| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, On June 1, 2007, Garza County and the city of Post |
|
|
are celebrating their centennial; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Situated along the Caprock Escarpment at the edge of |
|
|
the Llano Estacado, this rugged country drained by tributaries of |
|
|
the Brazos River was first inhabited by nomadic hunters; from 1700 |
|
|
to the 1870s it was home to the Kiowa and the Comanche and was |
|
|
settled by ranchers in the mid-1870s; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In 1906 the cereal manufacturer Charles William Post |
|
|
bought about 200,000 acres in order to start an experimental |
|
|
community under the aegis of the Double U Company; in 1907 the town |
|
|
of Post City was founded, as the company laid out streets, built |
|
|
houses, and planted trees, and the Algerita Hotel, a gin, and a |
|
|
textile plant were constructed; that same year Garza County was |
|
|
formally organized, with Post City as the county seat; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, C. W. Post's agricultural experiments included his |
|
|
famous "rain battles," during which explosives were fired from |
|
|
towers and kites along the edge of the Caprock in an attempt to |
|
|
provoke rainfall for the growing of grain; while little corn or |
|
|
wheat was ever grown in the county, it did become an important |
|
|
center for cotton; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The discovery of oil and gas in the 1920s helped to |
|
|
stabilize and diversify the county's economy, and today the county |
|
|
depends upon a combination of ranching, cotton, and oil and gas |
|
|
production; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Today Post delights visitors and residents alike |
|
|
with its friendly, small-town atmosphere and the restored historic |
|
|
buildings of its picturesque main street; the Algerita Art Center |
|
|
features work by area artists in the restored hotel, and the Garza |
|
|
County Museum explores the lives of ranchers, cowboys, and early |
|
|
settlers through room settings and displays of memorabilia; |
|
|
situated in one of C. W. Post's original buildings, the O. S. Ranch |
|
|
Museum houses rotating displays of art and artifacts collected by |
|
|
the owners of the O. S. Ranch, including Fabergé eggs and Waterford |
|
|
and Lalique crystal; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Other attractions include the Old Mill Trade Days |
|
|
marketplace on the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of each month |
|
|
and the renovated Garza Theatre, one of the first movie theaters in |
|
|
West Texas; additionally, vistas of cliffs and canyons along the |
|
|
Caprock Escarpment can be viewed from scenic highway F.M. 669; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The city of Post and Garza County have a colorful |
|
|
history that is truly worth celebrating, and it is fitting that |
|
|
special recognition be given to this unique region of the Lone Star |
|
|
State on its 100th birthday; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby congratulate Post and Garza County on their |
|
|
centennial and extend best wishes to their citizens for a fine |
|
|
birthday celebration; and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared |
|
|
for Post and Garza County as an expression of high regard by the |
|
|
Texas House of Representatives. |