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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A number of proud West Texas citizens are gathering |
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in Austin on February 27, 2013, to celebrate Hudspeth County Day at |
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the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Created out of El Paso County in 1917, Hudspeth |
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County covers more than 4,500 square miles of the vast Chihuahuan |
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Desert, and residents enjoy the area's great natural beauty, |
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sweeping vistas, and friendly, close-knit communities; and |
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WHEREAS, Numerous archeological sites in the county attest to |
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the presence of farmers and hunter-gatherers in prehistoric times, |
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and missionaries and soldiers from northern New Spain traversed the |
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area as early as 1581; in 1849, John S. "Rip" Ford and Major Robert |
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S. Neighbors charted a trail that would be used by many adventurers |
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on their way to the California gold fields; Fort Quitman was |
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established in 1858 on the Rio Grande, in the southern part of the |
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present-day county, to protect travelers and mail coaches en route |
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between San Antonio and El Paso; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1881, the country's second transcontinental |
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railroad was completed near what is now Sierra Blanca, and Jay Gould |
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drove in a silver spike to mark the occasion; the town of Sierra |
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Blanca quickly developed into a shipping point and commercial |
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center, and when the county was organized it became the county seat; |
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Dell City, in the north, and Fort Hancock, near the Rio Grande, are |
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the two other largest communities; and |
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WHEREAS, The economy of Hudspeth County has been based |
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chiefly on ranching, farming, and mining, along with tourism and |
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hunting leases; a section of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, |
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a destination for outdoors enthusiasts, is located within the |
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county, as is part of the Sierra Diablo Wildlife Management Area, |
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which is home to the largest population of free-ranging bighorn |
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sheep in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Popular annual events include the Dell Valley |
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Hudspeth County Fair and Wild West Chile Fest, held jointly in Dell |
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City, the Dell City Junior Livestock Show, Halloween Parade, and |
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July Fourth fireworks, and the Sierra Blanca livestock show and |
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Fourth of July Fair; points of interest in Sierra Blanca include the |
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old railroad depot, which now houses the Hudspeth County Museum, |
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and the courthouse, which is the only such structure in Texas that |
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is built of adobe; and |
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WHEREAS, The citizens of Hudspeth County share a deep |
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appreciation for their beloved corner of the Lone Star State, and it |
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is a pleasure to recognize their achievements and their public |
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spirit; 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 27, 2013, as Hudspeth County |
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Day at the State Capitol and extend to all those who have come to |
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Austin sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit. |