By Chisum                                              H.R. No. 622

         75R11864 JHS-D                           

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is proud to

 1-2     welcome the descendants of Charles B. and John V. Farwell as they

 1-3     visit the Capitol Complex on April 16, 1997, to view the XIT Ranch

 1-4     exhibit; and

 1-5           WHEREAS, This significant display chronicles one of the more

 1-6     intriguing stories in the history of the Lone Star State, the 1882

 1-7     transfer of three million acres of state land holdings to an

 1-8     investment firm headed by Chicago's Farwell brothers in exchange

 1-9     for the construction of a new Capitol building; and

1-10           WHEREAS, The seeds of this agreement, which set aside the

1-11     huge expanse of untamed Panhandle territory for sale or trade, were

1-12     planted in the Texas Constitution of 1875; when the former Capitol

1-13     was destroyed by fire on November 9, 1881, an offer was extended to

1-14     a number of investment firms across the country and was eventually

1-15     accepted by the Farwells' syndicate in 1882; and

1-16           WHEREAS, The Capitol was completed on April 20, 1888, and the

1-17     result was a monument truly worthy of the citizens of the Union's

1-18     largest state; during the six years of construction, the investment

1-19     group introduced cattle to its newly fenced property and, in the

1-20     process, created the largest fenced cattle ranch in the world,

1-21     christened the "XIT Ranch"; and

1-22           WHEREAS, This transaction resulted in the construction of one

1-23     of the world's most striking buildings and also helped bring law

1-24     and order to the Texas Panhandle; in 1963, the last of the XIT

 2-1     lands were sold, ending nearly 80 years of ownership by the

 2-2     "Capitol Syndicate"; and

 2-3           WHEREAS, Among the descendants of these gentlemen in

 2-4     attendance today are Reginald de Koven Hudson and his wife, Joan

 2-5     Hudson, Lucia Winston Heyworth, Vaughan C. Spalding, and Kathleen

 2-6     Spalding; other relations who have already visited the exhibit

 2-7     include William Montague Ferry, Nancy Ferry Hinds, and Deborah

 2-8     Smith Haight and her husband, John McV. Haight, Jr.; and

 2-9           WHEREAS, By helping to commemorate the XIT Ranch exhibit, the

2-10     descendants of Charles B. and John V. Farwell have further

2-11     preserved the legacy of both their forebears and the Lone Star

2-12     State, and this act of historical recognition adds yet another

2-13     interesting chapter to the saga of this land we call Texas; now,

2-14     therefore, be it

2-15           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

2-16     Legislature hereby welcome the descendants of Charles B. and John

2-17     V. Farwell to the State Capitol  and extend to them warmest best

2-18     wishes for continued happiness in the future; and, be it further

2-19           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

2-20     prepared for these individuals as an expression of high regard by

2-21     the Texas House of Representatives.