SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 435
         WHEREAS, Proud citizens of La Salle County are visiting the
  State Capitol on April 18, 2023, to celebrate the role their South
  Texas home has played in the annals of the Lone Star State; and
         WHEREAS, In the Spanish colonial era, the Old Presidio
  Road passed through present-day La Salle County; Coahuila
  governor Alonso De Leon used this road on his way to search for
  the French settlement of the Sieur de La Salle, as did the
  famed missionary and historian Friar Juan Agustin Morfi; and
         WHEREAS, Although the county was created in 1858, outlaw
  activity and Indian raids delayed settlement; Fort Ewell,
  established in 1852 to protect travelers, was abandoned two
  years later; with the last Indian raid occurring in 1878,
  however, the arrival of the railroad in the early 1880s and the
  gradual suppression of desperadoes, ranching soon became a
  viable project; and
         WHEREAS, One of the ranches established during this period
  was a huge spread managed by the Hall brothers, among them Jesse
  Leigh "Lee" Hall, a noted Texas Ranger who had been instrumental
  in bringing order to South Texas; Lee Hall became the prototype
  for the Texas Ranger who appears in many short stories by the
  writer O. Henry, who spent two years on the ranch while seeking to
  improve his health; and
         WHEREAS, Ranching remains a major part of the county's
  economy; other income is derived from oil and gas, a significant
  industry here since the 1950s, and from agriculture; the South
  Texas practice of cool-season farming originated in La Salle
  County in the 1890s, and by 1910 the county was the leading
  vegetable producer in the Winter Garden Region; and
         WHEREAS, The citizens of La Salle County are heirs to a
  notable history and heritage, and their productivity and
  dedication to being good stewards of the earth are a model for
  all Texans and are truly worthy of commendation; now,
  therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
  Legislature, hereby recognize April 18, 2023, as La Salle County
  Day at the State Capitol and extend to the county's residents and
  delegates sincere best wishes for a memorable and rewarding
  visit; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in
  honor of this special occasion.
 
  Zaffirini
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        President of the Senate
     
        I hereby certify that the
    above Resolution was adopted by
    the Senate on April 18, 2023.
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        Secretary of the Senate
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
         Member, Texas Senate