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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Situated in Parmer County, on the high plains of the |
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Llano Estacado, the town of Friona has thrived as an agricultural |
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center since its founding a century ago; and |
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WHEREAS, To celebrate the community's notable ranching and |
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farming heritage, civic leaders have inaugurated a highly |
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successful annual event that showcases three of the area's primary |
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agricultural products; sponsored by the Friona Chamber of Commerce |
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and Agriculture and the Texas Cooperative Extension of Parmer |
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County, Friona's Cheeseburger Cook-Off and Festival brings |
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together an appreciative throng to enjoy one of America's most |
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popular meals, a hearty sandwich that reflects the area's bountiful |
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harvests of wheat and its robust beef and dairy industries; and |
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WHEREAS, Among the pillars that have supported the Parmer |
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County economy, cattle raising was the first to be established; |
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ranching was introduced within a decade of the county's creation in |
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1876, shortly after the Panhandle was opened for settlement; in |
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1882, the still-unpopulated county formed part of the 3 million |
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acres of public land that was acquired by a group of private |
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investors, the Capitol Syndicate, in exchange for financing |
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construction of the new state capitol; until it could sell the land |
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to settlers, the syndicate operated its vast holdings as a cattle |
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ranch, the legendary XIT; and |
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WHEREAS, By the late 1890s, steps were being taken to foster |
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permanent settlement in the county; in 1898, the Pecos and Northern |
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Texas Railway Company was chartered to connect Amarillo and the |
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Texas-New Mexico state line, and several switches and town sites |
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were developed along the route of the new railroad; Friona, now the |
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largest town in the county, originated as a shipping station and was |
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subsequently platted in 1906; and |
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WHEREAS, During the first three decades of the 20th century, |
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Friona saw a growing influx of farmers and the conversion of much |
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former rangeland into cultivated fields; contributing to the |
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success of ranchers and farmers alike was the ready availability of |
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flat, affordable land, a surface soil of sandy loam, and a |
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favorable climate; those who have made their living from that land |
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have relied on both irrigation, which increased dramatically during |
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the 1950s, and dry-land farming techniques; and |
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WHEREAS, Since the 1980s, Parmer County has ranked as one of |
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the leading agricultural counties in Texas, and its prominence has |
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rested in fair measure on the contributions of dedicated, |
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forward-looking farmers and cattlemen around Friona; in addition to |
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well-established, mixed-crop production, this area enjoys a |
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rapidly expanding dairy industry, with some seven dairies in |
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operation and six more under construction as of June 2006; and |
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WHEREAS, Area cattle- and farm-related businesses include |
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one of the largest plants in the meat-packing industry and |
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substantial feed-manufacturing and grain-storage facilities, as |
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well as cold-storage plants, farm-equipment companies, and a newly |
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opened cheese factory; and |
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WHEREAS, With such a history and economic foundation, |
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citizens of Friona knew they had every ingredient they needed to |
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host a classically American jamboree; when the town's Cheeseburger |
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Cook-Off and Festival debuted at Friona City Park on July 15, 2006, |
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during the community's centennial year, 16 teams took to their |
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grills in a spirited contest for culinary laurels; in a show of |
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broad-based support for the event, Cargill Meat Solutions donated |
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beef for 1,000 patties, Mrs. Baird's donated the buns, the cheese |
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factory donated the cheese, Spring Lake Farms donated potatoes for |
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the fries, and members of the Lions Club cooked the fries; and |
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WHEREAS, If the Cheeseburger Cook-Off and Festival serves as |
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a cheerful salute to Friona's deep agricultural roots and thriving |
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modern-day enterprises, it also typifies, in its character as a |
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great, convivial backyard barbecue, the warm, neighborly spirit of |
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this close-knit community, and it is fitting that the |
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cheeseburger's symbolic value for Friona be appropriately |
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recognized; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate Friona as the official Cheeseburger Capital of |
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Texas. |