By Craddick, West                                     H.C.R. No. 98
       74R5930 WMS-D
                                 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, February 21, 1995, has been selected as
    1-2  Midland/Odessa Day at the State Capitol to honor the area and the
    1-3  people of those illustrious cities and to recognize their
    1-4  outstanding contributions to the State of Texas; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, Rising dramatically from the West Texas plains,
    1-6  Midland and Odessa are located in the adjacent counties of Midland
    1-7  and Ector, and the cities' destinies have been inextricably linked
    1-8  by both circumstance and geography; and
    1-9        WHEREAS, The city of Odessa was established in 1886 as a stop
   1-10  on the Texas and Pacific Railroad; because of its location on a
   1-11  boundless expanse of rolling terrain, Odessa was named for the city
   1-12  on the Russian steppes, a vast region that bears a similarity to
   1-13  the West Texas hills and prairies; and
   1-14        WHEREAS, In 1891, Ector County was organized with Odessa as
   1-15  the county seat; the city's economy was forever changed with the
   1-16  discovery of oil in 1929 at Penn Field, and with the opening of
   1-17  Cowden Field the next year, the city's reputation as a center of
   1-18  oil production was assured; and
   1-19        WHEREAS, Now a modern-day metropolis with approximately
   1-20  90,000 residents, Odessa boasts a symphony orchestra and an art
   1-21  institute and is home to Odessa College and The University of Texas
   1-22  of the Permian Basin; and
   1-23        WHEREAS, The city of Midland, which also is a county seat,
   1-24  was established in 1885 on the Chihuahua Trail by settlers from the
    2-1  Northwest and draws its name from its location midway between the
    2-2  cities of Fort Worth and El Paso; and
    2-3        WHEREAS, Primarily a farming and ranching community in its
    2-4  early days, Midland also was shaped by the oil boom that began in
    2-5  the 1920s; although no oil fields were located in Midland County,
    2-6  the community's economy grew to meet the needs of the area's
    2-7  growing petroleum industry as more than 150 oil companies
    2-8  established their headquarters in the city; and
    2-9        WHEREAS, Rich in history and culture, Midland is home to many
   2-10  fine museums, including the Confederate Air Force Flying Museum,
   2-11  the Midland County Museum, the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum,
   2-12  Library and Hall of Fame, and the Museum of the Southwest Complex;
   2-13  and
   2-14        WHEREAS, Blessed with a fine heritage, abundant natural
   2-15  resources, and dynamic citizenry, the cities of Midland and Odessa
   2-16  are among the state's finest communities, and the efforts of their
   2-17  residents truly merit special praise and recognition; now,
   2-18  therefore, be it
   2-19        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
   2-20  hereby recognize February 21, 1995, as Midland/Odessa Day at the
   2-21  State Capitol and join the citizens of Midland and Odessa in paying
   2-22  tribute to two of Texas' finest cities; and, be it further
   2-23        RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared
   2-24  for the Midland and Odessa chambers of commerce as an expression of
   2-25  high regard by the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas
   2-26  Senate.