TITLE: Recognizing January 23, 2013, as Grimes County Day at the State Capitol.

SUMMARY: Recognizing January 23, 2013, 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 January 23, 2013; 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 railroad 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 BluesFest 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 renowned 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 Stonewall Jackson; 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 83rd Texas Legislature hereby recognize January 23, 2013, as Grimes County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. Kolkhorst Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 109 was adopted by the House on January 23, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House