SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 162

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to welcome the citizens of Harlingen who are visiting Austin on the occasion of Harlingen Day at the Capitol on February 9, 2011; and

WHEREAS, From the moment in 1904 when Lon C. Hill placed his proposed town site astride the tracks of the Saint Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico Railway, Harlingen was destined to become a crossroads; the first train passed through the rugged settlement that railroad workers called Rattlesnake Junction on July 4, 1904; and

WHEREAS, Tales of rangers and customs patrol agents target-shooting next to the Harlingen depot in the earliest years gave Harlingen its next nickname of Six-shooter Junction; and

WHEREAS, From the 1910s to the 1930s, trains brought thousands of frost-nipped Midwestern farmers to Harlingen and the fertile Magic Valley that could grow at least two crops a year; Harlingen at one point had Texas' biggest ice plant and produced ice for countless railcars of produce heading north; and

WHEREAS, The city's World War II army air field evolved into Harlingen Air Force Base and then Valley International Airport, the largest airport in the Rio Grande Valley; additionally, Harlingen's Free Trade Bridge gives access to Mexico, and its barge port connects to the Intracoastal Waterway; and

WHEREAS, Harlingen's semitropical climate, natural resources, and friendly people have long made it a destination for travelers, including Winter Texans, birders, and other outdoor enthusiasts; today the Iwo Jima Memorial, the historical downtown district with its mural and heritage trails, and an abundance of sports fields and parks have expanded the community's list of attractions; and

WHEREAS, The caring hearts of Harlingen residents have spurred the community's development into a regional health care hub with assets including Valley Baptist Health System, Harlingen Medical Center, and Su Clinica Familiar; Harlingen has recently become headquarters of the state's newest Department of Veterans Affairs Health System, serving South Texas and the Coastal Bend with a 160,000-square-foot veterans ambulatory and surgical facility; and

WHEREAS, Residents of Harlingen have long understood education as a key to the future and have supported efforts to expand public and private schools, including remarkable assets such as Texas State Technical College and the Marine Military Academy, and they look forward to the development of Harlingen's Regional Academic Health Center of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio into a full-fledged medical school in the not-too-distant future; and

WHEREAS, Harlingen is a dynamic city that is proud of its heritage and is building a vibrant future; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd Legislature, hereby proclaim February 9, 2011, as Harlingen Day and call upon all Texans to celebrate the contributions made by this community and its citizens to the economic vitality of this state and nation for more than 100 years; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in honor of Harlingen Day.

Lucio

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on February 9, 2011.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate