Bill Text: TX SR280 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing March 7, 2017, as Van Zandt County Day.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-03-07 - Reported enrolled [SR280 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SR280-Enrolled.html
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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 Senate of the State of Texas, 85th | ||
| 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. | ||
| Hall | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| President of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that the | ||
| above Resolution was adopted by | ||
| the Senate on March 7, 2017. | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Member, Texas Senate | ||
