78R5876 JNC-D

By:  Guillen                                                      H.R. No. 283



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Many proud residents of Duval County have gathered 
in Austin to celebrate Duval County Day at the State Capitol, and 
this notable event offers an ideal opportunity to recognize the 
county's many fine attributes; and
	WHEREAS, Duval County was formed in 1858 and named after Burr 
H. Duval, who fought in the Texas Revolution and was killed in the 
Goliad Massacre; and
	WHEREAS, The community experienced tremendous growth after 
the Civil War, helping to make Duval County a major sheep ranching 
center; in the 1870s it reportedly had more sheep than any other 
county of the United States; and
	WHEREAS, San Diego, chosen as the county seat in 1876, was the 
site where Father Claude Jaillet had built a 10-by-30-foot wooden 
church in 1867, which stood as the only place of worship between 
Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande; and
	WHEREAS, Freer, the second largest town in the county, gained 
prominence in 1928, when three wildcatters in the area struck one of 
the nation's largest oil reserves; the discovery of oil soon turned 
Freer into what Life magazine called "the last of the tough frontier 
oil towns," and by 1933 it was the second largest oil field in the 
United States; and
	WHEREAS, Residents and visitors alike enjoy the area's many 
annual celebrations, including the Freer annual Rattlesnake 
Roundup in April; and
	WHEREAS, The people of Duval County take great pride in the 
rich history of their community, yet are also eager to embrace the 
challenges and opportunities of the years to come; it gives the 
members of this chamber great pleasure to honor them at this time; 
now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas 
Legislature hereby recognize March 6, 2003, as Duval County Day at 
the State Capitol and extend warmest wishes to all of the county's 
citizens on this noteworthy occasion.