[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 13, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS

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                            HON. KEVIN BRADY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 13, 2010

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
175th anniversary of the City of Huntsville, Texas, and I extend my 
congratulations to its citizens on this memorable occasion.
  Huntsville has a rich and memorable history that is as old as the 
state of Texas itself. This great city started out in 1835 as an Indian 
trading post established by Pleasant and Ephraim Gray who moved to the 
area from Huntsville, Alabama. Because their trading post was situated 
near the Trinity River, as trade along the river's banks grew, so did 
the number of settlers in Huntsville. New residents found the prairie 
lands in and around Huntsville to be fertile grounds for farming and 
ranching, and they found lush timber lands for harvesting.
  The 1840s and 1850s were prosperous times for Huntsville, as settlers 
from eastern states continued to arrive and establish homesteads and 
businesses in the city. In 1845, the city was incorporated by the 
Congress of the Republic of Texas. In 1849, Austin College was founded 
in Huntsville. In 1850, the Huntsville Item newspaper was established 
and continues to be the second oldest continually published newspaper 
in the state of Texas.
  Huntsville is known as the home of the great General Sam Houston, who 
served as President of the Republic of Texas, Governor of Texas, U.S. 
Representative, and U.S. Senator. It is also the home of Sam Houston 
State University, founded in 1879, and the Texas Department of Criminal 
Justice.
  Today, Huntsville enjoys a vibrant economy and still maintains the 
natural beauty that attracted many of its earliest settlers. Tourists 
come to Huntsville to visit the Huntsville State Park, the Sam Houston 
National Forest, the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and statue, HEARTS 
Veterans Museum, the Texas Prison Museum, and the nearby attractions of 
the Trinity River and Lake Livingston.
  In keeping with the traditions of its founding, Huntsville remains a 
friendly city that welcomes new families and individuals to enjoy life 
in the Piney Woods region of Texas. It is a place that values hard work 
and entrepreneurship and a place where residents respect and honor the 
freedom provided by our Armed Forces. Its citizens are some of the most 
patriotic and philanthropic you will find anywhere.
  Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to represent the citizens of the 
city of Huntsville, Texas, in the House of Representatives. In the 
words of John W. Thomason, Jr., one of Huntsville's most notable 
residents who wrote many years ago, Huntsville continues to remain a 
``place of prominence: notable for culture, for manners, and for 
morals.'' Please join me in congratulating the citizens of Huntsville 
on this momentous occasion.

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