in Austin on |
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March 12 and 13, 2019, in celebration of Palestine Days at the State |
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Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1846, the first legislature of the State of Texas |
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established Anderson County, and a county seat was laid out at its |
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center on a 100-acre tract; it was named Palestine after a town in |
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Illinois, the previous home of early settlers; the town's early |
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prosperity derived from the shipment of agricultural goods down the |
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Trinity River; in 1875, the county gave a $150,000 bonus to the |
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International-Great Northern Railroad for locating its |
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headquarters in Palestine, and within five years, the town's |
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population doubled to more than 4,000; prominent citizens hired |
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such noted architects as Nicholas Clayton and Wesley Clark Dodson |
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to design numerous buildings that are now landmarks; and |
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WHEREAS, Palestine has continued to thrive as a |
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transportation and shipping hub, due to its favorable location on |
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major highways as well as the Union Pacific Railroad; in the 1980s, |
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Walmart built its first distribution center outside of Arkansas in |
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Palestine, and the retail giant added another center in 1994; the |
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city is also home to wholesale beverage and aerospace parts |
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distributors, a giftware company, and a growing medical industry; |
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nurturing a well-educated workforce, it supports two colleges, |
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Trinity Valley Community College-Palestine and The University of |
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Texas at Tyler Palestine Campus; and |
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WHEREAS, A designated Texas Main Street City, Palestine draws |
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visitors with a magnificent architectural legacy of structures |
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dating from the early 19th to the mid-20th century, among them many |
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restored Victorian homes; it boasts more than 1,800 historic sites, |
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and the Texas State Railroad, the oldest heritage railway in the |
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state, offers both steam and diesel train excursions; other popular |
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attractions include the Museum for East Texas Culture, the Texas |
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Theatre, and Davey Dogwood Park, which has hosted the annual Texas |
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Dogwood Trails Celebration since 1944; and |
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WHEREAS, Palestine has practiced careful stewardship of its |
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rich past and natural beauty while adapting to the changing demands |
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of modern commerce, and its residents may take justifiable pride in |
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the dynamic and beautiful place they call home; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize March 12 and 13, 2019, as Palestine |
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Days at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation |
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sincere best wishes for a memorable and enjoyable stay in Austin. |