| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Proud residents of Aransas County are gathering in |
|
|
Austin to celebrate Aransas County Day at the State Capitol on |
|
|
February 17, 2011; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, This region of coastal prairie, marshlands, and |
|
|
sandy beaches was first inhabited by native peoples 8,000 years |
|
|
ago, and early European visitors to the area included the famed |
|
|
shipwreck survivor Cabeza de Vaca and the explorers Alonso De Leon |
|
|
and Diego Ortiz Parrilla; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In 1828, the Mexican government awarded an |
|
|
empresario grant to James Power and James Hewetson to enable them to |
|
|
bring in settlers from Ireland and Mexico, and not long after the |
|
|
Civil War, the towns of Fulton and Rockport were founded as ports |
|
|
for the cattle business; Aransas County was formed in 1871 and named |
|
|
after Rio Nuestra Senora de Aranzazu, a Spanish palace; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Today, the county's ample recreational |
|
|
opportunities draw visitors from around the state and nation; the |
|
|
variety of wildlife found in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge |
|
|
includes the whooping crane, javelina, alligators, and |
|
|
white-tailed deer, and the Bird Garden and Wetlands Pond in |
|
|
Rockport and the Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary help preserve a |
|
|
variety of fascinating flora and fauna; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Rockport Harbor is the home port of many popular |
|
|
boating excursions for birders, dolphin-watchers, and devotees of |
|
|
deep-sea fishing, while the Fulton Harbor Pier and Copano Bay State |
|
|
Fishing Pier offer first-rate opportunities for angling; fresh |
|
|
seafood is available year-round in the area's fine restaurants; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The county's history is evoked by the fully restored |
|
|
19th century mansion at the Fulton Mansion State Historic Site, |
|
|
while the Texas Maritime Museum in Rockport celebrates the marine |
|
|
heritage of the Lone Star State; the Rockport Center for the Arts is |
|
|
a hub for the region's thriving cultural scene, which includes such |
|
|
festive annual events as the Bountiful Bowl Pottery Fair, the |
|
|
Fulton Oysterfest, the Rockport Film Festival, and many others; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Blessed with great natural beauty, a rich history, |
|
|
and a vibrant creative community, Aransas County is one of the |
|
|
treasures of the Lone Star State, and its citizens may indeed take |
|
|
great pride in their heritage as they look forward to a future |
|
|
filled with opportunity; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby recognize February 17, 2011, as Aransas County |
|
|
Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation |
|
|
sincere best wishes for a memorable and meaningful visit to Austin. |