By Farabee H.C.R. No. 192 76R11447 GMW-D HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives and Senate are 1-2 proud to recognize April 14, 1999, as Wichita Falls Day at the 1-3 State Capitol; and 1-4 WHEREAS, This illustrious city was named for the Wichita 1-5 Indians, a Plains Indian tribe who once lived near the 54-foot-tall 1-6 cascading waterfalls along the Wichita River; and 1-7 WHEREAS, The history of Wichita Falls dates back to 1882, 1-8 when the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad brought the area's first 1-9 settlers; the city was initially an agricultural and trade center, 1-10 but after Fowler No. 1 struck oil in 1918 it quickly became a mecca 1-11 for petroleum production and manufacturing; and 1-12 WHEREAS, The county seat of Wichita County, Wichita Falls 1-13 currently features a diverse export and manufacturing economy and a 1-14 population of more than 100,000 hardworking citizens; this thriving 1-15 city has numerous lakes nearby and serves as a hub of activity for 1-16 neighboring communities, including Iowa Park and Burkburnett; and 1-17 WHEREAS, Wichita Falls is also the location of Sheppard Air 1-18 Force Base, one of the five largest technical training centers in 1-19 the United States, and the site of the only NATO pilot training 1-20 program in the world; and 1-21 WHEREAS, Throughout the years the city has maintained an 1-22 enduring commitment to educational excellence and serves as the 1-23 home of Midwestern State University, which is renowned for its 1-24 strong and diverse academic programs, as well as being the new 2-1 location of the Dallas Cowboys summer training camp; and 2-2 WHEREAS, In addition to a wide range of cultural activities, 2-3 Wichita Falls also features a host of recreational attractions, 2-4 including the "Hotter 'N Hell Hundred," the largest sanctioned 2-5 bicycle race in the nation, and the Texas-Oklahoma Junior Golf 2-6 Tournament, the largest junior golf tournament in the world; and 2-7 WHEREAS, Wichita Falls has long been an outstanding place in 2-8 which to live, work, and raise a family, and it is indeed 2-9 appropriate that its citizenry be given special recognition at this 2-10 time; now, therefore, be it 2-11 RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-12 hereby designate April 14, 1999, as Wichita Falls Day at the State 2-13 Capitol and join the citizens of that city in paying tribute to 2-14 this fine community.