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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, On February 21, 2013, proud citizens of two historic |
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West Texas counties are gathering in Austin to celebrate Ward and |
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Winkler Counties Day at the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, The territory of Ward County was originally home to |
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the Apache and Comanche Indians, and in 1881, the Texas and Pacific |
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Railway built a line through the region, with stations at Barstow |
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and Monahans; the county was created out of part of Tom Green County |
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in 1887 and named for Thomas "Peg Leg" Ward, a soldier in the Texas |
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Revolution who lost his leg to a cannonball; a center for ranching |
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and farming in its early years, the county was transformed by the |
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discovery of oil and gas in the 1920s; during World War II, it was |
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the site of Pyote Army Air Field, and in 1957, the Monahans |
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Sandhills State Historic Park was created in the county's northeast |
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corner; and |
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WHEREAS, Monahans, the county seat, was founded in 1880 by an |
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Irishman named John Thomas Monahan, an employee of the Texas and |
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Pacific who found water at the site, and it was incorporated in |
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1928; situated at the hub of the Permian Basin, the town boasts a |
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welcoming business environment facilitated by easy access to two |
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railroads and two interstate highways; today, the area is stronger |
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and busier than ever, with a sharp increase in oil drilling and a |
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strong commitment by city and county officials to upgrade the |
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county's infrastructure and accommodate the growing need for |
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housing, industry, and retail; and |
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WHEREAS, The Anasazi were the earliest known people in the |
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Winkler County area; in the 1880s, cattlemen established large |
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ranches on free state land; Winkler County was carved out of Tom |
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Green County and named after Clinton W. Winkler, a state legislator |
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and judge; in 1910, the county was officially organized and the town |
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of Kermit, named after Theodore Roosevelt's son, was chosen as |
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county seat; the oil boom of the 1920s brought so many new people |
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that residents lived in tents and makeshift shelters, and another |
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town, Winkler, sprang up; when the postal authorities advised that |
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there was another town with that name, it was swiftly shortened to |
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Wink; and |
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WHEREAS, During the early boom years, Wink acquired a wild |
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and freewheeling reputation; now, although its economy is still |
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based on the petroleum industry and ranching, it is better known as |
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the hometown of music legend Roy Orbison; his first band, the Wink |
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Westerners, made its radio debut on Kermit station KERB, and the Roy |
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Orbison Museum is today one of the town's most interesting |
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attractions; Kermit gained celebrity luster more recently when the |
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Disney Company threw a 50th birthday party for Kermit the Frog, and |
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the town made national headlines as it celebrated in style, |
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renaming a street in honor of the Muppet and repainting the water |
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tower with his likeness; and |
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WHEREAS, These two storied counties hold a notable place in |
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frontier history, and through the years, their towns have |
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demonstrated a unique High Plains flair; the residents of both |
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counties can indeed take great pride in their colorful past as they |
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look forward to a bright future; 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 21, 2013, as Ward and Winkler |
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Counties Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting |
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delegations sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable |
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visit to Austin. |