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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Kleberg County are gathering in |
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Austin on January 31, 2017, to celebrate Kleberg County Day at the |
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State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Situated both on the broad grasslands of the Gulf |
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Coast and on Padre Island, the area that was to become Kleberg |
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County was first inhabited by the Karankawa and Coahuiltecan |
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peoples; Spanish settlements were established along the lower Rio |
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Grande in the 18th century, and after a period of Mexican rule, the |
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land became part of Nueces County when Texas secured its |
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independence; in 1853, Richard King established the vast King |
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Ranch, a large tract of which was used to form the city of |
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Kingsville in 1904; the new community grew quickly as a railway hub |
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for farmers and ranchers, and in 1913, the Texas Legislature |
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organized Kleberg County, naming it for Robert Justus Kleberg, |
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whose son was the manager of King Ranch, and designating Kingsville |
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as the county seat; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, Kleberg County is a place of diversified |
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industries; successful businesses include Proco, Inc., and Texas |
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Cementing Services, and largely because of the presence of numerous |
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energy companies, the area's economy has continued to grow, |
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resulting in new jobs and an improved quality of life for residents; |
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occupying 825,000 acres, the legendary King Ranch is still vital to |
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the prosperity of the county, and the enterprise has earned fame for |
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the region through its development of the Santa Gertrudis breed of |
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cattle, its contributions to quarter horse and thoroughbred |
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breeding, and its accomplishments in a variety of other |
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agribusiness interests; and |
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WHEREAS, The largest city in Kleberg County, Kingsville is |
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home to Texas A&M University--Kingsville, which includes the Frank |
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H. Dotterweich College of Engineering, the Dick and Mary Lewis |
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Kleberg College of Agriculture, the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife |
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Research Institute, and the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy; |
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moreover, Naval Air Station Kingsville is the leading undergraduate |
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pilot training facility in the United States, preparing U.S. Navy |
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and Marine Corps pilots for their key role in the nation's defense; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The hardworking and forward-looking citizens of |
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Kleberg County are building on a long tradition of excellence, and |
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their history and achievements are indeed deserving of special |
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recognition; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize January 31, 2017, as Kleberg County |
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Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation |
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sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. |