TITLE: Recognizing February 18, 2025, as Hardin County Day at the State Capitol.

SUMMARY: Recognizing February 18, 2025, as Hardin County Day at the State Capitol.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Proud residents are gathering in Austin on February 18, 2025, to celebrate Hardin County Day at the State Capitol; and WHEREAS, Situated northeast of Houston, Hardin County is predominantly made up of pine and hardwood forests in the East Texas Timberlands region; and WHEREAS, Following the Texas Revolution, the area was split between the jurisdictions of Liberty and Jefferson Counties; in 1858, the State Legislature established Hardin County, drawing territory from both parent counties; under state law, the county's name honored the Hardin family of Liberty, and the county seat also bore that name; in 1881, the Sabine and East Texas Railroad bypassed Hardin in favor of its own newly established town, Kountze, which ultimately became the county seat; and WHEREAS, Early farmers in Hardin County raised corn, sweet potatoes, hogs, cattle, sheep, and horses; as early as 1878, loggers were floating cut timber to the Neches River and on to Beaumont, and by 1881, at least two lumber-processing mills were operating in the county; the subsequent arrivals of other railway companies further stimulated the lumber industry; a big economic boost came with the discovery of oil at Saratoga and Batson and the development of the Sour Lake oil field in 1903; today, chambers of commerce in Kountze, Lumberton, Silsbee, and Sour Lake promote economic development in their communities; and WHEREAS, Hardin County is further buoyed by its robust ecotourism, which offers ample opportunities for recreation and under the natural beauty of the Big Thicket National Preserve and Village Creek State Park. WHEREAS, Residents of Hardin County are working together to build an even brighter future, and this special day provides a fitting opportunity to pay tribute to the county and its people; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas Legislature hereby recognize February 18, 2025, as Hardin County Day at the State Capitol and extend a warm welcome to the visiting delegation. Holt Burrows Guerra Morales Shaw Alders Guillen Morgan Allen Harless Mu oz Anch a Harris Noble Ashby Harris Davila Olcott Barry Harrison Oliverson Bell of Kaufman Hayes Ordaz Bell of Montgomery Hefner Orr Bernal Hernandez Patterson Bhojani Hickland Paul Bonnen Hinojosa Perez of El Paso Bowers Holt Perez of Harris Bryant Hopper Phelan Buckley Howard Pierson Bucy Hull Plesa Bumgarner Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Cain Johnson Richardson Campos Jones of Dallas Rodr guez Ramos Canales Jones of Harris Romero Capriglione Kerwin Rose Cole King Rosenthal Collier Kitzman Schatzline Cook LaHood Schofield Cortez Lalani Schoolcraft Craddick Lambert Shaheen Cunningham Landgraf Shofner Curry Leach Simmons Darby Leo Wilson Slawson A. Davis of Dallas Little Smithee Y. Davis of Dallas Longoria Spiller Dean Lopez of Bexar Swanson DeAyala Lopez of Cameron Talarico Dorazio Louderback Tepper Dutton Lowe Thompson Dyson Lozano Tinderholt Fairly Lujan Toth Flores Luther Troxclair Frank Manuel Turner G mez Martinez VanDeaver Garcia of Bexar Martinez Fischer Vasut Garcia of Dallas McLaughlin Villalobos Garcia Hernandez McQueeney Virdell Gates Metcalf Vo Gerdes Meyer Walle Geren Meza Ward Johnson Gervin-Hawkins Money Wharton Gonz lez of Dallas Moody Wilson Gonz lez of El Paso Morales of Harris Wu Goodwin Morales of Maverick Zwiener Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 98 was adopted by the House on February 18, 2025, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House