HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 22
(By Delegates Tansill, Duke, Hrutkay, Longstreth, Spencer,
Guthrie, Brown, Azinger, Cann, Crosier, Frederick,
Hatfield, Kessler, Long, Paxton, Perry, Rowan, Shaver,
Staggers, Stalnaker, Walters, Williams and M. Poling)
Requesting the Division of Highways to name the Walnut Street
bridge (46-119/42-0.16), spanning the Tygart Valley River
between the West and South sides of Grafton, West Virginia the
"Mother's Day Bridge."
Whereas, On May 10, 1908, the first official Mother's Day
celebration was held in Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church,
Grafton, West Virginia, as arranged by founder Anna Jarvis; and
Whereas, The second Sunday of May was proclaimed as Mother's
Day, as a result of the first West Virginia State Proclamation,
issued on April 26, 1910, by West Virginia Governor William E.
Glasscock; and
Whereas, The United States Congress, by adoption of a joint
resolution endorsing the observance of Mother's Day, authorized the
President to proclaim Mother's Day to be celebrated on the second
Sunday of each May as a national observance, and this resolution
was officially approved on May 9, 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson
and proclaimed by Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan; and
Whereas, The United States Department of Interior, National
Park Service, declared the Andrews Methodist Episcopal
Church - International Mother's Day Shrine in Grafton to be a National Historic Landmark on October 2, 1992; and
Whereas, On January 11, 2008, West Virginia Governor Joe
Manchin III, issued the First Centennial (1908-2008) Mother's Day
Proclamation; therefore be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name the
Walnut Street bridge (46-119/42-0.16), spanning the Tygart Valley
River between the West and South sides of Grafton, West Virginia
the "Mother's Day Bridge"; and be it
Further Resolved, That the Commissioner of the Division of
Highways is hereby requested to cause to be fabricated signs to
read in prominent lettering: "Mother's Day Bridge," which signs
shall be erected at each entrance of the bridge, indicating that
the bridge has been so named; and be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates
forward a certified copy of this resolution to the International
Mother's Day Shrine, 11 West Main Street (P.O. Box 513) in Grafton,
West Virginia and to the Secretary of Transportation and the
Commissioner of the Division of Highways.