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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 769
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WHEREAS, In 1852, in spite of the danger posed by Indian |
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raids at the time, a group of entrepreneurs acquired land on a |
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cypress-lined bend in the Medina River; the following year, |
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members of the group surveyed the town of Bandera and opened a |
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sawmill and commissary; the town quickly became a thriving |
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settlement due to the success of the founders' water-powered |
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lumber mill; and |
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WHEREAS, In the years that followed, local farmers and |
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ranchers prospered, supplying products to United States Cavalry |
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troops at Camp Verde, raising and ginning cotton, and raising |
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cattle, sheep, and goats; and |
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WHEREAS, In the 1870s, as the threat of Indian attack |
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receded, the county became a staging area for cattle drives and |
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the population grew markedly; it is estimated that between 1874 |
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and 1894, 7 to 10 million longhorns and one million horses were |
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driven by 30,000 cowboys to a staging area near Bandera, a major |
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gathering point connecting with the Western Trail; during this |
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time, Bandera became known as a place where cowboys could relax |
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and buy supplies; and |
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WHEREAS, Dude ranching began in 1920 when the Buck Ranch |
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took in paying summer guests, with the Bruce Ranch taking the |
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overflow; in the 1930s, the dude ranching industry continued to |
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expand and over 30 dude ranches were operating near Bandera; and |
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WHEREAS, Rodeos began in the 1920s when cowboys who worked |
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on ranches displayed their skills at roundups and on cattle |
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drives; the first advertised rodeo near Bandera was held at |
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Mansfield Park in 1924; Bandera cowboys became rodeo world |
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champions and were inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of |
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Fame; and |
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WHEREAS, The citizens of Bandera are heirs to a rich |
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western heritage; today this charming town remains a living |
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testament to the courage, talent, and vision of the men and women |
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who shaped the Old West; since 1920 the community has been a |
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popular tourist destination, each year drawing visitors from |
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around the state and beyond to attractions that include area |
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resorts, dude ranches, rodeo venues, and hunting and camping |
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areas; and |
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WHEREAS, The wild and rugged western town of Bandera |
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displayed the qualities and history of a cowboy capital long |
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before the first printed reference naming it the "Cowboy Capital |
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of the World" in 1948; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, |
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83rd Legislature, hereby recognize the rich history of Bandera, |
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Texas, and pay tribute to its citizens' many contributions to the |
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Lone Star State; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in |
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honor of the citizens of Bandera as an expression of highest |
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regard from the Texas Senate. |
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Fraser |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on April 29, 2013. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |