R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, Citizens of Big Spring are visiting the State
 1-2     Capitol on April 10, 2001, to celebrate the history and many fine
 1-3     attributes of this West Texas city; and
 1-4           WHEREAS, Named for a spring in Sulphur Draw, the town had its
 1-5     origins in a settlement that served buffalo hunters in the 1870s;
 1-6     when the Texas and Pacific Railway built through the county in the
 1-7     early 1880s, the community moved a short distance to be on the line
 1-8     and quickly became the shipping point for a wide area; in 1882, Big
 1-9     Spring was chosen as county seat for the newly organized Howard
1-10     County; and
1-11           WHEREAS, C. C. Slaughter and other ranchers began moving into
1-12     the area in the late 1870s, and scenes of their world were captured
1-13     by the western artist Harvey Wallace Caylor, a Big Spring resident;
1-14     with approximately half of the county classified as prime farmland,
1-15     farmers soon began moving in as well; oil, discovered in the 1920s,
1-16     and manufacturing have helped to diversify the economy, and the
1-17     recent construction at Big Spring of the country's largest wind
1-18     turbines has put the city in the vanguard of another pioneering
1-19     movement; and
1-20           WHEREAS, Spectacular views of Big Spring and its environs can
1-21     be had from Big Spring State Park and a tall bluff there known as
1-22     Scenic Mountain; a prairie dog town and a variety of other animal
1-23     and plant life flourish in the park, the result of Big Spring's
1-24     location at the junction of three different ecosystems; the city's
 2-1     Comanche Trail Park encompasses the site of the original spring and
 2-2     features a lake, a golf course, and many other facilities; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, Throughout the year, the Big Spring Theater Group,
 2-4     art association, and symphony orchestra ensure a continuing
 2-5     schedule of events, complemented by the county fair, rodeos, and
 2-6     Old Settlers Reunion;  windows into the past include the Heritage
 2-7     Museum, Hangar 25 Museum, Victorian-era Potton House, and Vietnam
 2-8     Memorial, while preparation for the future is under way at Howard
 2-9     College and the Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf; and
2-10           WHEREAS, Big Spring's productive and forward-looking citizens
2-11     are building on a sturdy foundation of progressive development, and
2-12     it is a pleasure to recognize their industry, their achievements,
2-13     and their public spirit; now, therefore, be it
2-14           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
2-15     Legislature hereby recognize April 10, 2001, as Big Spring Day at
2-16     the State Capitol and extend to the delegation here today sincere
2-17     best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit.
                                                                      Counts
                                             _______________________________
                                                   Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.R. No. 692 was adopted by the House on April
         10, 2001, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House