Bill Text: TX HCR45 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Designating Giddings as the official Depot Capital of Texas.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-05-19 - Signed by the Governor [HCR45 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HCR45-Enrolled.html
| H.C.R. No. 45 | ||
|
|
||
| WHEREAS, The development of Texas in the late 1800s and early | ||
| 1900s was shaped in important ways by the railroad, with | ||
| communities all across the state being transformed by the arrival | ||
| of this revolutionary mode of transportation; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Sadly, many of the historic depots that were | ||
| integral to railroad operations have not survived the passage of | ||
| the decades, and the disappearance of these structures deprives | ||
| Texans of a tangible link to the state's past; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In certain places, however, residents have had the | ||
| foresight to preserve the vintage architectural treasures related | ||
| to train travel, and the town of Giddings stands at the forefront of | ||
| this trend; this historic crossroads in Central Texas has three | ||
| original depots, each of which has been restored and put to use in | ||
| ways that help illuminate the community's heritage; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The resurrection of these buildings is especially | ||
| fitting for Giddings, a city that was founded when the Houston and | ||
| Central Texas Railway was built through the area in the early 1870s | ||
| and that grew into an important rail junction; over time, the city's | ||
| downtown became home to three depots: Union Station, which dates to | ||
| the 1880s, a freight depot from the 1890s, and a brick passenger | ||
| facility, built circa 1920; all three had closed by the 1960s due to | ||
| the decline in train transportation, but each would survive to see a | ||
| brighter day; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A downtown revitalization plan drafted in the late | ||
| 1990s called for the restoration of the depots, and work was | ||
| completed in 2009; today, Union Station houses the Rural Texas | ||
| Tourism Center and the Union Station Transportation Museum, the | ||
| brick passenger facility serves as the site of the Giddings | ||
| Economic Development Corporation and the Giddings Area Chamber of | ||
| Commerce, and the freight depot contains additional displays | ||
| related to railroad history and memorabilia; the revitalization | ||
| project also prompted the establishment of a walking tour of the | ||
| historic area in Giddings; and | ||
| WHEREAS, This admirable undertaking has once again made the | ||
| depots a focal point of the downtown area, sparking a broader | ||
| renaissance in the city and also publicizing the attractions of | ||
| other small towns in the state through the efforts of the Rural | ||
| Texas Tourism Center; moreover, the restoration of these historic | ||
| train facilities provides visitors with a unique opportunity to | ||
| gain deeper insight into the rich history of rail transport and the | ||
| ways in which it helped build Texas into the dynamic state we know | ||
| today; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby designate Giddings as the official Depot Capital of Texas. | ||
| Kleinschmidt | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.C.R. No. 45 was adopted by the House on March | ||
| 30, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.C.R. No. 45 was adopted by the Senate on May | ||
| 5, 2011, by a viva-voce vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
