Bill Text: TX HR1768 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Congratulating the Cafe Texan in Huntsville on its reopening.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-26 - Reported enrolled [HR1768 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR1768-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Congratulating the Cafe Texan in Huntsville on its reopening.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-26 - Reported enrolled [HR1768 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR1768-Introduced.html
88R29946 BPG-D | ||
By: Kacal | H.R. No. 1768 |
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WHEREAS, The iconic Cafe Texan in Huntsville is reopening in | ||
May 2023 as the Cafe Texan History Museum and Library; and | ||
WHEREAS, In April 1936, the cafe's imminent opening was | ||
front-page news in The Huntsville Item; founder Fred Morris was an | ||
experienced restaurateur, and he snagged an ideal location in the | ||
former United Gas Company office in the art deco Eastham Building, | ||
on the downtown square across from the Walker County Courthouse; | ||
for decades, the cafe was a favorite meeting place for business | ||
owners, old-timers, Sam Houston State University students, and | ||
others in the community; and | ||
WHEREAS, Mr. Morris ran the Cafe Texan until 1958, and after | ||
that, it passed through a number of hands; by 1996, the business was | ||
flailing, but one of the regulars, U.S. Army veteran John | ||
Strickland, purchased the cafe and helped turn things around; he | ||
earned the loyalty of employees by paying them fairly and treating | ||
them well, and many worked there for decades; in addition, he gained | ||
the appreciation of the community through his support of numerous | ||
worthy causes and organizations; and | ||
WHEREAS, Patrons enjoyed the comfort of the familiar decor, | ||
with the original counters, stools, and pressed-tin ceiling; the | ||
menu remained fairly constant through the years, with chicken-fried | ||
steak and pepper steak the perennial customer favorites; in later | ||
years, the Texan became known for diner-style breakfasts and hearty | ||
lunch specials such as fried chicken and catfish; and | ||
WHEREAS, Like many other businesses, the Texan shut down at | ||
the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; when Mr. Strickland began to | ||
contemplate reopening, he discovered that the old place would | ||
require an enormous investment to bring it up to current codes; he | ||
sold the restaurant to former city council member and mayor pro tem | ||
Vance Howard and his wife, Karen; the couple has renovated the | ||
building extensively, turning it into a combination upscale eatery | ||
and museum for their enormous collection of antiques and artifacts, | ||
from pistols owned by the Emperor Napoleon and letters written by | ||
President George Washington to a rare geological map of Texas; they | ||
intend to run the restaurant as a nonprofit benefiting local | ||
charities and scholarship programs; and | ||
WHEREAS, Renowned as one of the state's oldest cafes, the | ||
Cafe Texan has been a cornerstone of the Huntsville community for | ||
generations, and its return is sure to gladden the hearts of | ||
countless area residents; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby congratulate the Cafe Texan on its reopening and | ||
extend to all those associated with this venerable establishment | ||
sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
prepared for the cafe as an expression of high regard by the Texas | ||
House of Representatives. |