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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, On February 11, 2023, the City of Terrell is marking |
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the 150th anniversary of its founding; and |
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WHEREAS, The city is named for a friend of Sam Houston and |
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surveyor of the Republic of Texas, Robert A. Terrell, who settled |
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in the area in 1847; decades later, the advent of the Texas and |
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Pacific Railway promised opportunities for growth and prosperity; |
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in order to bring a depot to town, two Kaufman County entrepreneurs, |
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Charles Cornelius "C. C." Nash and John G. Moore, deeded a large |
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tract of land to the railway on February 11, 1873; the Terrell |
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family and former Kaufman County judge W. D. Irvine also donated |
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land for the project; and |
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WHEREAS, By the mid-1880s, the population numbered about |
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3,000, supporting numerous businesses, three weekly newspapers, |
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and nine churches; impressed by the advocacy of local leaders, as |
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well as favorable terms offered by a civic-minded landowner, the |
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state chose a site in the city for its second mental health |
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facility, now known as Terrell State Hospital; and |
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WHEREAS, Terrell residents recognized the importance of |
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education from the town's earliest days; the public school system |
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was in place by 1882, and a number of colleges have operated in the |
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community over the years; during World War II, more than 2,000 |
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British Royal Air Force cadets learned to fly at the No. 1 British |
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Flying Training School; today, Terrell hosts both Trinity Valley |
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Community College and a venerable HBCU, Southwestern Christian |
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College; on the SwCC campus stands the home built by |
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Robert A. Terrell, one of just 20 Round Houses left in the country; |
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noted alumni of Terrell High School include the late Randy Snow, the |
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first Paralympian inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame, and |
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actor, singer, and comedian Jamie Foxx; the Terrell Independent |
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School District's Jamie Foxx Performing Arts Center is named in |
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honor of the Oscar and Grammy Award-winning star; and |
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WHEREAS, Celebrating a rich and colorful history, the |
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citizens of Terrell may take justifiable pride in their vibrant |
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community as they mark this important milestone; 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 commemorate the sesquicentennial of the City of |
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Terrell and extend to its residents sincere best wishes for the |
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future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the City of Terrell as an expression of high regard by |
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the Texas House of Representatives. |