84R5436 RA-D
 
  By: Lozano H.R. No. 129
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Business and community leaders from San Patricio
  County are gathering in Austin on February 12, 2015, to celebrate
  San Patricio County Day at the State Capitol; and
         WHEREAS, Situated upon the broad coastal plain along the Gulf
  of Mexico, this region was originally inhabited by the Karankawa
  Indians; less than 30 years after Columbus discovered America, a
  European explorer sailed into the bay behind Aransas Pass, and over
  the next 200 years the territory was visited by Spanish and French
  explorers and Mexican sheepherders; and
         WHEREAS, In 1829, 200 Irish families from New York formed a
  colony under a contract with the government of Mexico and founded
  the town of San Patricio de Hibernia, after Saint Patrick, the
  patron saint of Ireland; the town was the site of a battle during
  the Texas Revolution in 1836, and later that same year, San Patricio
  County was created by the new Republic of Texas; and
         WHEREAS, By 1860, San Patricio County was occupied by
  ranchers and farmers, and during the Civil War, a Confederate fort
  was placed at Aransas Pass to deal with smugglers, rustlers, and
  Federal raiders; the county's economy was boosted in 1885 when the
  San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway was extended to Aransas
  Harbor; the town of Sinton, named after an Ohio banker who had
  invested in the area's development, was named county seat in 1893;
  and
         WHEREAS, Oil and gas were discovered in the county in the
  early 20th century, and the petroleum industry and agriculture
  continue to be the foundation of the economy; cotton, sorghum, and
  cattle are all major products, along with shrimp from the
  commercial fisheries along the coast; the deepwater port at Aransas
  Pass is easily accessible to northern markets by rail, highway, and
  the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway; and
         WHEREAS, Today, the residents of San Patricio County enjoy a
  relaxed rural lifestyle while taking advantage of their proximity
  to the urban amenities of Corpus Christi; hunters, birders,
  kayakers, snorkelers, and devotees of sport fishing travel to the
  county for its many opportunities for recreation; the county is
  also home to the Welder Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest
  privately endowed refuges in the world; and
         WHEREAS, Celebrating their colorful past even as they work to
  build a bright future, the residents of San Patricio County may
  indeed take great pride in this distinctive part of the Lone Star
  State; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
  Legislature hereby recognize February 12, 2015, as San Patricio
  County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting
  delegation sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable visit
  to Austin.