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