Bill Text: TX SR174 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing February 15, 2011, as Van Zandt County Day at the State Capitol.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-02-07 - Reported enrolled [SR174 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-SR174-Enrolled.html
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WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to | ||
recognize the many citizens of Van Zandt County who have come to | ||
the State Capitol on February 15, 2011, to celebrate the | ||
significant part they and their forebears have played in the | ||
development of the Lone Star State; and | ||
WHEREAS, Created by an Act of the Texas Legislature on | ||
March 20, 1847, this Northeast Texas county was named for Isaac | ||
Van Zandt, a Republic of Texas lawyer, legislator, and diplomat; | ||
and | ||
WHEREAS, Canton, the county seat, was laid out in 1850 and | ||
incorporated in 1919; recently named a Main Street City, it is | ||
home to the Van Zandt County Fair and First Monday Trade Days, one | ||
of the country's best-known flea markets; a library of genealogy | ||
and local history is also a popular attraction and preserves much | ||
of the county's notable heritage; and | ||
WHEREAS, The development of this fascinating area can be | ||
traced in a number of other communities as well; Edgewood, | ||
settled in the 1840s, boasts the Edgewood Heritage Park Museum, a | ||
facility dedicated to the preservation of the rural culture and | ||
architectural history of our state; and | ||
WHEREAS, Edom, established in 1856, is one of the oldest | ||
towns in the county, and its past is highlighted by 10 state | ||
historical markers, many of them researched by members of the | ||
Edom Historical Society; the residents of this small community | ||
also give vital support to an active civic theater; and | ||
WHEREAS, Fruit cultivation prompted the naming of | ||
Fruitvale, where a nursery operated as early as the 1870s; | ||
several generations in this century-old town have treasured the | ||
Randall Store, a local institution since 1910; and | ||
WHEREAS, Grand Saline, originally called Jordan's Saline, | ||
the first Van Zandt County seat, takes its name from an immense | ||
dome of pure salt lying beneath the city; more than a mile and a | ||
half wide and 20,000 feet thick, the deposit is presently mined | ||
by Morton Salt Company; the city celebrates salt with an annual | ||
Salt Festival; those exploring this 2004 Main Street City can | ||
tour the Salt Palace Museum, a unique structure built with rock | ||
salt crystal, stop by the historical marker that commemorates | ||
native son Wiley Post, the renowned pioneer aviator, and visit | ||
the new Veterans Memorial Wall Park, featuring a genuine United | ||
States Army tank; and | ||
WHEREAS, Van, established in 1891, remained a quiet | ||
farming community until 1929, when the discovery of oil nearby | ||
transformed the village into a boomtown; the Van Area Oil and | ||
Historical Museum recaptures the excitement of that frenetic | ||
time and commemorates the discovery with an annual Oil Festival; | ||
and | ||
WHEREAS, Wills Point, settled in 1873 and originally known | ||
as Iola, was renamed for William Wills, whose cabin served as a | ||
stopping place for those traveling between Shreveport and | ||
Dallas; the Wills cabin still stands, as does the Texas and | ||
Pacific Railroad depot, which houses the Historical Society | ||
Museum; Wills Point, which is officially the Bluebird Capital of | ||
Texas, hosts the annual Bluebird Festival; and | ||
WHEREAS, Ben Wheeler, surrounded by natural springs and | ||
rich farmland, was named for Van Zandt County's first mail | ||
carrier, Benjamin R. Wheeler, in 1876; and | ||
WHEREAS, Martins Mill, which got its name from Dan R. | ||
Martin's gristmill, was established in 1880 and is home to one of | ||
the largest dairies in East Texas; the community survived | ||
destruction by tornadoes and fires and today boasts a successful | ||
school district; and | ||
WHEREAS, Major events in the county include the Texas State | ||
Bluegrass Festival, the Edom Arts Fair, and the Van Zandt County | ||
Relay for Life; for the outdoor enthusiast, the Neches and Sabine | ||
Rivers, Purtis Creek State Park, and Lake Tawakoni State Park | ||
offer wonderful opportunities for fishing, boating, swimming, | ||
and camping; and | ||
WHEREAS, The home of nearly 53,000 people, Van Zandt County | ||
relies on tourism, oil, and agribusiness; the area is a major | ||
producer of hay, blueberries, sweet potatoes, and nursery crops, | ||
in addition to cattle, horses, hogs, and dairy products; and | ||
WHEREAS, The citizens of Van Zandt County take justifiable | ||
pride in the hard work and ready cooperation that have made their | ||
county strong, and it is a pleasure to join them in honoring the | ||
county they call home; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd | ||
Legislature, hereby recognize February 15, 2011, as Van Zandt | ||
County Day at the State Capitol and extend sincere best wishes to | ||
the visiting residents of Van Zandt County for an informative and | ||
memorable day; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared as a | ||
memento of this special occasion. | ||
Deuell | ||
________________________________ | ||
President of the Senate | ||
I hereby certify that the | ||
above Resolution was adopted by | ||
the Senate on February 7, 2011. | ||
________________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
________________________________ | ||
Member, Texas Senate |