Bill Text: TX HR79 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognizing the city of Palestine.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-19 - Referred to Local & Consent Calendars [HR79 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HR79-Introduced.html
| 89R6106 BK-D | ||
| By: Harris | H.R. No. 79 | |
|
|
||
| WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the | ||
| 89th Texas Legislature are pleased to recognize the city of | ||
| Palestine and to honor its residents for the important | ||
| contributions they are making to the Lone Star State; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In 1846, the first legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| established Anderson County, and a county seat was laid out at its | ||
| center on a 100-acre tract; it was named Palestine after a town in | ||
| Illinois, the previous home of early settlers; the town's early | ||
| prosperity derived from the shipment of agricultural goods down the | ||
| Trinity River; in 1875, the county gave a $150,000 bonus to the | ||
| International-Great Northern Railroad for locating its | ||
| headquarters in Palestine, and within five years, the town's | ||
| population doubled to more than 4,000; prominent citizens hired | ||
| such noted architects as Nicholas Clayton and Wesley Clark Dodson | ||
| to design numerous buildings that are now landmarks; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Palestine has continued to thrive as a | ||
| transportation and shipping hub, due to its favorable location on | ||
| major highways as well as the Union Pacific Railroad; in the 1980s, | ||
| Walmart built its first distribution center outside of Arkansas in | ||
| Palestine, and the retail giant added another center in 1994; the | ||
| city is also home to wholesale beverage and aerospace parts | ||
| distributors and a growing medical industry; nurturing a | ||
| well-educated workforce, it supports two colleges, Trinity Valley | ||
| Community College-Palestine and The University of Texas at Tyler | ||
| Palestine Campus; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A designated Texas Main Street City, Palestine draws | ||
| visitors with a magnificent architectural legacy of structures | ||
| dating from the early 19th to the mid-20th centuries, among them | ||
| many restored Victorian homes; it boasts more than 1,800 historic | ||
| sites, and the Texas State Railroad, the oldest heritage railway in | ||
| the state, offers both steam and diesel train excursions; in | ||
| addition, travelers flock to Palestine to marvel at the unique | ||
| beauty of the dogwood trees at Davey Dogwood Park, a 254-acre park | ||
| with eight miles of unincorporated hiking and biking trails and | ||
| scenic views; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Palestine has practiced careful stewardship of its | ||
| rich past and natural beauty while adapting to the changing demands | ||
| of modern commerce, and its residents may take justifiable pride in | ||
| the dynamic and beautiful place they call home; now, therefore, be | ||
| it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby recognize the city of Palestine and extend to | ||
| its citizens sincere best wishes for the future. | ||
