|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
WHEREAS, Citizens of Jim Wells County are assembling at the |
|
State Capitol on February 12, 2009, to celebrate the importance of |
|
their home to the history of the State of Texas; and |
|
WHEREAS, The county has a landscape of sweeping grasslands |
|
and wide horizons; its early inhabitants, the Chaguane and Payuguan |
|
tribes, enjoyed the region's mild winters and abundant game; after |
|
the first European settlement in 1754, at Penitas Creek, Mexican |
|
ranchers developed land grants into sheep and cattle ranches; in |
|
1848 the region became part of the State of Texas, and it was |
|
formally incorporated as a county in 1911 and named after the |
|
prominent politician James B. Wells, Jr.; and |
|
WHEREAS, With the arrival of the railroad in the 1870s, |
|
county seat Alice became the most important livestock shipment |
|
junction in South Texas, and ranching has remained a mainstay of the |
|
county's economy ever since; cotton and sorghum are important |
|
crops, as are hay, corn, and wheat; since the discovery of oil in |
|
1931, the county has become one of the leaders in oil production in |
|
Texas; and |
|
WHEREAS, The importance of Tejano culture to the county and |
|
to all of Texas is honored by the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame in Alice, |
|
recognizing the region as the birthplace of this popular musical |
|
genre; South Texas culture is further showcased at the South Texas |
|
Museum, housed in the historic McGill Brothers Building in Alice; |
|
the annual Fiesta Bandana, celebrating Cinco de Mayo, is a |
|
highlight of the county's cultural calendar; and |
|
WHEREAS, The county is also the region's center for health |
|
care, with two outstanding facilities, the CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital |
|
Alice and the CHRISTUS Spohn Laviana Plaza; and |
|
WHEREAS, The hardworking and forward-looking citizens of Jim |
|
Wells County are building on a long tradition of progressive |
|
development, and their industry, achievements, and public spirit |
|
are indeed worthy of special recognition; now, therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
|
Legislature hereby recognize February 12, 2009, as Jim Wells County |
|
Day at the State Capitol and extend to its citizens sincere best |
|
wishes for a memorable visit to Austin. |