By Seaman                                        H.R. No. 371

      75R8973 JTR-D                           

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, The Lone Star State's colorful history has long

 1-2     fascinated historians around the world, and a remarkable chapter in

 1-3     the state's past has been reopened with the successful excavation

 1-4     of French explorer Robert La Salle's ship La Belle from Matagorda

 1-5     Bay; and

 1-6           WHEREAS, Sunk in 1686 during Rene Robert Cavelier Sieur de La

 1-7     Salle's ill-fated second expedition to the New World, La Belle lay

 1-8     undiscovered for centuries, until in the 1960s rumors of the

 1-9     wreck's existence began to circulate among local fishermen; a

1-10     bronze cannon was said to have been found in the area, and in 1968,

1-11     shrimpers Robert L.  Holcomb and Linda Lewis of Port O'Connor found

1-12     French grenades that appeared to have come from the lost ship; and

1-13           WHEREAS, Any lingering doubts as to the veracity of these

1-14     stories was laid to rest in 1995, when the craft's watery resting

1-15     place became the site of a full-scale excavation and the focus of

1-16     excited attention from around the world; among the archaeological

1-17     treasures salvaged from the wreck were three 800-pound bronze

1-18     cannons, pewter plates and cups, pottery, jewelry, and the skeleton

1-19     of one of the ship's ill-fated passengers; and

1-20           WHEREAS, Cognizant of the site's great scientific and

1-21     historical importance, Calhoun County residents eagerly joined the

1-22     recovery effort, and the management and staff of King Fisher Marine

1-23     Services donated both the use of their equipment and many hours of

1-24     their time to the successful discovery and retrieval of the first

 2-1     cannon to be removed from the wreckage; and

 2-2           WHEREAS, Unlocking the secrets of the 17th-century ship

 2-3     necessitated the use of 20th-century technology, and credit for the

 2-4     project's success must also go to Port Lavaca's G&W Engineers,

 2-5     designers of the innovative watertight cofferdam structure that

 2-6     allowed archaeologists access to the site; and

 2-7           WHEREAS, Elected officials from the area have united in an

 2-8     effort to create a permanent historical display of articles

 2-9     recovered from La Belle, to be located in this county, which was

2-10     the site of La Salle's first landing on the Texas coast; and

2-11           WHEREAS, Texans are well known for the pride they take in

2-12     their rich historical legacy, and the citizens of Calhoun County

2-13     are no exception; their talents and participation have made

2-14     possible the reclamation of this unique piece of the state's past,

2-15     and their efforts will ensure that future generations will have the

2-16     opportunity to relive the formative years of the Lone Star State;

2-17     now, therefore, be it

2-18           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

2-19     Legislature hereby honor the residents of Calhoun County for their

2-20     efforts in locating and reclaiming Robert La Salle's

2-21     ship La Belle and commend them for the active role they have played

2-22     in the preservation of this fascinating chapter of Texas history.