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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud residents of Presidio County are visiting |
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Austin to celebrate Presidio County Day at the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Steeped in history and possessed of a frontier |
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mystique, the region features desert terrain that varies from |
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rolling plains to canyons and volcanic cliffs, rises to some of the |
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state's tallest mountain ranges, and features its highest |
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waterfall, Capote Falls, with a drop of 175 feet; and |
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WHEREAS, Presidio County was established from parts of the |
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Bexar Land District on January 3, 1850, and organized a |
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quarter-century later; initially the largest county in the United |
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States at 12,000 square miles, it eventually relinquished land and |
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now holds the claim of fourth-largest county in the state at nearly |
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3,860 square miles; its original county seat was Fort Davis, which |
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became part of Jeff Davis County, and the Presidio County |
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government relocated to Marfa two years after the town's founding |
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in 1883; and |
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WHEREAS, From the 1880s to the 1940s, silver mining was a |
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leading industry after a silver deposit was found in the Chinati |
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Mountains by local rancher and trader John W. Spencer; his |
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discovery led to the opening of Presidio Mine, which would produce |
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more than 32.6 million ounces of silver over the course of its |
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existence; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, the local economy is based primarily on |
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agriculture; loamy soil provides fertile ground for growing |
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tomatoes, melons, onions, grain, and cotton, while ranchers have |
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traditionally raised sheep and cattle, including the famed Highland |
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Hereford, wherever there is adequate pastureland; although no |
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permanent streams exist in the county, the completion of Elephant |
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Butte Dam across the Rio Grande in 1910 created a reliable supply of |
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irrigation water, greatly increasing farming production; and |
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WHEREAS, Presidio is the county's largest town and home to |
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the Fort Leaton historic site, a public museum containing ruins, |
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exhibits, and nature trails; the county seat of Marfa boasts |
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historical attractions as well as an active local arts scene, |
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including the world-renowned Chinati Foundation; the town has |
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become a popular tourist draw for its vintage charm and art and for |
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the mysterious Marfa Lights, an atmospheric phenomenon first |
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observed in the night sky in 1883; and |
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WHEREAS, With its friendly people, majestic scenery, and |
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sundry intangible qualities, Presidio County is truly a treasure of |
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the Lone Star State, and it is indeed a pleasure to celebrate the |
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heritage and contributions of this storied region; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize Presidio County Day at the State |
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Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes |
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for an informative and enjoyable stay in Austin. |