H.R. No. 591

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Many proud citizens of Lamar County are visiting the
	State Capitol on April 8-9, 2015, to celebrate the role this
	Northeast Texas county has played in the annals of the Lone Star
	State; and
	WHEREAS, At the time of the Republic of Texas, present-day
	Lamar County was located within the boundaries of Red River County;
	population growth led the Fifth Congress of the republic to
	establish Lamar County on December 17, 1840, and the current
	boundaries were drawn 30 years later when a portion of land was
	carved out for the creation of Delta County; and
	WHEREAS, Lamar County's namesake was the fourth president of
	the Republic of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar; the small settlement of
	Lafayette served as the first county seat, but after the Texas
	Congress passed a law requiring that each county seat be located
	within five miles of the county's geographic center, Mount Vernon
	served briefly in that capacity until the town of Paris was founded
	on 50 acres donated by George W. Wright; Paris has served as the
	county seat since 1844; and
	WHEREAS, Numerous early settlers migrated to Lamar County
	through Tennessee and Kentucky and established small farms; at the
	turn of the century, the county remained primarily rural, and
	although the population of Paris had grown to more than 9,000, no
	other community exceeded 1,000 residents; the industrial economy
	gradually began to make gains on agriculture in the 20th century as
	people moved into towns and smaller communities, and Paris played
	an increasingly important role in the economy of Northeast Texas;
	and
	WHEREAS, Today, Paris is a regional hub of retail trade,
	farming, and medical care and home to Fortune 500 companies
	Campbell Soup Company, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and Next Era
	Energy as well as a recent major employer, James Skinner Baking
	Company; the city is located within an excellent multimodal
	transportation network, and in addition to numerous food and
	consumer goods manufacturing plants, it is home to distribution
	centers that serve the entire nation; and
	WHEREAS, Quality of life in Paris is enhanced by Paris Junior
	College and several excellent independent school districts, and by
	such beautiful recreation areas as Wade Park, Lake Gibbons, Lake
	Crook, and the Sam Bell Maxey State Historic Structure; every
	summer, citizens enjoy the Tour de Paris bike race along the 12-mile
	Trail de Paris, and concerts by the Paris Municipal Band, the oldest
	such ensemble in the state; landmarks include the Culbertson
	Fountain in the historic district, named "the prettiest plaza in
	the State of Texas" by Texas Monthly magazine, and the "third
	largest Eiffel Tower in the Second Largest Paris," a 65-foot-tall
	monument constructed by local workers and capped, appropriately,
	with a cowboy hat; and
	WHEREAS, The industrious residents of this vibrant Texas
	county are preserving the best of their past while working to meet
	the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and it is indeed
	appropriate to honor them at this time; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
	Legislature hereby recognize April 8-9, 2015, as Lamar County Days
	at the State Capitol and extend to the delegation sincere best
	wishes for an enjoyable and informative visit.
	VanDeaver
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 591 was adopted by the House on March
	5, 2015, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House