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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Lampasas are celebrating their |
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city's sesquicentennial in 2023; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1760, a mission and presidio were built just west |
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of the site of modern-day Lampasas at a time when the area was under |
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Spanish rule; during the Revolutionary War, Lampasas would figure |
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into a pivotal chapter of American history when Isaac Cox, a |
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Pennsylvanian and Spanish army veteran, and seven of his nephews |
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delivered over 700 horses from the area to Major General Charles |
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Lee, a high-ranking officer in the Continental Army under General |
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George Washington; Lampasas County would go on to supply horses for |
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the U.S. military's use in the Spanish-American War, World War I, |
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and World War II as well; and |
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WHEREAS, In the early 1850s, Moses Hughes and his family were |
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among the first Anglo settlers to arrive in the area; Mr. Hughes and |
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his ailing wife, Hannah, came in search of mineral springs due to |
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their rumored healing properties; news of Mrs. Hughes's reported |
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cure drew others to the community, and the town's growth in |
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population led the Texas Legislature to declare Lampasas, formerly |
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called Burleson, as the seat of the newly created Lampasas County on |
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February 1, 1856; and |
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WHEREAS, The City of Lampasas was officially incorporated by |
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the 12th Texas Legislature on April 13, 1873; several years later, a |
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group of farmers gathered to discuss the economic issues that were |
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impacting their livelihoods, which provided the impetus for the |
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creation of the National Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union, |
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also known as the Farmers' Alliance; the organization would become |
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a powerful nationwide political movement that, at its height, had a |
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membership of nearly three million; and |
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WHEREAS, Beginning in 1882, the arrival of the railroad |
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brought visitors from all over the country to the mineral baths and |
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grand hotels of Lampasas, which acquired the moniker "the Saratoga |
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of the South"; Lampasas was the birthplace of the Texas Bankers |
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Association, the oldest state banking association in the nation; |
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organized in 1885 by two local bankers, Frank Malone and E. M. |
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Longcope, the group had its first meeting at the luxurious 200-room |
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Lampasas Park Hotel; the rapidly growing town was also selected as |
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the location for the 1892 Texas Democratic Convention, which took |
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place at the Hannah Springs Auditorium; and |
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WHEREAS, Lampasas has been home to a number of famous |
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figures, including Olympic gold medalist and professional football |
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player Johnny "Lam" Jones, Keith Null of the St. Louis Rams, and |
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1970 Super Bowl veteran Jim Hargrove of the Minnesota Vikings and |
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St. Louis Cardinals; the list of notable Lampasas natives also |
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includes Stanley Walker, author, journalist, and editor of the New |
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York Herald Tribune during the 1920s and 1930s, whose 1956 book Home |
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to Texas describes his return to the city after 40 years in New |
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York; among other Lampasas icons are Grammy Award-winning fiddle |
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player Jason Roberts and country music artists Dale and Terry |
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McBride and Donnie Price, as well as prominent individuals such as |
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Joy Mahana Bishop, the first woman appointed to the Senior |
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Executive Service, and William Thomas Campbell, cofounder and |
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treasurer of Texaco Oil; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, Lampasas boasts an array of historic |
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buildings that showcase the community's past, including the Old |
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Huling Mansion, the Moses Hughes Home, the Keystone Star Hotel, the |
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Major Martin White House, and the Adelphia; residents and visitors |
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enjoy such amenities as the town's four local wineries, as well as |
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popular eateries like Eve's Café, one of the top customer-rated |
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German restaurants in the U.S., and Storm's Drive-In, a favorite of |
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Elvis Presley when the legendary rock and roll singer was stationed |
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at Fort Hood; area citizens keep up with local news and events by |
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reading the Lampasas Dispatch Record newspaper, which dates back to |
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1906, and flock to annual gatherings such as the week-long Spring Ho |
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Festival in July and the Riata Roundup Rodeo in April; and |
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WHEREAS, Celebrating their unique history as they work to |
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build an even brighter future, the citizens of Lampasas are |
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justifiably proud of their community, and it is indeed fitting to |
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honor the contributions they have made to the story of the Lone Star |
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State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature |
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hereby commemorate the 150th anniversary of Lampasas and extend to |
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its residents sincere best wishes for the future. |