H.R. No. 1436

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Proud citizens are taking time this year to
	celebrate the sesquicentennial of the establishment of Palo Pinto
	County; and
	WHEREAS, Originally home to the Lipan Apache people, this
	rugged, hilly country along the Brazos River was first surveyed by
	William A. A. "Bigfoot" Wallace in 1837; the original settlers
	included the cattlemen Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight, who
	founded their ranches in the 1850s; and
	WHEREAS, Palo Pinto County was formed by the state
	legislature in 1856 from parts of Bosque and Navarro Counties and
	formally established in 1857; the name of the county is Spanish for
	"painted posts" or "painted trees," which may have come from the
	Native American practice of painting trees blue and red along Palo
	Pinto Creek near Strawn; the county seat Golconda was renamed Palo
	Pinto in 1858; and
	WHEREAS, By 1880 cotton had become an important crop in the
	county, and the Texas and Pacific Railway linked the region with
	national markets and brought in new settlers; the discovery of oil
	in the 1910s made petroleum drilling a major part of the county's
	economy; and
	WHEREAS, The largest town in the county, Mineral Wells was
	founded by James Lynch, who, in 1880, discovered that his
	odd-tasting well water might have healing properties; the spa that
	grew up around the town's "Crazy Water" boasted 150,000 visitors a
	year during the early 20th century; over the years the 452 rooms of
	the massive Baker Hotel hosted such celebrities as Lawrence Welk,
	Judy Garland, Clark Gable, the Three Stooges, Roy Rogers and Dale
	Evans, and even, under an alias, the bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde;
	and
	WHEREAS, Near Mineral Wells, Camp Wolters served as
	headquarters for the cavalry of the Texas National Guard, a U.S.
	Army Infantry Replacement Center and German POW camp during World
	War II, a U.S. Air Force Base in the 1950s, and the home of Primary
	Helicopter Training for the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War; in
	1973 the base was deactivated and rechristened as Wolters
	Industrial Park; and
	WHEREAS, With an economy firmly founded today upon ranching,
	oil, agriculture, and manufacturing, Palo Pinto County delights
	residents and visitors alike with such attractions as the Palo
	Pinto County Jail Museum, the Strawn Museum, and the Little Rock
	Schoolhouse Museum; and
	WHEREAS, The 18,000 acres of Possum Kingdom Lake and the
	surrounding cliffs and hillsides offer recreational opportunities,
	and the county's annual festivals include the Possum Kingdom
	Chamber of Commerce Mardi Gras Parade in March and the Crazy Water
	Festival in Mineral Wells every October; and
	WHEREAS, With its rich traditions, scenic landscape, and
	industrious residents, Palo Pinto County is a unique and dynamic
	region of the Lone Star State, and it is fitting that the county's
	150 years of colorful history and achievement be recognized and
	celebrated; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas
	Legislature hereby commemorate the sesquicentennial of the
	establishment of Palo Pinto County and extend best wishes to its
	residents for a happy and prosperous future.
	Keffer
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 1436 was adopted by the House on April
	27, 2007, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House