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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of the Texas Panhandle are gathering |
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in Austin on February 19, 2013, to celebrate Panhandle Day at the |
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State Capitol, and this occasion offers a welcome opportunity to |
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honor their region's rich heritage and many noteworthy features; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, One of the oldest inhabited areas of Texas, the |
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Panhandle is crossed by the Canadian and Red Rivers, rests over the |
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southern tip of the Ogallala Aquifer, and offers breathtaking views |
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of Palo Duro Canyon; its vast rolling plains were once roamed by |
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Paleo-Indian hunters, long before Francisco Vazquez de Coronado |
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became the first European to reach the area in 1541; it remained |
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contested territory throughout much of its history, until the |
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Compromise of 1850, when it assumed its modern boundaries; and |
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WHEREAS, Ranching became central to the Panhandle's culture |
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and economy in the late 19th century; during this time, two of the |
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area's major ranches were established: JA Ranch, which began in |
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1876 when Charles Goodnight arrived with a herd of longhorn cattle |
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from Colorado, and XIT Ranch, which was formed in the 1880s from |
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three million acres of Panhandle land traded by the state to finance |
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construction of a new Texas Capitol; the regional economy was |
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further diversified with the advent of the railroads and dryland |
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farming techniques, which led to a greater role for wheat and cotton |
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farming, and the discovery of oil and natural gas in the 1920s; |
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today, the agriculture, oil and gas, and wind industries continue |
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to be important to the region; and |
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WHEREAS, Amarillo, in Potter and Randall Counties, is |
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essential to the prosperity of the Panhandle, with Tyson Foods, |
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Bell Helicopter, Pantex, and two health care systems all serving as |
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major employers; the nearby town of Canyon offers access to Palo |
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Duro Canyon State Park, home to the long-running outdoor musical |
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drama Texas, which chronicles the story of Panhandle settlers in |
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the 1800s; other notable communities include Pampa, the second |
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largest city in the Panhandle and a commercial center for oil and |
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livestock, Dalhart, which hosts the annual XIT Rodeo and Reunion, |
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and Hereford, regarded by many as the "Beef Capital of the World"; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The Panhandle is home to such premier educational |
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institutions as the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, |
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with its schools of medicine, pharmacy, and allied health sciences, |
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and West Texas A&M University, both of which boast nationally |
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recognized programs and faculty; Amarillo College and South Plains |
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College continue to be among the finest community colleges in the |
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country, and Wayland Baptist University, Frank Phillips College, |
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and Clarendon College also offer an outstanding education; and |
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WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy a range of |
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attractions, including the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the |
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largest history museum in Texas, and such cultural assets as the |
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Amarillo Museum of Art, the Lone Star Ballet, and the Amarillo |
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Symphony; moreover, the adventurous can drive the length of the |
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legendary Route 66 through Texas, starting in Glen Rio and passing |
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through Amarillo's popular historic district and the towns of |
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Adrian, Vega, Groom, and McLean, before ending their journey near |
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Shamrock; and |
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WHEREAS, Known for their hospitality, strong work ethic, and |
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resilience, the citizens of the Texas Panhandle may take great |
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pride in all they have done to make their region one of the |
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treasures of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 19, 2013, as Panhandle Day at |
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the State Capitol and extend to the visiting guests sincere best |
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wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. |