A JOINT RESOLUTION HONORING THE FOUNDERS OF THE TOWN OF WENDELL ON THE TOWN'S 100TH ANNIVERSARY.
Whereas, the Town of Wendell was founded on several parcels of land with the main part of the town being located on the farm of Ruffin "Toad" Richardson; and
Whereas, this area was originally known as the Rhodes School House Community and was inhabited by approximately 20 families; and
Whereas, in 1891, the post office was chartered and the schoolmaster, M.A. Griffin, requested that the post office be named in honor of Oliver Wendell Holmes, noted poet, physician, and teacher, who lived from 1809 until 1894, thus changing the name of the area to Wendell; and
Whereas, Wendell was incorporated by the General Assembly on March 6, 1903; and
Whereas, the first Board of Commissioners was comprised of Mayor Burrell Baker and Commissioners E.Z. Todd, R.B. Todd, J.W. Liles, E.V. Richardson, and T.J. Wheeler; and
Whereas, in 1906, the railroad between Raleigh and Wilson, known as the Norfolk‑Southern Railroad, was completed; and
Whereas, the train conductors used both syllables, "Wen" and "Dell", when calling out the name of the Town, which explains the unusual pronunciation of "Wendell"; and
Whereas, Wendell was laid out to be ½ square mile in the shape of an octagon, with the streets that ran from north to south named for trees and the streets that ran east to west numbered; and
Whereas, Wendell originally had two main avenues, Marshburn Road and Wilson Avenue, which is now known as Wendell Boulevard; and
Whereas, Wendell started its own power company in 1913 and established its own water and sewer department in 1919; and
Whereas, in 1924, Main Street, from Second Street to Wilson Avenue, and Third Street, from Cypress Street to Pine Street, became the first paved streets in Wendell; and
Whereas, Wendell began to grow due to sawmill and farming businesses, with cotton as the major money crop and later tobacco; and
Whereas, Wendell was the location of the first tobacco market in Wake County outside of Raleigh, the first Parent Teacher Association (PTA) in Wake County, and the first town‑supported library in Wake County; and
Whereas, today Wendell has a thriving textile industry; and
Whereas, the official town tree is the crab apple; and
Whereas, Wendell is continuing to grow, improve, and prosper through the continued dedication, insight, and planning of concerned leaders and citizens; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring: 
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the founders of the Town of Wendell and extends its sincere congratulations and best wishes to the Town of Wendell upon the Town's 100th anniversary.
SECTION 2.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the Mayor of the Town of Wendell.
 SECTION 3.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.