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By:  Guillen                                                      H.R. No. 773



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The community of Escobares in Starr County has a 
colorful history dating back to 1753 when Jose Miguel Antonio 
Ramirez and Maria Rita Lopez de Jaen first arrived in the area and 
petitioned the King of Spain for land in the area; and
	WHEREAS, the King of Spain acquiesced to the request in 1767 
and the grant for the area named Rancho Santa Gertrudis was accepted 
by Jose Maria Escobar y Rocha, the adopted son of Jose Miguel 
Antonio Ramirez, and his wife, Maria Antonio Gertrudis Chapa y 
Lopez de Jaen, the daughter of Maria Rita Lopez de Jaen, in June of 
1767 after both original applicants for the land grant died before 
it was approved; and
	WHEREAS, Rancho Santa Gertrudis, designated as the porcion 
76, old jurisdiction of the Villa de Mier Nuevo Santander, Nueva 
Espana, has been known by many names as its inhabitants have lived 
under six flags for over 250 years.  Those names include Rancho San 
Antonio, Rancho Cacaruttas, Rancho San Jose, Rancho Capal, Rancho 
Los Queros, Rancho Escobares, the town of Escobares and as of 
October 22, 2005, the City of Escobares.
	WHEREAS, Escobares today has a population of over 2,000 
citizens and is located between the Rio Grande and U.S. Highway 83 a 
mile east of Roma-Los Saenz in south central Starr County and has 
expanded to fill the area between Roma and Garceño.  It is in the 
original Spanish land grants of the Mier jurisdiction given north 
of the Rio Grande to José de Escandón's colonists in the 
mid-eighteenth century; and
	WHEREAS, the citizens of Escobares have formed their new city 
government and elected a mayor and board of aldermen to represent 
the electorate and conduct the duties and requirements of municipal 
government, including Mayor Noel Escandon and Aldermen Ricardo 
Pena, Gloria E. Alvarez, Baldemar Escobar, Roberto Luis Naranjo, 
and Velma Luna; and
	WHEREAS, our fellow member of the Texas House of 
Representatives, Juan Escobar, is a descendant of the founders of 
current day Escobares; and
	WHEREAS, the people of the City of Escobares, with great 
pride in the continued growth and development of their community, 
have set Saturday, May 20, 2006 as a day of celebration to rejoice 
in their new status as a city under the laws of the State of Texas; 
and
	WHEREAS, the elected members of the city government will be 
presented to the public on May 20, 2006 and there will be parades, 
speeches and many gatherings to observe the events of the day, 
therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature, third called session, of 
the State of Texas hereby salutes the new elected officials and the 
citizens of Escobares for their continuing efforts to improve and 
develop their special part of the great state of Texas.