85R8477 KSM-D
 
  By: Hughes S.C.R. No. 25
 
 
 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
         WHEREAS, The people of the Mount Tabor Indian Community of
  East Texas, whose history in this state spans more than 170 years,
  take enormous pride in the rich heritage that they share; and
         WHEREAS, Composed of individuals of Cherokee, Yowani
  Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Muscogee-Creek ancestry, the Mount Tabor
  community traces its origins to about the year 1845, when a party of
  families led by John Adair Bell immigrated to Texas and settled
  approximately six miles south of present-day Kilgore; the community
  came to be known as Mount Tabor, after the name of the plantation
  that Mr. Bell established in Rusk County; during the Civil War, the
  Mount Tabor community swelled with an influx of Cherokee who were
  supportive of the Confederacy and who were fleeing the fighting in
  Indian Territory; among their number were the wife and children of
  Confederate general Stand Watie; following the end of the war,
  residents of Mount Tabor began to disperse; a number returned to the
  Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory, but many descendants of the
  early settlers continue to live in Rusk and Smith Counties; and
         WHEREAS, Those associated with Mount Tabor have maintained
  ties to a tribal organization since the community's inception;
  today, the Texas Band of Cherokee Indians of the Mount Tabor Indian
  Community is a continuation of the Texas Cherokees and Associated
  Bands (TCAB), which was organized in 1871 by Colonel William Penn
  Adair; in addition to John Adair Bell and William Penn Adair,
  notable leaders of the community have included Chief Chicken
  Trotter, also known as Devereaux Jarrett Bell, who signed the 1843
  Treaty of Birds Fort on behalf of the Cherokee, and, in the 20th
  century, TCAB chairs W. W. Keeler, who served as principal chief of
  the Cherokee Nation and as CEO of Phillips Petroleum Company, and
  Foster T. Bean, who served as mayor of Kilgore for more than 20
  years; and
         WHEREAS, The original settlers of Mount Tabor and their
  descendants have contributed in myriad ways to their communities,
  their state, and their nation; they have worn the uniform of every
  branch of this country's armed forces and taken part in every
  conflict from the Civil War to Iraq and Afghanistan; in civilian
  life, they have served in roles ranging from police officers and
  judges to ministers and school teachers; and
         WHEREAS, Throughout its history, Texas has drawn strength
  from the great diversity of its people and cultures, and it is a
  privilege to recognize the Mount Tabor Indian Community for the
  indelible imprint it has made on the Lone Star State; now,
  therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas
  hereby recognize the Mount Tabor Indian Community of Texas and
  commend it on its many valuable contributions to this state; and, be
  it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for the Mount Tabor Indian Community as an expression of
  high regard by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate.