Bill Text: TX HR475 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing the city of Palestine.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-03-15 - Reported enrolled [HR475 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR475-Enrolled.html
H.R. No. 475 |
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WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the | ||
88th 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 88th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby recognize the city of Palestine and extend to | ||
its citizens sincere best wishes for the future. | ||
Harris of Anderson | ||
______________________________ | ||
Speaker of the House | ||
I certify that H.R. No. 475 was adopted by the House on March | ||
14, 2023, by a non-record vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||