H.R. No. 184R E S O L U T I O N WHEREAS, Residents of Matagorda County are gathering at the State Capitol on February 8, 2005, to celebrate the role their county has played in the history of our great state; and WHEREAS, In 1820, Moses Austin received a land grant that included the fertile land between the Colorado and Brazos Rivers; his son, Stephen F. Austin, continued his father's plans of establishing a settlement in this Gulf Coast prairie region; and WHEREAS, After the Texas Revolution, in 1836, Matagorda County was organized as one of the first 23 counties of the Republic of Texas; the name "matagorda" is the Spanish word for thick brush, and it is derived from the canebrakes that formerly lined the county's shore; in the 19th century, the region's fertile soil, ample rainfall, and mild climate attracted hundreds of settlers, who maximized the land for farming and ranching, and the area's forests provided pioneer families with an abundant supply of wood for building and fuel; and WHEREAS, Cotton and sugar quickly became the dominant crops, but in later years, the county expanded its agricultural economy to include rice, corn, soybeans, milo, and other grains; today, the region is home to the South Texas Nuclear Power Project and boasts a diverse economy of agriculture, petrochemicals, plastics, and oil and gas; and WHEREAS, Matagorda County is a desirable destination for visitors who enjoy the benefits of nature and outdoor recreational activities, such as boating, sailing, fishing, and water skiing; birdwatching has become a particularly popular pastime as the county has led all of North America in the prestigious Audubon Christmas Bird Count and 246 species were observed in December 2004 alone; and WHEREAS, The area also draws many visitors and residents alike to the Matagorda County Rodeo, the Christmas Lighted Parade and Tour of Homes, the Shrimporee and Blessing of the Fleet, Bayfest in November, the Rice Festival in October, and an annual cattle drive across the Colorado River to Matagorda Peninsula; in addition to the county seat, Bay City, other towns in the region include Palacios, Blessing, Cedar Lane, Collegeport, Elmaton, Markham, Matagorda, Midfield, Pledger, Sargent, Van Vleck, and Wadsworth; and WHEREAS, The residents of this fine Texas county have played an important part in preserving their region's past and preparing for a productive future, and it is a pleasure to pay tribute to Matagorda County and its citizens on this special day; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas Legislature hereby recognize February 8, 2005, as Matagorda County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the delegation here today sincere best wishes for an enjoyable visit. Dawson Craddick Geren Menendez Allen of Harris Giddings Merritt Allen of Dallas Gonzales Miller Alonzo Gonzalez Toureilles Moreno of Harris Anchia Goodman Moreno of El Paso Anderson Goolsby Morrison Bailey Griggs Mowery Baxter Grusendorf Naishtat Berman Guillen Nixon Blake Haggerty Noriega Bohac Hamilton Oliveira Bonnen Hamric Olivo Branch Hardcastle Orr Brown of Kaufman Harper-Brown Otto Brown of Brazos Hartnett Paxton Burnam Hegar Pena Callegari Herrero Phillips Campbell Hilderbran Pickett Casteel Hill Pitts Castro Hochberg Puente Chavez Hodge Quintanilla Chisum Homer Raymond Coleman Hope Reyna Cook of Navarro Hopson Riddle Cook of Colorado Howard Ritter Corte Hughes Rodriguez Crabb Hunter Rose Crownover Hupp Seaman Davis of Harris Isett Smith of Tarrant Davis of Dallas Jackson Smith of Harris Dawson Jones of Lubbock Smithee Delisi Jones of Dallas Solis Denny Keel Solomons Deshotel Keffer of Dallas Strama Driver Keffer of Eastland Swinford Dukes King of Parker Talton Dunnam King of Zavala Taylor Dutton Kolkhorst Thompson Edwards Krusee Truitt Eiland Kuempel Turner Eissler Laney Uresti Elkins Laubenberg Van Arsdale Escobar Leibowitz Veasey Farabee Luna Villarreal Farrar Madden Vo Flores Martinez West Flynn Martinez Fischer Wong Frost McCall Woolley Gallego McClendon Zedler Gattis McReynolds ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 184 was adopted by the House on February 8, 2005, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House