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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Cowboys, horses, and ranching are cultural icons |
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that have helped define the identity of the Lone Star State, and |
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they have played an essential role in the development and |
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prosperity of Bandera throughout the city's history; and |
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WHEREAS, Located in the Hill Country northwest of San |
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Antonio, Bandera was founded in the early 1850s, when the area was |
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part of the Texas frontier, and in its early years, the town |
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benefited from the presence of U.S. Cavalry troops stationed nearby |
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at Camp Verde; when the era of the great cattle drives dawned in the |
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decades after the Civil War, Bandera became a staging point for |
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drives up the Western Trail; with plentiful water and grass for the |
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herds, the town was an ideal departure point for the drives, and |
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during the 1870s and 1880s, residents witnessed the majestic sight |
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of cowboys herding several thousand longhorns northward, beginning |
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a long journey to destinations in Kansas and beyond; and |
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WHEREAS, The legacy of those epic trail drives has remained a |
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touchstone for area residents ever since, and today, Bandera's ties |
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to its Western roots remain strong; the city is a hub for modern-day |
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ranchers and cowpokes, who not only raise livestock but also |
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operate guest ranches and horseback riding businesses to serve the |
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legions of visitors seeking to experience cowboy culture firsthand; |
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in addition, the city hosts rodeo competitions throughout the year, |
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and Bandera is renowned for its skilled riders, having produced a |
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host of state, national, and world champions in the sport; and |
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WHEREAS, A number of Western-themed annual events take place |
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in the city, including Cowboy Mardi Gras, the National Day of the |
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American Cowboy festivities in July, and the Bandera Round-Up |
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Celebration, a Labor Day weekend festival that includes live music, |
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gunfighter reenactments, and a longhorn cattle drive and parade; |
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year-round, visitors can appreciate the town's vintage |
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architecture, learn more about local history at the Frontier Times |
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Museum, and go two-stepping at one of the city's honky-tonks; and |
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WHEREAS, By retaining a vibrant connection with its storied |
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past, Bandera has long been known as the Cowboy Capital of the |
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World, and it is indeed fitting that the city be officially accorded |
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this same title for the State of Texas; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate Bandera as the official Cowboy Capital of Texas; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section |
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391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect |
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until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally |
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passed by the legislature. |