1-1                                     1                                  
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 298
 1-3           WHEREAS, Proud citizens of La Salle County are visiting
 1-4     the State Capitol on February 21, 2001, to celebrate the role their
 1-5     South Texas home has played in the annals of the Lone Star State;
 1-6     and
 1-7           WHEREAS, In the Spanish colonial era, the Old Presidio
 1-8     Road passed through present-day La Salle County; Coahuila governor
 1-9     Alonso De Leon used this road on his way to search for the French
1-10     settlement of the Sieur de La Salle, as did the famed missionary
1-11     and historian Friar Juan Agustin Morfi; and
1-12           WHEREAS, Although the county was created in 1858,
1-13     outlaw activity and Indian raids delayed settlement; Fort Ewell,
1-14     established in 1852 to protect travelers, was abandoned two years
1-15     later; with the last Indian raid occurring in 1878, however, the
1-16     arrival of the railroad in the early 1880s and the gradual
1-17     suppression of desperadoes, ranching soon became a viable project;
1-18     and
1-19           WHEREAS, One of the ranches established during this
1-20     period was a huge spread managed by the Hall brothers, among
1-21     them Jesse Leigh "Lee" Hall, a noted Texas Ranger who had been
1-22     instrumental in bringing order to South Texas; Lee Hall became
 2-1     the prototype for the Texas Ranger who appears in many short
 2-2     stories by the writer O. Henry, who spent two years on the ranch
 2-3     while seeking to improve his health; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, Ranching, fortified today by the infusion of
 2-5     Hereford and Brahman stock, remains a major part of the county's
 2-6     economy; other income is derived from oil and gas, a significant
 2-7     industry here since the 1950s, and from agriculture; the South Texas
 2-8     practice of cool-season farming originated in La Salle County in the
 2-9     1890s, and by 1910 the county was the leading vegetable producer in
2-10     the Winter Garden Region; and
2-11           WHEREAS, The county seat, Cotulla, was founded in 1881;
2-12     future president Lyndon B. Johnson taught in Cotulla during the
2-13     1920s, and this interlude proved to be a formative influence on his
2-14     thinking about society and the role of government; the schoolhouse
2-15     where he taught is now home to the Brush Country Museum, whose
2-16     collections include hundreds of photos of early ranching life; and
2-17           WHEREAS, Today, the county is taking a strong interest
2-18     in soil conservation, while the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area
2-19     (WMA) is doing important work regarding the management of wildlife
2-20     and wildlife habitat; the Chaparral WMA also serves as an outdoor
2-21     laboratory for students and offers many opportunities for outdoor
2-22     recreation; and
2-23           WHEREAS, The citizens of La Salle County are heirs to a
2-24     notable history and heritage, and their productivity and dedication
 3-1     to being good stewards of the earth are a model for all Texans and
 3-2     are truly worthy of commendation; now, therefore, be it
 3-3           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
 3-4     77th Legislature, hereby recognize February 21, 2001, as
 3-5     La Salle County Day at the State Capitol and extend to this
 3-6     delegation sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable
 3-7     visit.
 3-8                                                               Zaffirini
 3-9                                  ______________________________________
3-10                                          President of the Senate
3-11                                       I hereby certify that the above
3-12                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
3-13                                  on February 21, 2001.
3-14                                  ______________________________________
3-15                                          Secretary of the Senate
3-16                                  ______________________________________
3-17                                           Member, Texas Senate