88S30895 CW-D
 
  By: Price H.R. No. 83
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, The prosperity of the Lone Star State has been
  greatly influenced by family farming and ranching, and Biggs Ranch
  in Carson County is being recognized for its role in this proud
  tradition with its induction into the Family Land Heritage Program
  on October 18, 2023, at a ceremony at the State Capitol; and
         WHEREAS, Sponsored by the Texas Department of Agriculture,
  the program honors farms and ranches that have been in continuous
  agricultural operation by the same family for a century or more;
  since 1974, TDA has recognized over 5,000 families whose proud
  Texas legacy has passed from generation to generation and who have
  served as dedicated stewards of their land; and
         WHEREAS, Biggs Ranch traces its origins to 1907, when George
  Davis Biggs, his wife, Ella Guttrey Biggs, and their son, Vaughn
  Davis Biggs, moved to the Texas Panhandle from New London,
  Missouri; the family settled in the town of Panhandle, and from 1907
  to 1913, Mr. and Mrs. Biggs raised cattle and wheat on the 640 acres
  they had purchased in Carson County; Vaughn Biggs acquired the
  property in 1913, and the land was passed on to his wife, Nola
  Ellis, following his death in 1952; she operated the ranch for
  several years before gifting equal portions to her five children,
  Harold, Raymond, Virginia, Myra, and Jimmy; and
         WHEREAS, The eldest son, Harold Davis, bought a half section
  from a sibling and raised livestock on the acreage; when he died in
  2002, the land was inherited by his wife, Vivian O'Neal; she passed
  away in 2003, at which point the property was inherited by the
  couple's son, Jerry Davis Biggs; he purchased two of the remaining
  half sections from family members, and today, he and his wife, Judy,
  oversee a cow-calf operation on the ranch with the help of their two
  sons, Ryan Davis and Richard; and
         WHEREAS, For well over a century, Biggs Ranch has played an
  important role in Carson County while helping to preserve the rich
  agricultural history of Texas, and it is indeed fitting that the
  members of the Biggs family be recognized for their outstanding
  stewardship; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
  Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby commemorate the induction
  of Biggs Ranch into the Texas Department of Agriculture Family Land
  Heritage Program and extend to all those associated with the ranch
  sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for the ranch as an expression of high regard by the Texas
  House of Representatives.