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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A number of proud West Texas citizens are gathering |
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in Austin to celebrate Hudspeth County Day at the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Created out of El Paso County in 1917, Hudspeth |
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County covers more than 4,500 square miles of the vast Chihuahuan |
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Desert, and residents enjoy the area's great natural beauty, |
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sweeping vistas, and friendly, close-knit communities; and |
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WHEREAS, Numerous archeological sites in the county attest to |
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the presence of farmers and hunter-gatherers in prehistoric times, |
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and missionaries and soldiers from northern New Spain traversed the |
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area as early as 1581 during the Rodríguez-Sánchez expedition; in |
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1849, John S. "Rip" Ford and Major Robert S. Neighbors charted a |
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trail that would be used by many adventurers on their way to the |
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California gold fields; Fort Quitman was established in 1858 on the |
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Rio Grande, in the southern part of the present-day county, to |
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protect travelers and mail coaches en route between San Antonio and |
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El Paso; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1881, the country's second transcontinental |
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railroad was completed near what is now Sierra Blanca, and Jay Gould |
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drove in a silver spike to mark the occasion; the town of Sierra |
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Blanca quickly developed into a shipping point and commercial |
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center, and when the county was organized it became the county seat; |
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homesteaders began settling in the area in the early 20th century, |
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and the county later served as a haven for refugees fleeing the |
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upheaval caused during the Mexican Revolution; and |
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WHEREAS, The economy of Hudspeth County has been based |
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chiefly on ranching, farming, and mining, along with tourism and |
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hunting leases; a section of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, |
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a destination for outdoors enthusiasts, is located within the |
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county, as is part of the Sierra Diablo Wildlife Management Area, |
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which is home to the largest population of free-ranging bighorn |
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sheep in Texas; in addition, the county is the site of the only |
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adobe courthouse in the state; and |
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WHEREAS, The citizens of Hudspeth County share a deep |
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appreciation for their beloved corner of the Lone Star State, and it |
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is indeed fitting to honor them for their achievements and their |
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public spirit; 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 Hudspeth County Day at the State |
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Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes |
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for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. |