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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Jim Wells County are assembling at the |
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State Capitol on February 19, 2019, to celebrate the importance of |
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their home to the history of the State of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, A landscape of sweeping grasslands and wide |
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horizons, the county's early inhabitants enjoyed the region's mild |
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winters and abundant game; after the first European settlement in |
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1754, at Penitas Creek, Mexican ranchers developed land grants into |
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sheep and cattle ranches; in 1848 the region became part of the |
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State of Texas, and it was formally incorporated as a county in 1911 |
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and named after the prominent developer and attorney James B. Wells |
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Jr.; and |
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WHEREAS, With the arrival of the railroad in the 1870s, Alice |
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became the most important livestock shipment junction in South |
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Texas, and ranching has remained a mainstay of the county's economy |
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ever since; cotton and sorghum are important crops, as are hay, |
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corn, and wheat; since the discovery of oil in the area in 1931, the |
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county has become one of the state's leaders in oil production; and |
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WHEREAS, Notable communities in Jim Wells County include |
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Orange Grove, Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco, Premont, Sandia, and La |
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Gloria; the county seat, Alice is a center for health care, with an |
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outstanding medical facility, the CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Alice; |
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the Tejano R.O.O.T.S. Hall of Fame in Alice honors Tejano culture |
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and recognizes the region as the birthplace of this popular musical |
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genre; area culture is further showcased at the South Texas Museum, |
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housed in the historic McGill Brothers Building, and the annual |
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Fiesta Bandana, celebrating Cinco de Mayo, is a highlight of the |
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county's cultural calendar; and |
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WHEREAS, Celebrating their vibrant heritage as they embrace |
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the opportunities of the future, the citizens of Jim Wells County |
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are building on a long tradition of industry, achievement, and |
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public spirit, and they 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 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 19, 2019, as Jim Wells County |
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Day at the State Capitol and extend to its residents sincere best |
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wishes for a meaningful and memorable visit to Austin. |