HCR81 - Designating Milam as the official Gateway Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035.

      H.C.R. No. 81       HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION          WHEREAS, With its location along one of Texas' earliest and   most important travel routes, the town of Milam played a pivotal   role in the early settlement of the Lone Star State; and          WHEREAS, Even before the arrival of European colonists, this   site near the Sabine River was a well-known stop along a trail used   by Native Americans; members of the Caddo tribe often visited a   watering place near the present-day location of the town, and the   site subsequently gained the name of Las Borregas; and          WHEREAS, When the Spanish attempted to assert a stronger hold   on the region in the late 1600s and early 1700s, missionaries and   soldiers traveled to the area along the same route; it came to be   known as El Camino Real de los Tejas and, later, as the Old San   Antonio Road and the King's Highway; the path of this historic   travel artery is now traced by Highway 21, a portion of which forms   Milam's main east-west thoroughfare; and          WHEREAS, When Spain opened Texas to Anglo American settlement   in the early 1800s, Stephen F. Austin traveled El Camino Real on his   way to San Antonio to secure the land grants for the initial   colonists; in July 1821, he spent his first night in Texas at a   campsite on Borregas Creek; the town was established in 1828 and was   originally called Red Mound before being renamed in honor of   Benjamin Rush Milam, a notable figure in the Texas Revolution; and          WHEREAS, Under the Republic of Texas, the community served as   a port of entry, which contributed to its rapid growth; a customs   house, inns, taverns, and two large racetracks were constructed,   and Milam became an important passageway for people traveling west   to carve a new destiny in Texas; during the Civil War, the town   became the county headquarters for the Army Quartermaster   Department of the Confederacy; and          WHEREAS, Today, Milam continues its tradition of welcoming   visitors; its rich history can be appreciated at such sites as the   Milam Cemetery and at restored homes in the area that date to the   early 1800s; each November, the Milam Settlers Organization   celebrates the town's storied past at the Milam Settlers Day   gathering in El Camino Park; and          WHEREAS, Through its connection to the famed El Camino Real   de los Tejas and the early history of Texas, Milam has contributed   greatly to the development of the Lone Star State, and this proud   heritage is indeed deserving of special recognition; now,   therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas   hereby designate Milam as the official Gateway Capital of Texas;   and, be it further          RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of   Section 391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in   effect until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is   finally passed by the legislature.     Shofner       ______________________________ ______________________________      President of the Senate Speaker of the House                   I certify that H.C.R. No. 81 was adopted by the House on May   16, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 122, Nays 0, 2 present, not   voting.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House                 I certify that H.C.R. No. 81 was adopted by the Senate on May   28, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.     ______________________________   Secretary of the Senate      APPROVED: __________________                   Date                       __________________                 Governor