79S30153 BJM-D

By:  Gonzalez Toureilles                                          H.R. No. 80 



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The history of the Lone Star State has been richly 
influenced by family farming and ranching, and John Charles Austin 
of McMullen County has now been officially recognized as an heir to 
this proud tradition with the acceptance of the Austin Ranch into 
the Texas Family Land Heritage Program; and
	WHEREAS, The Family Land Heritage Program recognizes farms 
and ranches that have been in continuous agricultural operation by 
the same family for a century or more, and in reaching this 
remarkable milestone, the Austin Ranch has secured its stature in 
Texas ranching history; and
	WHEREAS, Purchased by Ralph S. Franklin in the early 1880s, 
the 5,000-acre property was originally a part of Confederate Scrip 
No. 1497; Mr. Franklin and his family, including his wife, Minerva, 
and their 12 children, raised cattle on the land; and
	WHEREAS, Over the ensuing years, the property was passed down 
through generations of Mr. Franklin's descendants, from his son, 
Tom, to his granddaughters, Rosemary Franklin Haynes and Charlie 
Ann Franklin Austin, to his great-grandson, John Charles Austin, 
who inherited 884 acres of the land in 1997; since taking ownership, 
Mr. Austin has continued the family tradition of raising livestock 
while making repairs to the water tanks and implementing brush and 
soil erosion control practices; and
	WHEREAS, The rewarding but challenging work of running a 
sustainable agricultural operation is not only a valuable service 
to the community but also a vital link to the rich and colorful 
history that has made the Lone Star State what it is today, and the 
Austin family continues to contribute immeasurably to this fine 
tradition; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature, 3rd Called Session, hereby congratulate John Charles 
Austin on the inclusion of the Austin Ranch into the Texas Family 
Land Heritage Program and extend to him sincere best wishes for the 
future; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for Mr. Austin as an expression of high regard by the Texas 
House of Representatives.