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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Beloved for its profusion of blossoms, the dogwood |
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tree provides one of the most spectacular highlights of springtime |
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in the Lone Star State, and the city of Palestine has long been |
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renowned for its abundance of these beautiful trees and for its |
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famous Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration; and |
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WHEREAS, Dogwoods, which are native to the Palestine area, |
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can grow to a height of 30 feet and feature a broad canopy of |
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branches that burst into bloom in March and April in East Texas; the |
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result is a dazzling floral display of majestic white and rosy pink |
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petals; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Dogwood Trails Celebration traces its |
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origins to 1938, when local residents Charles W. Woodbridge and |
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Eugene Fish discussed their shared appreciation of the trees and |
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hatched the idea of creating an event to showcase the many dogwoods |
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in and around Palestine; their plan became a reality in 1939, when |
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more than 20,000 people took part in the inaugural Dogwood Trails |
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gathering; and |
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WHEREAS, In the early years, visitors had to drive rough and |
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often muddy roads and trudge through densely wooded areas to get a |
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glimpse of the loveliest blooms; to make the trees more accessible, |
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organizers sought permission to use a plot of land north of the city |
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owned by E. W. and H. R. Link; it contained several groves of |
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dogwood trees, and with the help of volunteers, a formal trail |
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system was completed there in 1941; it became a permanent |
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attraction after M. A. Davey purchased the central portion of the |
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tract and gifted it to Anderson County; the 254-acre Davey Dogwood |
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Park was named in his honor and today features miles of roads and |
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hike-and-bike trails; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the years, the dogwood trails have remained a |
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source of great pride to the people of Palestine, who have |
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contributed time and labor to maintain the trees and trails for the |
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enjoyment of locals and visitors alike; their efforts have helped |
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make their city an extremely popular springtime destination, with |
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thousands of people flocking to Davey Dogwood Park and other area |
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locations for the trails and celebration; and |
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WHEREAS, There is an intrinsic and undeniable joy in |
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witnessing the delicate splendor of a dogwood tree in bloom, and |
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through the efforts of several generations of citizens, the trails |
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have become an essential part of the identity and character of |
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Palestine; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate Palestine as the official Dogwood Trails Capital |
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of Texas; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section |
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391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect |
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until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally |
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passed by the legislature. |
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