First Lady's Tour Of the many traditions that are part of the Texas Main Street Program (TMSP), none is more special than the official visit by the First Lady of Texas that happens shortly after a community’s official designation as a Main Street city. Every First Lady of Texas since the state program’s founding in 1981, has participated in these special First Lady’s Tours, which are sponsored by the Independent Banker’s Association of Texas (IBAT). The TMSP was founded during William P. Clements Jr.’s first term as governor of Texas. First Lady Rita Clements’ participation helped showcase not only the new state program but also brought a spotlight to the commitment the local communities had made to historic preservation and revitalization. Since then, first ladies Linda White, Laura Bush, and Anita Perry have participated. During Ann Richards’ term as governor, Lt. Governor Bob Bullock’s wife Jan served as the designated ‘first lady’ on the tours. Nellie Connally, Texas first lady in the early 1960s prior to the formation of the TMSP, also participated in the early tours. The 2009 First Lady's Tour In Rockwall, a fast-growing community of 31,000 just east of Dallas, Mrs. Perry was the featured guest at the ceremony held outdoors in front of the Rockwall County Courthouse. Later, she joined the community at a reception held at the Center nearby. The Rockwall rendering is of 106–108 Rusk Street just in front of the courthouse where Mrs. Perry spoke. In West, a community of approximately 2,700 just north of Waco, the ceremony included hundreds of local school children and citizens gathered under a huge red, white and blue tent on the grounds of city hall. The Junior Historian Czech dancers performed to spotlight West’s strong Czech heritage. The West rendering that was unveiled was of the Old Corner Drugstore, a circa 1890 building constructed by the town’s founder. The building is located at 200 North Main. Also in 2009, Weatherford was accepted back into the program as a re-certified Texas Main Street community. Weatherford is a community of 26,000 in Parker County approximately 30 miles from Fort Worth. For more information on the annual First Lady’s Tours of new Texas Main Street communities, see an article about the program in the March/April 2008 issue of the THC's The Medallion magazine. |
The communities of West and Rockwall were officially welcomed into the TMSP on the most recent First Lady’s Tour, which was held March 24, 2009. Accompanying Mrs. Perry was the new Chairman of the THC, Jon T. Hansen of El Paso, along with several THC Commissioners, IBAT representatives, THC Deputy Executive Director Mark Wolfe and other THC staff. In each community, Mrs. Perry also unveiled the local program’s first architectural rendering for a downtown renovation. The renderings were completed by the TMSP design staff.