TITLE: Recognizing May 4, 2015, as Grimes County Day at the State Capitol.

SUMMARY: Recognizing May 4, 2015, as Grimes County Day at the State Capitol.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Citizens of Grimes County are joining together at the State Capitol to celebrate Grimes County Day on May 4, 2015; and WHEREAS, A landscape of lush forests and verdant savannah, the area that would later become Grimes County was inhabited by the Bidai people when Europeans first arrived in the region in the late 1600s; it is thought that the famous French explorer La Salle met his untimely end near present-day Navasota in 1687; and WHEREAS, In the 1820s, Anglo settlers began to move into the region, drawn by the rich bottomlands along the Navasota and Brazos Rivers; one of the first cotton crops in Texas was planted in the county, and with Anderson as its county seat, Grimes County was established in 1846 and named after Jesse Grimes, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence; and WHEREAS, The arrival of the Houston and Central Texas Railway in 1859 helped promote the growth of Navasota as a center of commerce, while two spas established in the 1850s, Kellum Springs and Piedmont Springs, drew many visitors to the county; and WHEREAS, Today, the area's prosperity is based on livestock, agribusiness, and light manufacturing; the timber, lignite coal, and natural gas industries also contribute to the economy of the region; and WHEREAS, Officially designated the Blues Capital of Texas by the 79th Texas Legislature in 2005, Navasota hosts the annual Blues Fest to commemorate the famous blues musician and native son Mance Lipscomb and to raise money for a scholarship in his name; the town is equally known for its picturesque downtown and Victorian-style houses, and its history is showcased in the Horlock History Center, a restored 1892 home; and WHEREAS, Anderson boasts the striking Grimes County Courthouse, constructed of handmade bricks in 1894 and restored in 2002; the town is also home to the Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site, a restored 19th-century stagecoach stop that hosted such famous figures as Sam Houston, Robert E. Lee, and Ulysses S. Grant; and WHEREAS, Residents and visitors alike enjoy the colorful Texas Renaissance Festival in Plantersville every October and November; another popular attraction is Gibbons Creek Reservoir, which offers ample recreational opportunities for fishing, camping, boating, and waterskiing; and WHEREAS, Celebrating their rich history as they look forward to a bright future, the people of Grimes County are justifiably proud of their heritage and achievements, and their county's many contributions to the ongoing development of the Lone Star State are indeed deserving of special honor; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby recognize May 4, 2015, as Grimes County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for an informative and enjoyable stay in Austin. Schubert Straus Gonz lez Otto Allen Guerra Paddie Alonzo Guillen Parker Alvarado Gutierrez Paul Anchia Harless Pe a Anderson of Dallas Hernandez Phelan Anderson of McLennan Herrero Phillips Ashby Howard Pickett Aycock Huberty Price Bell Hughes Raney Bernal Hunter Raymond Blanco Isaac Reynolds Bohac Israel Riddle Bonnen of Brazoria Johnson Rinaldi Bonnen of Galveston Kacal Rodriguez of Bexar Burkett Keffer Rodriguez of Travis Burns Keough Romero, Jr. Burrows King of Hemphill Rose Button King of Parker Sanford Canales King of Taylor Schaefer Capriglione King of Uvalde Schofield Clardy Klick Schubert Coleman Koop Shaheen Collier Krause Sheets Cook Kuempel Sheffield Craddick Landgraf Simmons Crownover Larson Simpson Cyrier Laubenberg Smith Dale Leach Smithee Darby Longoria Spitzer Davis of Dallas Lozano Springer Davis of Harris Lucio III Stephenson Deshotel M rquez Stickland Dukes Martinez Thompson of Brazoria Dutton Martinez Fischer Thompson of Harris Elkins McClendon Tinderholt Faircloth Metcalf Turner of Collin Fallon Meyer Turner of Harris Farias Miles Turner of Tarrant Farney Miller of Comal VanDeaver Farrar Miller of Fort Bend Villalba Fletcher Minjarez Vo Flynn Moody Walle Frank Morrison White of Bell Frullo Mu oz, Jr. White of Tyler Galindo Murphy Workman Geren Murr Wray Giddings Naishtat Wu Goldman Nev rez Zedler Gonzales Oliveira Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 2093 was adopted by the House on May 4, 2015, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House