| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, The House of Representatives is pleased to join the |
|
|
proud citizens of Victoria in celebrating Victoria Day at the State |
|
|
Capitol on February 11, 2009; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The city of Victoria traces its origins to 1824, the |
|
|
year that the Republic of Mexico approved a request for a large land |
|
|
grant on the lower Guadalupe River for Don Martin DeLeon, a highly |
|
|
respected Mexican citizen; as part of the grant, permission was |
|
|
given to found a town at a site known earlier as Cypress Grove; the |
|
|
community was established with 41 families and was named after |
|
|
Guadalupe Victoria, the president of Mexico; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The Victoria thoroughfare now known as Main Street |
|
|
was originally named La Calle de los Diez Amigos, or The Street of |
|
|
the Ten Friends; the town was incorporated under the Republic of |
|
|
Texas in 1839, and the first property taxes were assessed in 1843; |
|
|
and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Ranching was the first major enterprise in the area, |
|
|
and it brought in capital needed for development; commercial |
|
|
ventures became successful, and paved streets were becoming common |
|
|
in the late 1910s; by the end of World War II, Victoria had become |
|
|
one of the fastest growing cities in Texas; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Today, the city has a symphony orchestra, a fine |
|
|
arts association, museums, libraries, and the National Zoo of |
|
|
Texas, which is home to more than 150 native Texas animals and |
|
|
plants; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Railroads, commercial airlines, and three major |
|
|
highways make Victoria easily accessible to businesses; it is also |
|
|
located on a barge canal that is connected to the Gulf Intracoastal |
|
|
Waterway; as the Victoria County seat, the city serves as the |
|
|
commercial center of this thriving area; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Victoria is home to excellent public schools, a |
|
|
number of major employers, a university, and a community college; |
|
|
the city offers first-rate medical care, and it is an inviting city |
|
|
with an expanding economy; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The largest city in the "Golden Crescent Region," |
|
|
Victoria serves as the health, education, government, and retail |
|
|
service center for a seven-county market area with a population of |
|
|
more than 200,000; the city thrives on the area's petrochemical |
|
|
industry, oil and gas exploration, retail trade, and agriculture; |
|
|
and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Combining big-city convenience and small-town |
|
|
friendliness, Victoria offers a high quality of life, an exciting |
|
|
art scene, and numerous commercial opportunities; this notable |
|
|
Texas community is an excellent place in which to live, work, and |
|
|
raise a family, and it is a pleasure to pay tribute to its many |
|
|
exceptional achievements; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby recognize February 11, 2009, as Victoria Day at |
|
|
the State Capitol and extend a warm welcome to the city residents |
|
|
who have traveled to Austin to take part in this observance. |