Bill Text: TX SR18 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 3rd Special Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing the Cooke County Fair on the occasion of its 150th anniversary.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-09-27 - Reported enrolled [SR18 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SR18-Enrolled.html
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| WHEREAS, The Cooke County Fair Association is celebrating | ||
| the 150th anniversary of the Cooke County Fair in 2021; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The first county fair in Cooke County was held | ||
| near Gainesville in 1871, on land that had been donated to the | ||
| Cooke County Agricultural and Mechanical Association by Robert | ||
| Wheelock, the county's first judge, and J. M. Perry; it featured | ||
| exhibits and a mule-driven flying jenny, which was an early | ||
| version of the merry-go-round; fairs were held on the site until | ||
| 1875, when the land was sold; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The fair association established a new 40-acre | ||
| fairground in 1891 and conducted an annual fair there until 1894; | ||
| the next fair was held in 1897 at a third location, which featured | ||
| a racetrack, agricultural displays, livestock judging, and | ||
| balloon ascensions; subsequent fairs took place at different | ||
| sites in 1899 and 1906; and | ||
| WHEREAS, After festivities were suspended between 1913 and | ||
| 1926, the Cooke County Fair was reestablished in 1927, and in | ||
| 1928, it drew more than 13,000 people with two parades, an | ||
| archery contest, baseball games, a team-pulling competition, and | ||
| a rodeo; that same year, the City of Gainesville provided the | ||
| fair association with the use of land east of the city, and over | ||
| the years, several exhibition halls were added to the property; | ||
| the fair association took its current name in 1939; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Put on hold again during World War II, the fair | ||
| was restarted in 1947; the Fair Park Community Center was used | ||
| throughout the year for an annual horse show, a reunion of war | ||
| veterans on the Fourth of July, and a Juneteenth celebration by | ||
| the county's African American residents; during the 1950s and | ||
| 60s, the fair was held in downtown Gainesville; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In the 1980s, the fair association purchased its | ||
| current location just outside of the city and built a fair barn; | ||
| destroyed by a storm in 2006, the barn has been rebuilt, becoming | ||
| host to many other events year-round, including 4-H and FFA youth | ||
| workshops, rodeos, circuses, livestock shows, and shooting | ||
| competitions; and | ||
| WHEREAS, For a century and a half, the Cooke County Fair | ||
| has brought the community together to benefit youth, promote | ||
| agriculture, and celebrate the area's rich legacy, and it is | ||
| truly a pleasure to join in marking this special occasion; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 87th | ||
| Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby commemorate the 150th | ||
| anniversary of the Cooke County Fair and extend to the Cooke | ||
| County Fair Association sincere best wishes for continued | ||
| success; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be | ||
| prepared for the association as an expression of high regard from | ||
| the Texas Senate. | ||
| Springer | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| President of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that the | ||
| above Resolution was adopted by | ||
| the Senate on September 27, 2021. | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Member, Texas Senate | ||
