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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Many proud residents of Nueces County are visiting |
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Austin on April 8, 2019, in celebration of Nueces County Day at the |
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State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Located on the Gulf of Mexico in the Coastal |
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Prairies region, the county has been the site of human habitation |
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for as long as 8,000 years, and during historic times, the Coastal |
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Bend area was occupied by the Coahuiltecans, Karankawas, Lipan |
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Apaches, and Tonkawas; the first European visitors were likely led |
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by Alonzo Álvarez de Pineda, who reportedly reached Corpus Christi |
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Bay on the feast of Corpus Christi in 1519; well over two centuries |
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later, early settlers came from Spain, Mexico, Ireland, and |
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Germany, but even after the formation of Nueces County and the |
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incorporation of Corpus Christi in 1846, the permanent population |
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remained small; ranching was the mainstay of the local economy in |
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late antebellum Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Corpus Christi became an important center for |
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commerce during the early Civil War years, and the 1870s were boom |
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years for the cattle industry; in the late 19th and early 20th |
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centuries, the population began to grow significantly, centered in |
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and around Corpus Christi; fertile soil and a favorable growing |
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climate allowed cash-crop agriculture to flourish, and by 1930, |
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Nueces County was a leader in cotton production; oil and natural gas |
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further strengthened the economy, and in 1941, the U.S. Navy |
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established an air station at Corpus Christi; by the end of the |
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century, the diverse industrial base included tourism, |
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agribusiness, construction, oil and gas field services, meat |
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packing, soft-drink packaging, zinc refining, dairy production, |
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and ship building and repairing; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, the county population is approaching |
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400,000, with the majority residing in Corpus Christi, Robstown, |
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and Port Aransas; visitors from across the state and beyond flock to |
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such attractions as the Padre Island National Seashore, Mustang |
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Island State Park, and the Texas State Aquarium; agriculture and |
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deepwater port activity continue to contribute significantly to the |
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economy, while mineral production encompasses sand and gravel, as |
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well as oil and gas; and |
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WHEREAS, Even as they celebrate their rich heritage, the |
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hardworking citizens of Nueces County are looking ahead to the |
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opportunities of the future and continuing to contribute to the |
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growth and prosperity of the Lone Star State; 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 April 8, 2019, as Nueces County Day at |
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the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation best wishes |
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for a memorable and enjoyable stay in Austin. |