By Junell                                              H.R. No. 530
       74R8746 KMP-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Throughout the history of the Lone Star State,
    1-2  Colorado City has played a central role in shaping the culture,
    1-3  economy, history, and mythology of West Texas; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, Colorado City is the county seat of Mitchell County,
    1-5  whose majestic plains were once blanketed with herds of American
    1-6  bison, providing fertile hunting grounds for the Kiowa and Comanche
    1-7  Indians;  a quintessential frontier community, the town was
    1-8  established following the creation of a Texas Ranger camp in 1877;
    1-9  and
   1-10        WHEREAS, Three years later, the Texas and Pacific Railroad
   1-11  chose Colorado City as the first stop along the West Texas route,
   1-12  which stretched from Weatherford to El Paso; the company's crews
   1-13  began grading the rail line in 1880 and by the following year, the
   1-14  first train passed through Colorado City, ushering in a new era of
   1-15  conquest and prosperity for the Texas frontier; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, Colorado City was the first boom town in West Texas,
   1-17  growing in only one year from a quiet town of only 700 residents to
   1-18  a bustling and exciting city of more than 5,000; a place where
   1-19  fortunes were made and lost overnight, the city quickly became the
   1-20  supply, shipping, and recreation center for West Texas ranchers and
   1-21  was affectionately called the "Cattlemen's Capital" throughout the
   1-22  Southwest; and
   1-23        WHEREAS, After the conquest of the Texas frontier, this
   1-24  remarkable town served as a supply and shipping hub for the
    2-1  flourishing cotton and feedgrain businesses in the area; shedding
    2-2  its image as a rowdy cowboy town, Colorado City became a favorite
    2-3  destination for families, earning it the nickname the "Mother City
    2-4  of West Texas"; and
    2-5        WHEREAS, In more recent years Colorado City has continued to
    2-6  contribute to the West Texas mystique, holding the distinction of
    2-7  being the site of the first commercially successful oil well in the
    2-8  Permian Basin; this well, the T & P No. 1 in the Westbrook Oil
    2-9  Field, was discovered in 1920 and is still an active producer 75
   2-10  years later; and
   2-11        WHEREAS, In addition to serving as the historic and economic
   2-12  center of West Texas for many years, Colorado City is considered by
   2-13  many experts to be located at the geographic center of West Texas,
   2-14  which traditionally has been defined as that area of the Lone Star
   2-15  State west of Fort Worth and San Antonio; and
   2-16        WHEREAS, For almost a century and a half, Colorado City has
   2-17  occupied a special place in the hearts and minds of Texans
   2-18  everywhere, and it is indeed fitting that this exceptional town be
   2-19  given special legislative recognition for the important role it has
   2-20  played in the cultural and economic development of West Texas; now,
   2-21  therefore, be it
   2-22        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   2-23  Legislature hereby designate Colorado City as the Heart of West
   2-24  Texas; and, be it further
   2-25        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   2-26  prepared for prominent display in Colorado City as an expression of
   2-27  highest regard by the Texas House of Representatives.