TITLE: Recognizing March 1, 2017, as Denton County Day at the State Capitol.

SUMMARY: Recognizing March 1, 2017, as Denton County Day at the State Capitol.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Citizens from Denton County are gathering in Austin on March 1, 2017, to celebrate Denton County Day at the State Capitol; and WHEREAS, Located in North Texas and serving as the gateway to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Denton County was created from the Peters colony grant by the Texas Legislature in 1846 and named for pioneer preacher, lawyer, and soldier John Bunyan Denton; the early years of the county saw its emergence as an agricultural center, and the arrival of the railroads in the 1880s ensured that the region's wheat and cotton would find distribution across the country; and WHEREAS, The county has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, and with a population of approximately 780,000, Denton is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation; it has drawn a number of corporate residents as well, including Peterbilt Motors Company Manufacturing and the headquarters of Sally Beauty Holdings, and Target and WinCo have opened distribution centers in the area; and WHEREAS, The city of Denton, the county seat, is home to the University of North Texas and Texas Woman's University, which were founded as Texas Normal College and Girls' Industrial College in 1890 and 1903, respectively; nearby Corinth hosts a campus of North Central Texas College, which offers technical and occupational classes to residents throughout the county and beyond, and the area is further served by 11 public school districts educating some 125,000 young Texans; and WHEREAS, Other attractions in the area include the wilderness of the North Texas Greenbelt and the architecture of the Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square; moreover, the county is part of the North Texas Horse Country, one of the largest concentrations of horse farms in the nation, and it also boasts the second-largest sports facility in the United States, the Texas Motor Speedway, which draws hundreds of thousands of race fans each year; and WHEREAS, The citizens of this notable North Texas county are working to preserve the best of their past even as they look forward to a bright and promising future, and they are sure to figure prominently in the story of the Lone Star State in the years ahead; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas Legislature hereby recognize March 1, 2017, as Denton County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. Stucky Parker Simmons Fallon Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 189 was adopted by the House on February 23, 2017, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House