By:  Cuellar, R.                                       H.R. No. 389
       73R6305 LBD-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The city of Weslaco, situated in the midvalley
    1-2  region near the banks of the Rio Grande, will celebrate the 75th
    1-3  anniversary of its founding on December 19, 1994; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, In 1919, land promoter W. E. Stewart agreed to the
    1-5  sale of 320 acres to three brothers, Ed, Dan, and R. C. Couch, and
    1-6  Ed Couch's brother-in-law, R. L. Reeves; at a price of $250,000,
    1-7  this investment would later prove immensely profitable for the
    1-8  developers, as settlers flocked to the area and secured for
    1-9  themselves and their families what was to become some of the best
   1-10  citrus-, vegetable-, and cotton-producing land in the state; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, Despite early opposition to the establishment of
   1-12  another new town near the river, lots ranging in price from $50 to
   1-13  approximately $400 sold quickly, and soon the community of Weslaco
   1-14  began taking shape; and
   1-15        WHEREAS, With vitality and resilience, the early residents of
   1-16  Weslaco remained dedicated to their beloved community; enduring the
   1-17  hardships of primitive conditions, bandit raids, fires, and floods,
   1-18  they prevailed and made possible the comforts of today's thriving
   1-19  community; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, With each passing decade, Weslaco has embraced
   1-21  dramatic changes, each contributing to the city's popularity and
   1-22  prosperity; and
   1-23        WHEREAS, In the 1920s, the Texas A&M Valley Experiment
   1-24  Station brought higher education to the area, while the 1930s
    2-1  brought the advent of irrigation systems and the postal telegraph
    2-2  to the community; in the 1950s, Weslaco found success in business
    2-3  as cotton carried it into the postwar era, and the 1960s was a
    2-4  period of continued progress and expansion with the opening of new
    2-5  medical, industrial, and entertainment facilities; and
    2-6        WHEREAS, Today, this dynamic city is recognized as the
    2-7  business and banking capital of the midvalley and is home to such
    2-8  popular attractions as the Weslaco Bicultural Museum and a charming
    2-9  city hall that was built in 1928 and has been designated a historic
   2-10  site; and
   2-11        WHEREAS, With six area institutions of higher education, a
   2-12  modern industrial park, growing airport facilities, and an
   2-13  exceptional city infrastructure, Weslaco has taken great strides
   2-14  over the course of its rich history; truly a community in which all
   2-15  Texans can take pride, it is indeed deserving of special
   2-16  recognition for its exceptional contributions to this state; now,
   2-17  therefore, be it
   2-18        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas
   2-19  Legislature hereby honor the city of Weslaco on the occasion of its
   2-20  75th anniversary and join its citizens in paying tribute to one of
   2-21  Texas' most outstanding communities; and, be it further
   2-22        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   2-23  prepared for prominent display in the city of Weslaco as an
   2-24  expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.