1-1                                     1
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 135
 1-3           WHEREAS, Jim Wells County Day at the State Capitol will
 1-4     be celebrated February 4, 1999, and the Texas Senate takes great
 1-5     pleasure in recognizing this important region whose citizens
 1-6     have contributed immeasurably to the Lone Star State; proudly
 1-7     representing their county on that day will be residents of
 1-8     Jim Wells County and the cities of Alice, Orange Grove, Premont,
 1-9     and San Diego; and
1-10           WHEREAS, In the early 1500s, Alvar Nunez de Cabeza de Vaca
1-11     explored the area known today as Jim Wells County, and his records
1-12     tell of tuna or prickly pear festivals held annually by his
1-13     coastal Indian captors around the present day City of Alice; and
1-14           WHEREAS, Originally a part of Nueces County, Jim Wells County
1-15     was created and organized by the Texas Legislature on March 11, 1911,
1-16     and the City of Alice became the county seat; the county was
1-17     named for a prominent political figure and land developer,
1-18     James B. Wells, Jr., who was also purchasing agent for the
1-19     King Ranch; and
1-20           WHEREAS, The area comprising Jim Wells County figures
1-21     prominently in the early days of Texas for the land had become a
1-22     part of Texas after it gained its independence from Mexico in 1836;
1-23     and
1-24           WHEREAS, There were extensive land holdings in the area owned
 2-1     by N. G. Collins before early settlers to the region arrived in
 2-2     1850; they brought only the barest necessities with them to build
 2-3     a general store and a trading post east of present day Alice;
 2-4     the town of Collins was short-lived since the San Antonio and
 2-5     Aransas Pass Railroad was built two miles west of the community
 2-6     when landowners refused to sell the right-of-way through the town;
 2-7     and
 2-8           WHEREAS, In 1886, a new town developed where two rail lines
 2-9     intersected; after several name changes, the new town of Alice,
2-10     named for Alice King, began to develop economically; located at
2-11     that time in the northwestern part of Nueces County, the town
2-12     eventually became the largest cattle shipping point in the world;
2-13     and
2-14           WHEREAS, Located in the geographical heart of South Texas,
2-15     along the "Texas Tropical Trail," Alice is known as the "Hub of
2-16     South Texas" due to its strategic location at the intersection of
2-17     State Highway 44 and U.S. Highway 281; and
2-18           WHEREAS, Along with the oil business, ranching, cattle
2-19     shipping, and cotton and grain production, a fine public school
2-20     system, a modern hospital, and an expanding health-related service
2-21     industry combine to drive the local economy; and
2-22           WHEREAS, Situated on primary United States-Mexico trade
2-23     routes connecting Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley with the
2-24     Port of Corpus Christi, the City of Alice and Jim Wells County
2-25     are developing into a major "Hub of International Trade"; U.S.
2-26     281 has been named in the National Highway System Designation
 3-1     Act of 1995 as a key link in the future I-69 NAFTA Superhighway
 3-2     System; and
 3-3           WHEREAS, Jim Wells County has been an important agricultural
 3-4     area that contributed to the development of the Southwestern part
 3-5     of the United States; since the mid-1800s when the famous
 3-6     Chisholm Trail passed through the county, the cattle industry has
 3-7     played a major role in its economy; mesquite brush and grasses in
 3-8     the western part are ideal grazing conditions for livestock, and
 3-9     coastal plains to the east produce coastal Bermuda and vegetables;
3-10     and
3-11           WHEREAS, In 1936, the first notable oil activity in the
3-12     county began and the first major oil producer, The Texas Royalty
3-13     Corporation and Lucy Petroleum Company No. 1, was bought
3-14     northeast of Alice; the oil rush brought many new families to
3-15     Jim Wells County; and
3-16           WHEREAS, Jim Wells County history has been carefully
3-17     preserved at the South Texas Museum, a Texas Historical Landmark;
3-18     donated by the McGill Family, the museum was the old ranch
3-19     headquarters; and
3-20           WHEREAS, Proud of their unique heritage, the citizens of
3-21     Jim Wells County have retained the social fabric of their culture
3-22     through fiestas, county fairs, rodeos, and outdoor activities,
3-23     including hunting, water sports, and other popular recreational
3-24     events; and
3-25           WHEREAS, Jim Wells County Day at the State Capitol is
3-26     an appropriate occasion for the Texas Senate to recognize the
 4-1     residents of Jim Wells County and to commend them for their
 4-2     excellent accomplishments; now, therefore, be it
 4-3           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
 4-4     76th Legislature, hereby declare February 4, 1999, as
 4-5     Jim Wells County Day and join its citizens as they celebrate
 4-6     their county's greatness; and, be it further
 4-7           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
 4-8     the citizens of Jim Wells County, and that copies be presented
 4-9     to County Judge Arnoldo Saenz, the Jim Wells County Commissioners
4-10     Court, Mayor Octavio Figueroa, Jr., of Alice, Mayor Truett Thomas
4-11     of Orange Grove, City Secretary Idolina Perez of Premont, and
4-12     Mayor Alfredo E. Cardenas of San Diego as an expression of the
4-13     admiration and appreciation of the Texas Senate.
4-14                                                    Truan
4-15           Armbrister           Gallegos            Nixon
4-16           Barrientos           Harris              Ogden
4-17           Bernsen              Haywood             Ratliff
4-18           Bivins               Jackson             Shapiro
4-19           Brown                Lindsay             Shapleigh
4-20           Cain                 Lucio               Sibley
4-21           Carona               Luna                Wentworth
4-22           Duncan               Madla               West
4-23           Ellis                Moncrief            Whitmire
4-24           Fraser               Nelson              Zaffirini
4-25                       Perry, President of the Senate
4-26                                  ______________________________________
4-27                                          President of the Senate
4-28                                       I hereby certify that the above
4-29                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
4-30                                  on February 3, 1999.
4-31                                  ______________________________________
4-32                                          Secretary of the Senate
4-33                                  ______________________________________
4-34                                            Dean of the Senate