TITLE: Commemorating the 175th anniversary of the founding of Fort Sherman.

SUMMARY: Commemorating the 175th anniversary of the founding of Fort Sherman.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Proud citizens of Titus County are gathering at Lake Bob Sandlin State Park on June 8, 2013, to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the founding of Fort Sherman; and WHEREAS, Sponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Titus County Historical Preservation Society, and the Titus County Historical Commission, this commemoration will feature historical reenactors in period costume who will provide information about the fort's history and the lives of its inhabitants; and WHEREAS, Established by the Republic of Texas in 1838 near the spot where the Cherokee Trace crossed Big Cypress Creek, Fort Sherman was built as a log stockade by Captain William B. Stout and a detachment of 42 Red River Mounted Rangers; the fort was named for Colonel Sidney Sherman, a commander in the Texas Army at the Battle of San Jacinto and the man who coined the battle cry "Remember the Alamo!"; and WHEREAS, Fort Sherman was the first community in Titus County and home to the Bell, Blundell, Coots, Dial, Dragoo, Gibson, and Harris families until 1841; it provided the local settlers with a refuge from Indian attack, and it also served as a rest and resupply depot for early units of the Texas Rangers; in the 1840s, it was a polling place for several elections; and WHEREAS, After the threat from Indians diminished, the fort was abandoned, and when Major John Pollard Gaines stopped there with his cavalry unit in 1846 on his way to join the Mexican-American War, he noted in his diary that a peach orchard had begun to grow up in its ruins; and WHEREAS, The fort continued to appear on various maps as late as 1873, and eventually local farmers salvaged the last remaining timber from the fort for their own purposes; today, the site of this historic outpost is located within Lake Bob Sandlin State Park, which also includes the site of a cemetery from the same period as the fort; and WHEREAS, The efforts of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Titus County Historical Preservation Society, and the Titus County Historical Commission to remember the brave Rangers who built Fort Sherman and the resilient and self-reliant settlers who lived there will help keep the memory of this unique frontier outpost alive for further generations of Texans; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby recognize June 8, 2013, as Fort Sherman Day and commemorate the fort's rich history and continuing legacy; and, be it further RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared for the Titus County Historical Preservation Society and the Titus County Historical Commission as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Hughes Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1875 was adopted by the House on May 15, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House