| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Residents of Eagle Pass and Maverick County are |
|
|
gathering in Austin to celebrate Eagle Pass-Maverick County Day at |
|
|
the State Capitol; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Located in southwest Texas, Maverick County was |
|
|
established in 1856 and named for state legislator Samuel Augustus |
|
|
Maverick; its county seat, Eagle Pass, was organized in the early |
|
|
1870s on the border between Mexico and Texas; the city was |
|
|
originally named El Paso del Aguila because of the frequent flights |
|
|
of Mexican eagles over the area; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Artifacts uncovered throughout Maverick County |
|
|
attest to the presence of hunter-gatherers in prehistoric times; |
|
|
the area was also visited by Spanish explorers and settlers, who |
|
|
traversed the Camino Real, later known as Old San Antonio Road, in |
|
|
greater numbers than in any other section of the state; various |
|
|
expeditions, including that of Alonso de León in 1690, served to |
|
|
forge the trail and elevate its significance in the early history of |
|
|
Texas; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In the tumultuous years of the Civil War, Eagle Pass |
|
|
was employed as a trade depot for the Military Board of Texas, and |
|
|
Fort Duncan to its north was occupied by Confederate troops; after |
|
|
the fort's abandonment during the war, Indian populations seized |
|
|
control of the region, leading to several violent skirmishes; it |
|
|
was only in 1871, 15 years after its founding, that the county was |
|
|
formally organized, and it soon thereafter acquired telegraph |
|
|
services and a county courthouse; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Today, city and county officials are committed to |
|
|
working together to create jobs, encourage young people, and |
|
|
improve the quality of life in their region of the state; among the |
|
|
accomplishments in recent years are an addition to Loop 480, a new |
|
|
jail facility, the completion of the Eagle Pass ISD Student |
|
|
Activity Center, and the 44,000-square-foot International Center |
|
|
for Trade, which has served as a venue for area meetings and |
|
|
conferences since 2006; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Civic leaders are also dedicated to the effective |
|
|
collaboration of the public and private sectors and to the |
|
|
administration of an economic development plan that will attract |
|
|
and retain solid business, industry, and trade, as well as |
|
|
affordable housing; specific goals include expanding the region's |
|
|
health care services and bringing in a four-year college to augment |
|
|
local institutions Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College and |
|
|
Southwest Texas Junior College; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, With three international bridges, including a rail |
|
|
bridge, Eagle Pass and Maverick County have become an important |
|
|
port of entry for international commerce, and the Kickapoo |
|
|
Traditional Tribe of Texas provides an important source of jobs, |
|
|
revenue, and tourism; visitors to the region can also learn about |
|
|
area history at Fort Duncan Park and San Juan Plaza and enjoy |
|
|
outdoor recreation at Maverick County Lake; moreover, they can |
|
|
stroll the streets of historic downtown Eagle Pass, which has been |
|
|
designated as a Texas Main Street City by the Texas Historical |
|
|
Commission; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Led by Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo and |
|
|
Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey English Cantu, community residents are |
|
|
justifiably proud of their contributions to the Lone Star State, |
|
|
and it is most fitting that they be honored on this special day; |
|
|
now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby recognize Eagle Pass-Maverick County Day at the |
|
|
State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best |
|
|
wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. |