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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Kinne's Jewelers in Gainesville has been named the |
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recipient of a Texas Treasure Business Award by the Texas |
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Historical Commission, which recognizes companies that have |
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employed Texans and contributed to the state's economy for 50 years |
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or more; and |
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WHEREAS, On November 28, 1889, watchmaker W. B. Kinne opened |
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his shop in a small niche under a stairway in the Ben Brooks Drug |
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Store; the growing business moved a number of times before settling |
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into its present-day location in 1913; and |
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WHEREAS, W. B. Kinne eventually brought his sons into the |
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business, and following his death in 1945, William Kinne Jr. and |
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Harry Kinne continued to operate it; in 1959, they hired a |
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watchmaker, Francis A. Wiese, and when Harry Kinne retired in 1974, |
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Mr. Wiese took over the store; he appreciated its rich history and |
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not only kept the original showcases, but also ventured into the |
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attic to find decorative antiques, including the 1896 Waterbury |
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clock that has been a focal point ever since; moreover, he created a |
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jewelry museum on the mezzanine level; and |
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WHEREAS, Like his predecessors, Mr. Wiese raised his |
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children in the business, and his daughter, Gina Dill, completed a |
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bachelor's degree in metalsmithing and jewelry at the University of |
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North Texas; she and her brother, Jack Wiese, bought the firm in |
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1990, and she became the sole owner six years later; in 2007, she |
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created her own line of sterling silver wax seal jewelry, which is a |
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certified Go Texan product; her daughter, Jamie Davis, now designs |
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jewelry as well; the store building was recently renovated with a |
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grant from the Local Main Street Organization, and while the |
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establishment is steeped in tradition, it also employs modern |
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technology, such as CAD design and laser welding; it is a member of |
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the JA 100 Club, an association of American jewelry stores more than |
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100 years old; and |
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WHEREAS, Kinne's Jewelers has played a vital role in the |
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Gainesville business community for well over a century, and it is |
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truly deserving of this prestigious accolade; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby congratulate Kinne's |
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Jewelers on its receipt of a Texas Treasure Business Award from the |
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Texas Historical Commission and extend to all those associated with |
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this venerable firm sincere best wishes for continued success; and, |
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be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the company as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |