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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the |
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88th Texas Legislature are pleased to recognize the city of |
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Palestine and to honor its residents for the important |
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contributions they are making to the Lone Star State; 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 and a growing medical industry; nurturing a |
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well-educated workforce, it supports two colleges, Trinity Valley |
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Community College-Palestine and The University of Texas at Tyler |
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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 centuries, among them |
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many restored Victorian homes; it boasts more than 1,800 historic |
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sites, and the Texas State Railroad, the oldest heritage railway in |
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the state, offers both steam and diesel train excursions; in |
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addition, travelers flock to Palestine to marvel at the unique |
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beauty of the dogwood trees at Davey Dogwood Park, a 254-acre park |
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with eight miles of unincorporated hiking and biking trails and |
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scenic views; 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 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize the city of Palestine and extend to |
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its citizens sincere best wishes for the future. |