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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of the Texas Panhandle are gathering |
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in Austin on February 17, 2015, to celebrate Panhandle Day at the |
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State Capitol, and this occasion offers a welcome opportunity to |
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honor their region's rich heritage and many noteworthy features; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, One of the oldest inhabited areas of Texas, the |
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Panhandle is crossed by the Canadian and Red Rivers, rests over the |
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southern tip of the Ogallala Aquifer, and offers breathtaking views |
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of Palo Duro Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the country; its |
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vast rolling plains were once roamed by Paleo-Indian hunters, long |
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before Francisco Vazquez de Coronado became the first European to |
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reach the area in 1541; it remained contested territory throughout |
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much of its history, until the Compromise of 1850, when it assumed |
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its modern boundaries; and |
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WHEREAS, Ranching became central to the Panhandle's culture |
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and economy in the late 19th century; during this time, two of the |
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area's major ranches were established: JA Ranch, which began in |
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1876 when Charles Goodnight arrived with a herd of longhorn cattle |
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from Colorado, and XIT Ranch, which was formed in the 1880s from |
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three million acres of Panhandle land traded by the state to finance |
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construction of a new Texas Capitol; the regional economy was |
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further diversified with the advent of the railroads and dryland |
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farming techniques, which led to a greater role for wheat and cotton |
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farming, and the discovery of oil and natural gas in the 1920s; |
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today, the agriculture, oil and gas, and wind industries continue |
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to be important to the region, and there are two large refining |
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facilities, the Valero McKee Refinery in Sunray and the |
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ConocoPhillips Refinery in Borger; and |
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WHEREAS, Amarillo, in Potter and Randall Counties, is an |
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essential component of the prosperity of the Panhandle, with Tyson |
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Foods, Bell Helicopter, Pantex, and multiple state-of-the-art |
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health care systems all serving as major employers; in addition, |
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the city is home to two major associations, the American Quarter |
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Horse Association and the Texas Cattle Feeders Association; the |
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nearby town of Canyon offers access to Palo Duro Canyon State Park, |
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designated as one of "America's 10 Best State Parks" by Fodor's |
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Travel, and is home to the long-running outdoor musical drama |
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Texas, which chronicles the story of Panhandle settlers in the |
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1800s; other notable communities include Pampa, the second-largest |
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city in the Panhandle and a commercial center for oil and livestock, |
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Dalhart, which hosts the annual XIT Rodeo and Reunion, and Dumas and |
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Hereford, major centers for cattle feeding operations and beef |
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processing plants; this area, known as Cattle-Feeding Country, |
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supports a multibillion dollar industry with the largest |
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proliferation of feedlots in the nation; and |
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WHEREAS, The Panhandle is home to such premier educational |
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institutions as the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, |
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with its schools of medicine, pharmacy, and allied health sciences, |
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and West Texas A&M University, both of which boast nationally |
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recognized programs and faculty; Amarillo College continues to be |
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among the finest community colleges in the country, and Wayland |
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Baptist University, Frank Phillips College, and Clarendon College |
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also offer outstanding educational opportunities; and |
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WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy a range of |
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attractions, including a number of museums, such as the American |
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Quarter Horse Museum and the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, |
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with over 2 million artifacts, along with such cultural assets as |
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the Amarillo Museum of Art, the Lone Star Ballet, and the Amarillo |
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Symphony; moreover, the adventurous can drive the length of the |
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legendary Route 66 through Texas, starting in Glen Rio and passing |
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through Amarillo's popular historic district before ending their |
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journey in Shamrock; and |
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WHEREAS, Known for their hospitality, strong work ethic, and |
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resilience, or, as Stratford's welcome sign proclaims, "God, Grass, |
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and Grit," the citizens of the Texas Panhandle may take great pride |
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in all they have done to make their region one of the treasures of |
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the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 17, 2015, as Panhandle Day at |
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the State Capitol and extend to the visiting guests sincere best |
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wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. |