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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The people of the Lone Star State are proud of their |
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agricultural heritage, and for many years, the city of Floydada has |
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been associated with one crop in particular, the pumpkin; and |
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WHEREAS, The history of the pumpkin in Floyd County can be |
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dated back to the 1540s and the time of the Spanish explorer |
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Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, whose starving expedition was fed |
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roasted pumpkins by native tribes who lived near Blanco Canyon; the |
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modern pumpkin industry in Texas began with Floyd County farmer |
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B. A. "Uncle Slim" Robertson, who began growing the squash on 10 |
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acres, selling produce by the side of the road; he later increased |
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his acreage and went on to ship truckloads of pumpkins far and wide; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In recent times, Floydada has carried on "Slim" |
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Robertson's legacy by making the pumpkin a mainstay of its economy |
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and culture, and Floydada pumpkins and squashes have become coveted |
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by consumers in Texas and beyond; the city produces between 15 and |
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20 million pumpkins every year, ranging from the orange Jack |
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O'Lantern to pie pumpkins to white and red pumpkins to Atlantic |
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Giants, which can weigh several hundred pounds; and |
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WHEREAS, The city has trademarked itself as the Pumpkin |
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Capital of the United States, and since 1987, the second Saturday of |
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every October has been celebrated in Floydada as Punkin Day, a |
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festival that features every pumpkin-related activity imaginable, |
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including pumpkin carving, pie baking, pumpkin bowling, and |
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guessing the weight of giant pumpkins; and |
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WHEREAS, Citizens of Floydada have long been proud of their |
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association with this festive and nutritious agricultural product, |
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which is both a significant source of revenue and an inspiration for |
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high-spirited fun; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate Floydada as the Pumpkin Capital of Texas. |
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