Bill Text: TX HR421 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing March 7, 2017, as Van Zandt County Day at the State Capitol.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-03-08 - Reported enrolled [HR421 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HR421-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 421 | ||
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| WHEREAS, Proud citizens of Van Zandt County are gathering at | ||
| the State Capitol on March 7, 2017, to commemorate Van Zandt County | ||
| Day and to celebrate the significant role their home has played in | ||
| the story of the Lone Star State; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Created by an Act of the Texas Legislature on March | ||
| 20, 1848, this county in the northeast region of Texas was named for | ||
| Isaac Van Zandt, a lawyer who served as a legislator and diplomat | ||
| for the Republic of Texas; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Canton, the county seat, was laid out in 1850 and | ||
| incorporated in 1919; designated a Main Street City in 2001, it is | ||
| home to the Van Zandt County Fair and Rodeo, as well as one of the | ||
| nation's best-known flea markets, First Monday Trade Days; the city | ||
| is also the location of the Library of Genealogy and Local History, | ||
| which preserves the county's heritage and draws researchers from | ||
| far and near; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The county's other notable communities include Ben | ||
| Wheeler, which was named in 1878 for Benjamin F. Wheeler, an early | ||
| mail carrier in Van Zandt County; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Edgewood, which was first settled in the 1840s, | ||
| hosts the Edgewood Heritage Festival every November at the Heritage | ||
| Park Museum; this popular attraction is dedicated to the | ||
| preservation of rural culture and architecture; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Named after a figure from the Bible, Edom is one of | ||
| the oldest towns in the county, and it is home to 11 state | ||
| historical markers, many of them researched by members of the Edom | ||
| Historical Society; the residents of this small community also give | ||
| hearty support to an active civic theater and popular arts fairs; | ||
| and | ||
| WHEREAS, A 1901 petition by local fruit growers prompted the | ||
| renaming of Bolan Switch to Fruitvale; the town had boasted a fruit | ||
| nursery as early as the 1870s and also had a lumber shipping | ||
| business by the second decade of the 20th century, but Fruitvale was | ||
| not incorporated until the 1960s; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Originally called Jordan's Saline, Grand Saline was | ||
| the first county seat, and it takes its name from an immense dome of | ||
| pure salt that lies beneath the city; more than a mile and a half | ||
| wide and 16,000 feet thick, the deposit is now mined by the Morton | ||
| Salt company; named a Main Street City in 2004, the community | ||
| celebrates its heritage with the Salt Palace, a house built out of | ||
| salt blocks, and an annual Salt Festival; the town is also the | ||
| birthplace of pioneer aviator Wiley Post, whose life is | ||
| commemorated with a historical marker; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Martin's Mill was established in the valley of Cream | ||
| Level Creek before the Civil War; it got its name from Daniel | ||
| G. Martin, who opened a gin and gristmill there in 1875; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The community of Van was established in 1894, and it | ||
| remained a quiet farming community until 1929, when the discovery | ||
| of oil in the area transformed the village into a boomtown; the Van | ||
| Area Oil and Historical Museum and the annual Oil Pageant & Festival | ||
| recapture the excitement of that time; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Wills Point was named for William Wills, who settled | ||
| in the area in the 1840s and whose homestead became a way station | ||
| for travelers; his original cabin still stands in Bruce Park, and | ||
| the old Texas and Pacific Railroad depot features exhibits of local | ||
| history; as the official Bluebird Capital of Texas, Wills Point | ||
| hosts the annual Bluebird Festival every April; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Major events in the county include the Western Swing | ||
| Valentine Party in Canton, the Edom Festival of the Arts, and the | ||
| Relay for Life of Van Zandt County; for the outdoor enthusiast, the | ||
| Neches and Sabine Rivers, Purtis Creek State Park, and Lake | ||
| Tawakoni State Park offer fine opportunities for fishing, boating, | ||
| swimming, camping, and hiking; home to more than 53,000 people, the | ||
| county prospers thanks to agriculture, oil and gas, and tourism; | ||
| the region is a major producer of hay, sweet potatoes, beef cattle, | ||
| and nursery crops; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The people of Van Zandt County take great pride in | ||
| their rich history as they work together to build an even brighter | ||
| future, and it is indeed fitting to honor them and their unique | ||
| contributions to the story of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, | ||
| be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby recognize March 7, 2017, as Van Zandt County Day | ||
| at the State Capitol and extend best wishes to the visiting | ||
| residents of the county for an informative and enjoyable stay in | ||
| Austin. | ||
| Flynn | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 421 was adopted by the House on March | ||
| 2, 2017, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
