SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 72
	WHEREAS, Many proud citizens of Lamar County are visiting
	the State Capitol on Lamar County Day to celebrate the prominent
	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 Mirabeau B. Lamar, who
	served as president of the Republic of Texas; 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 for retail trade,
	farming, and medical care and home to three Fortune 500 companies,
	Campbell Soup Company, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and Florida
	Power and Light; the city's newest major employer is James Skinner
	Baking Company; Paris 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
	offering school choice; beautiful local recreation areas include
	Wade Park, Lake Gibbons, Lake Crook, and the Sam Bell Maxey House
	State Historic Site; every summer, citizens enjoy the Tour de
	Paris bicycle 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 red cowboy hat; and
	WHEREAS, The industrious residents of this vital Texas county
	are preserving the best of their past while working to meet the
	challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and it is indeed a
	pleasure to honor them at this time; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th
	Legislature, hereby recognize the residents of Lamar County on
	Lamar County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the delegation
	sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit; and, be
	it further
	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in
	honor of this special day.
	Eltife
		________________________________
		President of the Senate
		I hereby certify that the
		above Resolution was adopted by
		the Senate on February 2, 2015.
		________________________________
		Secretary of the Senate
		________________________________
		Member, Texas Senate