Texas State Bluebonnet Festival

Chappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival Adopted: June 19, 1997

State Bluebonnet Festival: Chappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival

The Chappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival became the official bluebonnet festival of Texas when Governor George W. Bush signed House Concurrent Resolution No. 116 on June 19, 1997.

In addition to naming the Chappell Hill Festival the official bluebonnet festival of Texas, House Concurrent Resolution No. 116 also designated Ennis the bluebonnet city of Texas and the official bluebonnet trail of the State of Texas.

Chappell Hill is located between Houston and Austin, about 65 miles northwest of Houston.

H.C.R. No. 116

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In April 1997, thousands of residents and visitors alike will gather in Chappell Hill for one of our state's most popular and colorful yearly events, the 33rd Annual Chappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival; and

WHEREAS, A much anticipated celebration of spring, the festival honors the spectacular bluebonnets that grace the community of Chappell Hill each April with their seasonal display of eye-catching blooms; and

WHEREAS, This popular event is sponsored by the Chappell Hill Historical Society, and it began in 1964 as the Bluebonnet Antique Show; the festival became known by its present name in 1983, and it currently offers fun-filled activities for the entire family, including a hayride through the community's historic district and abundant opportunities to shop for distinctive wares and furniture from arts, crafts, and antique vendors; and

WHEREAS, The Chappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival will provide a time for many citizens to set aside the cares of daily life and enjoy the flowering beauty of our Texas spring; this well-loved event continues to be a splendid addition to our state's array of recreational opportunities and is truly deserving of legislative praise and support; and

WHEREAS, In 1951 the Ennis Garden Club established its first Bluebonnet Trail of Texas, mapping certain locales in the City of Ennis and the area surrounding the city, thus sharing its bounty of this unique Texas wildflower; these mapped trails have grown to encompass more than 40 miles where the thousands of visitors may be enthralled for two consecutive weekends in April each year by the spectacular fields of bluebonnets that grow so bountifully in the area; the City of Ennis has gained renown for having the official Bluebonnet Trail of Texas; an added attraction to those visiting during the weekends of the Bluebonnet Trail is an antique show and sale that attracts vendors from five neighboring states and benefits the Ennis Heritage Society; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That Ennis be declared the official Bluebonnet Trail of Texas and that Ennis be designated the Bluebonnet City of Texas because of the 46 years it has been associated with the official wildflower of Texas and the faithful efforts of the Ennis Garden Club in preserving our state wildflower for all to enjoy; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby designate the Chappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival as the official Bluebonnet Festival of Texas and commend all those associated with the event for their hard work in ensuring its success.

State Bluebonnet Festival: Chappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival
Photographs, prints, posters

Texas Law

The Chappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival was designated the official bluebonnet festival of the State of Texas by House Concurrent Resolution and is, therefore, not listed in the Texas Statutes.

Only a small number of Texas' myriad symbols have been actually adopted by an act of the legislature and written into the Texas Statutes.

Sources...

"House Concurrent Resolution No. 116." The Texas Legislature Online. The State of Texas, 2911. Web. 30 Sep 2011. .

State Bluebonnet Festival: Chappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival
Photograph: © Gary Hunt on flickr
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Additional Information

CHAPPELL HILL, TX: Texas State Historical Association: Handbook of Texas Online.

Chappell Hill, Texas: Home of the Official "Texas Bluebonnet Festival" Texas Bob Travels (TexasBob.com).

Bluebonnet Festival: Website of the Chappell Hill Historical Society.

Chappell Hill Historical Society: Official website.

Chappell Hill, Texas Chamber of Commerce: Official website.

Chappell Hill Sausage Company: Official website.

More symbols & emblems: Complete list of official Texas state symbols.

Confederates of
Chappell Hill, Texas
Stephen Chicoine

Confederates of Chappell Hill, Texas, by Stephen Chicoine. 268 pages. Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (November 15, 2004) Texas was the South’s frontier in the antebellum period. The vast new state represented the hope and future of many Southern cotton planters. As a result, Texas changed tremendously during the 1850s as increasing numbers of Southern planters moved westward to settle. Planters brought with them large numbers of slaves to plant, cultivate and pick the valuable cash crop; by 1860, slaves made up 30 percent of the total Texas population. No state in the South grew nearly as fast as Texas during this decade, and as the booming economy for cotton led the economic development, the state became increasingly embroiled in the national debate about whether slavery should exist within a democratic republic dedicated to the freedom and independence of man.

This work is centered on the role played by the town of Chappell Hill during this portion of Texas history. It offers details about the area’s pre-war prosperity as a center of wealth, influence and aristocracy and describes the angry fervor of the period leading up to the war. Men of this small town played a role in many of the major campaigns and battles of the war, and their motivations for enlisting and their tales of duty are included here. Through excerpts from their correspondence and journals, the book emphasizes personal experiences of the soldiers. Post-war adventures are also offered as the author explores Texas resistance to Federal occupation, the town’s yellow fever epidemic and a period of reconciliation as aging veterans gather at Blue-Gray reunions to reunite the nation.