79S31848 MW-D

By:  Gallego                                                    H.C.R. No. 44 



CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, The year 2006 marks the 150th anniversary of the 
official establishment of Uvalde County, and this singular 
milestone offers an opportunity to reflect on the county's unique 
role in the history of the Lone Star State; and
	WHEREAS, The area now known as Uvalde County was home to human 
inhabitants as early as 9,000 years ago, and the Edwards Plateau 
area was a favorite hunting ground of the Comanche, Tonkawa, and 
Lipan Apache Native American tribes; and
	WHEREAS, With the advent of European settlement, new visitors 
began to make their influence felt, as Spanish soldiers, commercial 
pack trains, buffalo hunters, cattlemen, and mineral prospectors 
passed through; and
	WHEREAS, After an initial attempt to establish the county 
failed in 1850 because of an insufficient number of settlers, 
Uvalde County was created by legislative enactment on February 2, 
1856, and the town of Encina was renamed Uvalde and designated the 
county seat soon after; and
	WHEREAS, The county was home to such larger-than-life figures 
as notorious cattle rustler J. King Fisher and future U.S. vice 
president John Nance Garner, and the turmoil of the Civil War and 
the period immediately following contributed numerous chapters to 
the area's colorful history; and
	WHEREAS, Producing cattle, wool, mohair, fish, and a 
cornucopia of vegetables, as well as honey of such high quality that 
it was awarded first place at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris, Uvalde 
County has as its most vital resource its people, whose industry and 
resourcefulness are rivaled only by their warmth and strength of 
character, and these admirable assets continue to delight visitors 
to the area; and
	WHEREAS, Half a century ago, proud residents celebrated the 
centennial of their county's founding with a gala celebration that 
featured appearances by Vice President Garner and screen star Dale 
Evans, and this year's commemoration of this historical landmark 
promises to be equally engaging; and
	WHEREAS, Our rich heritage as Texans is well worth 
celebration and reflection, and in paying tribute to the founders 
of Uvalde County, its modern-day residents reaffirm their powerful 
ties to the land they love; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas, 
3rd Called Session, hereby commemorate the 150th anniversary of the 
founding of Uvalde County and extend sincere best wishes to its 
residents.