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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, With its location along one of Texas' earliest and |
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most important travel routes, the town of Milam played a pivotal |
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role in the early settlement of the Lone Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, Even before the arrival of European colonists, this |
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site near the Sabine River was a well-known stop along a trail used |
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by Native Americans; members of the Caddo tribe often visited a |
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watering place near the present-day location of the town, and the |
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site subsequently gained the name of Las Borregas; and |
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WHEREAS, When the Spanish attempted to assert a stronger hold |
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on the region in the late 1600s and early 1700s, missionaries and |
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soldiers traveled to the area along the same route; it came to be |
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known as El Camino Real de los Tejas and, later, as the Old San |
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Antonio Road and the King's Highway; the path of this historic |
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travel artery is now traced by Highway 21, a portion of which forms |
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Milam's main east-west thoroughfare; and |
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WHEREAS, When Spain opened Texas to Anglo American settlement |
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in the early 1800s, Stephen F. Austin traveled El Camino Real on his |
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way to San Antonio to secure the land grants for the initial |
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colonists; in July 1821, he spent his first night in Texas at a |
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campsite on Borregas Creek; the town was established in 1828 and was |
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originally called Red Mound before being renamed in honor of |
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Benjamin Rush Milam, a notable figure in the Texas Revolution; and |
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WHEREAS, Under the Republic of Texas, the community served as |
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a port of entry, which contributed to its rapid growth; a customs |
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house, inns, taverns, and two large racetracks were constructed, |
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and Milam became an important passageway for people traveling west |
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to carve a new destiny in Texas; during the Civil War, the town |
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became the county headquarters for the Army Quartermaster |
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Department of the Confederacy; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, Milam continues its tradition of welcoming |
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visitors; its rich history can be appreciated at such sites as the |
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Milam Cemetery and at restored homes in the area that date to the |
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early 1800s; each November, the Milam Settlers Organization |
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celebrates the town's storied past at the Milam Settlers Day |
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gathering in El Camino Park; and |
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WHEREAS, Through its connection to the famed El Camino Real |
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de los Tejas and the early history of Texas, Milam has contributed |
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greatly to the development of the Lone Star State, and this proud |
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heritage is indeed deserving of special recognition; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate Milam as the official Gateway Capital of Texas; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of |
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Section 391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in |
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effect until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is |
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finally passed by the legislature. |