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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Brownsville are gathering in Austin on |
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January 31, 2017, to celebrate Brownsville Day at the State |
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Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, The site of Brownsville was originally settled under |
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a 1781 Spanish land grant, and in 1846, it became the location of a |
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fortification constructed by soldiers led by General Zachary Taylor |
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in preparation for the coming war with Mexico; named Fort Brown in |
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honor of Major Jacob Brown, who died in an attack on the United |
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States forces, the area became part of the State of Texas when the |
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Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848; and |
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WHEREAS, Brownsville was made county seat of the newly |
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established Cameron County in January 1849, and it soon replaced |
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Matamoros as the leading trade center for the area; from its early |
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days, the city had a cosmopolitan and multilingual character, with |
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the 1850 Census showing that two-thirds of the residents were from |
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the Eastern United States and the remainder from Mexico, Ireland, |
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France, England, and Germany; and |
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WHEREAS, Now the largest city in the Lower Rio Grande Valley |
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with more than 183,000 people, Brownsville serves as an active |
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gateway between two countries that are joined by hundreds of years |
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of tradition and family; the Brownsville Historical Association, |
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which has served the city for more than six decades, operates the |
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Brownsville Heritage Complex and offers locals and visitors the |
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opportunity to explore the connection between the region's cultural |
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art and history; and |
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WHEREAS, Residents and tourists further benefit from the |
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city's numerous outdoor attractions, and in 2015, the Texas |
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Legislature named Brownsville the Bicycling Capital of the Rio |
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Grande Valley, acknowledging the city's adoption of a bicycle and |
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trail master plan; outdoor adventurers can visit such sites as the |
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Brownsville Historic Battlefield Trails, Resaca de la Palma State |
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Park, and the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge; |
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additionally, the Gladys Porter Zoo, which is dedicated to the |
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preservation of nature through a variety of important programs, |
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draws hundreds of thousands of people each year; and |
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WHEREAS, A dynamic community that draws on a rich history as |
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it prepares for an exciting future, Brownsville has established |
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itself as an outstanding place in which to live and work, and its |
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citizens may take great pride in the area's ongoing achievements; |
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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 Brownsville Day |
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at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere |
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best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. |
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Oliveira |
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Lucio III |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 219 was adopted by the House on |
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January 31, 2017, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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