Bill Text: TX SR276 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing February 16, 2011, as Van Zandt County Day at the State Capitol.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Passed) 2011-02-16 - Reported enrolled [SR276 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-SR276-Enrolled.html
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| WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to | ||
| recognize the many citizens of Van Zandt County who have come to | ||
| the State Capitol on February 16, 2011, to celebrate the | ||
| significant part they and their forebears have played in the | ||
| development of the Lone Star State; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Created by an Act of the Texas Legislature on March | ||
| 20, 1847, this Northeast Texas county was named for Isaac Van | ||
| Zandt, a Republic of Texas lawyer, legislator, and diplomat; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Canton, the county seat, was laid out in 1850 and | ||
| incorporated in 1919; recently named a Main Street City, it is | ||
| home to the Van Zandt County Fair and First Monday Trade Days, one | ||
| of the country's best-known flea markets; a library of genealogy | ||
| and local history is also a popular attraction and preserves much | ||
| of the county's notable heritage; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The development of this fascinating area can be | ||
| traced in a number of other communities as well; Edgewood, | ||
| settled in the 1840s, boasts the Edgewood Heritage Park Museum, a | ||
| facility dedicated to the preservation of the rural culture and | ||
| architectural history of our state; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Edom, established in 1856, is one of the oldest | ||
| towns in the county, and its past is highlighted by 10 state | ||
| historical markers, many of them researched by members of the | ||
| Edom Historical Society; the residents of this small community | ||
| also give vital support to an active civic theater; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Fruit cultivation prompted the naming of | ||
| Fruitvale, where a nursery operated as early as the 1870s; | ||
| several generations in this century-old town have treasured the | ||
| Randall Store, a local institution since 1910; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Grand Saline, originally called Jordan's Saline, | ||
| the first Van Zandt County seat, takes its name from an immense | ||
| dome of pure salt lying beneath the city; more than a mile and a | ||
| half wide and 20,000 feet thick, the deposit is presently mined | ||
| by Morton Salt Company; the city celebrates salt with an annual | ||
| Salt Festival; those exploring this 2004 Main Street City can | ||
| tour the Salt Palace Museum, a unique structure built with rock | ||
| salt crystal, stop by the historical marker that commemorates | ||
| native son Wiley Post, the renowned pioneer aviator, and visit | ||
| the new Veterans Memorial Wall Park, featuring a genuine United | ||
| States Army tank; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Van, established in 1891, remained a quiet farming | ||
| community until 1929, when the discovery of oil nearby transformed | ||
| the village into a boomtown; the Van Area Oil and Historical Museum | ||
| recaptures the excitement of that frenetic time and commemorates | ||
| the discovery with an annual Oil Festival; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Wills Point, settled in 1873 and originally known | ||
| as Iola, was renamed for William Wills, whose cabin served as a | ||
| stopping place for those traveling between Shreveport and | ||
| Dallas; the Wills cabin still stands, as does the Texas and | ||
| Pacific Railroad depot, which houses the Historical Society | ||
| Museum; Wills Point, which is officially the Bluebird Capital of | ||
| Texas, hosts the annual Bluebird Festival; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Ben Wheeler, surrounded by natural springs and | ||
| rich farmland, was named for Van Zandt County's first mail | ||
| carrier, Benjamin R. Wheeler, in 1876; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Martins Mill, which got its name from Dan R. | ||
| Martin's gristmill, was established in 1880 and is home to one of | ||
| the largest dairies in East Texas; the community survived | ||
| destruction by tornadoes and fires and today boasts a successful | ||
| school district; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Major events in the county include the Texas State | ||
| Bluegrass Festival, the Edom Arts Fair, and the Van Zandt County | ||
| Relay for Life; for the outdoor enthusiast, the Neches and Sabine | ||
| Rivers, Purtis Creek State Park, and Lake Tawakoni State Park | ||
| offer wonderful opportunities for fishing, boating, swimming, | ||
| and camping; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The home of nearly 53,000 people, Van Zandt County | ||
| relies on tourism, oil, and agribusiness; the area is a major | ||
| producer of hay, blueberries, sweet potatoes, and nursery crops, | ||
| in addition to cattle, horses, hogs, and dairy products; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The citizens of Van Zandt County take justifiable | ||
| pride in the hard work and ready cooperation that have made their | ||
| county strong, and it is a pleasure to join them in honoring the | ||
| county they call home; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd | ||
| Legislature, hereby recognize February 16, 2011, as Van Zandt | ||
| County Day at the State Capitol and extend sincere best wishes to | ||
| the visiting residents of Van Zandt County for an informative and | ||
| memorable day; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared as a | ||
| memento of this special occasion. | ||
| Deuell | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| President of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that the | ||
| above Resolution was adopted by | ||
| the Senate on February 16, 2011. | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Member, Texas Senate | ||
