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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Real County are beginning a |
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yearlong celebration of the county's centennial with a Birthday |
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Bash Weekend on April 5 and 6, 2013; and |
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WHEREAS, Situated among the rugged canyonlands of the |
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Balcones Escarpment, this striking country was first inhabited by |
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Paleo-Americans 7,000 years ago; later residents and visitors |
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included the Tonkawa Indians, the Lipan Apaches, and Franciscan |
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priests of the Spanish empire; John and Nancy Leakey were among the |
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first Anglo pioneers in 1856, settling in Frio Canyon near the site |
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of the town that now bears their name; the community of Rio Frio was |
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settled around the same time, and Camp Wood was created by the U.S. |
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military in 1857 and later used by the Confederate Army and the |
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Texas Rangers; and |
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WHEREAS, Leakey originally served as the seat of Edwards |
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County, but in 1891, the county seat was moved to Rocksprings, |
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requiring citizens of Leakey to travel on horseback through |
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difficult terrain to do any official business; as a result, on April |
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3, 1913, the Texas Legislature created a new county out of parts of |
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Edwards, Bandera, and Kerr Counties, with its seat in Leakey; |
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originally slated to be called Murphy County, the name was changed |
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to honor Julius Real, a former county judge and the only Republican |
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at the time in the Texas State Senate; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout 2013, the county's residents are |
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celebrating their first 100 years with a variety of events; the |
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Birthday Bash Weekend will include the unveiling of a Texas |
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Historical Marker, a golf tournament, a quilt exhibit, a mohair |
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style show, and a barbecue and street dance, to be followed by |
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Pioneer Days in late April, when the lifestyle and activities of the |
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county's original settlers will be reenacted; and |
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WHEREAS, The festivities continue on Labor Day Weekend, which |
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will feature the performance of a melodrama based on the county's |
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history, and again in October, with the Camp Wood Centennial |
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Celebration, which will include a parade, a salsa cook-off, and a |
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cowboy symposium; regular annual events such as the Frio Canyon |
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July Jubilee and the Nueces Canyon Old Settlers Reunion will also |
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incorporate the theme of the centennial; and |
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WHEREAS, Real County's distinctive landscape and rich |
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heritage represent a unique contribution to the history of the Lone |
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Star State, and the people of the county may take justifiable pride |
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in their strong community ties and independent spirit; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the centennial of Real County and |
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extend to the county's residents sincere best wishes for a |
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meaningful and memorable year of celebration; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Real County as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |