SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 135

WHEREAS, Proud residents of McMullen County are gathering in Austin to celebrate McMullen County Day at the State Capitol on February 8, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Located in the center of South Texas, McMullen County is made up of more than 1,000 square miles of flat and rolling brushland; artifacts discovered in the county indicate that human settlement dates back perhaps as far as 11,000 years, with groups of hunter-gatherers in the area until the 1700s; and

WHEREAS, Several Spanish expeditions passed through the area in the 17th and 18th centuries, but the population was sparse until shortly before the Civil War, when settlers began to move in to take advantage of the grasslands where wild mustangs and cattle could be found; and

WHEREAS, The county was established in 1858, and a group of resourceful adventurers settled where the Leoncita Creek flowed into the Rio Frio; the town was first called Rio Frio, then Dog Town, and finally Tilden, after Samuel J. (Whispering Sammy) Tilden, the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for president in 1876; the town eventually became the county seat; and

WHEREAS, Cattle and sheep ranching have dominated the county's economy, though oil and gas have grown in importance since the 1930s, and the region is also a destination for hunters; and

WHEREAS, McMullen County residents are stewards of an area of fascinating history and culture, and their unique county merits special recognition; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th Legislature, hereby recognize February 8, 2023, as McMullen County Day at the State Capitol and extend best wishes to the visiting delegation for an informative and enjoyable stay in Austin.

Zaffirini

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 7, 2023.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate