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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Brownsville are gathering in Austin to |
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celebrate Brownsville Day at the State Capitol on February 4, 2009; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Located across the Rio Grande from Matamoros, |
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Mexico, the site of Brownsville originally formed part of the |
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Espiritu Santo land grant, a tract of 59 leagues that was awarded to |
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Salvador de la Garza in 1781; by the time Texas declared its |
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independence from Mexico in 1836, a small community had developed |
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in the vicinity of the future town; a decade later, U.S. troops |
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under General Zachary Taylor arrived in the area and began |
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constructing a defensive post that soon became known as Fort Brown, |
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in honor of Major Jacob Brown, who had died during a Mexican assault |
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on the post; when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the |
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Mexican-American War in 1848, the Rio Grande became the recognized |
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southern boundary of Texas, and that same year Charles Stillman |
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platted the town of Brownsville and created the Brownsville Town |
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Company to promote it; and |
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WHEREAS, During the Civil War, Brownsville became the only |
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port available to the Confederacy for shipping cotton to Europe in |
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exchange for war provisions; Brownsville was also the site of the |
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last Civil War battle, an encounter that occurred at Palmito Ranch; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Designated the Cameron County seat in 1849, |
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Brownsville is now the largest city in the lower Rio Grande Valley |
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and the southernmost city in Texas; with international sea and land |
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ports, Brownsville thrives on a mixed economy encompassing trade |
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and marine services, together with electronics, food processing, |
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and the warehouse distribution industry; and |
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WHEREAS, Tourism also plays a major role in the local |
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economy, owing to an abundance of historical and natural |
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attractions; featuring more than three miles of wildlife trails, |
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the Sabal Palm Audubon Center in Brownsville is a sanctuary for one |
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of the most threatened ecosystems in South Texas and northern |
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Mexico, and it harbors native plants and animals that cannot be |
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found elsewhere in the United States; the city is also home to the |
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Gladys Porter Zoo, where visitors can observe such endangered |
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species as the white rhinoceros and the lowland gorilla; moreover, |
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the convergence of two major flyways is located above the city, and |
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most northern species pass through Brownsville as they migrate |
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south for the winter, making the area a bird-watcher's paradise; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The city of Brownsville is fortunate to have many |
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public-spirited citizens who are committed to ensuring that their |
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community and its people are prepared to meet the challenges of the |
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21st century, and the Brownsville Interagency Group is a coalition |
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of various organizations that are dedicated to fulfilling that |
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important objective; it is indeed a pleasure to welcome members of |
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this group to the State Capitol today and to recognize the entities |
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that they represent: the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, |
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Brownsville Community Improvements Corporation, Brownsville |
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Convention and Visitors Bureau, Brownsville Economic Development |
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Council, Brownsville Independent School District, Brownsville |
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Navigation District, Brownsville Public Utilities Board, |
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Brownsville--South Padre Island International Airport, City of |
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Brownsville, Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, Port of |
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Brownsville, University of Texas at Brownsville--Southmost |
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College, and Brownsville Urban System, as well as Cameron County |
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and Workforce Solutions--Cameron; and |
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WHEREAS, Citizens of this vibrant South Texas community |
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celebrate their rich history even as they work to build a bright |
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future, and they may reflect with great pride on their city's |
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notable contributions to the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 4, 2009, as Brownsville Day |
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at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere |
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best wishes for an enjoyable stay in Austin. |