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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Public-spirited citizens of Matagorda County are |
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gathering in Austin to celebrate Matagorda County Day at the State |
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Capitol on February 7, 2017; and |
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WHEREAS, Taking its name from the Spanish phrase meaning |
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"thick brush," this region of prairie, salt marshes, and coastal |
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waterways was visited by the French explorer La Salle in 1685; the |
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area constituted part of Stephen F. Austin's first colony, and |
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settlers began arriving through Matagorda Bay during the winter of |
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1821-1822; in 1829, the town of Matagorda was established as a |
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military post, and in 1836, Matagorda County became one of the |
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original 23 counties of the Republic of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Matagorda ranked as the second-largest seaport in |
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Texas for a time and served as a shipping point for cotton, sugar, |
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and livestock raised in the county; when the boll weevil endangered |
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the cotton crop in the early 20th century, farmers began to grow |
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rice, and the discovery of oil and sulfur further diversified the |
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county's economy; and |
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WHEREAS, Ranching, farming, and petroleum remain important, |
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and the county also benefits from the presence of the South Texas |
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Project nuclear plant, which generates enough electricity to power |
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approximately two million homes in Texas; Bay City, the county |
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seat, is a center of the petrochemical industry and recently became |
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the home of TenarisBayCity, an international pipe manufacturing |
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company, while the port at Palacios is home to the largest fishing |
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fleet on the Texas Gulf Coast; and |
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WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy the county's fine |
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beaches and its many opportunities for fishing and water sports, |
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while birders from across the nation are drawn to the Mad Island |
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Marsh Preserve and Wildlife Management Area; Bay City is the |
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location of several major annual attractions--the annual county |
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fair, livestock show, and rodeo, which take place in the early |
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spring, and the Rice Festival, which is held in the fall; in between |
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those dates, Palacios hosts the Texas Fishermen's Seafood Festival, |
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in December, and a reenactment of La Salle's landing every Fourth of |
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July; and |
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WHEREAS, Matagorda County is an area of abundant natural |
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resources and rich history, and its residents may take great pride |
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in their notable heritage as they look forward to a future filled |
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with promise; 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 February 7, 2017, as Matagorda 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 visit to Austin. |