81R13320 JH-D
By: Hunter H.R. No. 760
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Port Lavaca Day is taking place at the State Capitol
on March 11, 2009, and this event provides a welcome opportunity to
pay tribute to the rich history and many achievements of this
prominent community on the Texas Gulf Coast; and
WHEREAS, Located on a bluff above Lavaca Bay, the town was
founded in the early 1840s; it quickly developed into the busiest
port in the area and was chosen as the county seat for Calhoun
County in 1846, though it lost that status to the nearby port of
Indianola six years later; competition with the rival town slowed
Port Lavaca's growth in the mid-1800s, but it ultimately regained
its prominence and its title as county seat after Indianola was
abandoned in the 1880s due to hurricane damage; and
WHEREAS, Beginning in the 1920s, Port Lavaca became an
important center for processing shrimp and other seafood; in the
following decades, the town began serving the oil and gas companies
and the aluminum plants and other industries that were established
in the area; today, those businesses remain a central part of the
city's economy, as do the agricultural and livestock operations in
Calhoun County; and
WHEREAS, Port Lavaca's bayside setting has also made it a
popular tourism destination since the late 1800s, and it offers a
number of exceptional attractions for visitors; anglers can cast a
line from several lighted fishing piers on the bay, and Lighthouse
Beach offers white sand, a boardwalk, and R.V. and camping
facilities; the beach also has special bird-watching areas, and the
city makes a great base of operations for visiting other birding
spots along the coast; vacationers of all sorts enjoy Port Lavaca's
Main Street shopping district and interesting historical sights
such as the Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse, the state's oldest surviving
wooden lighthouse; and
WHEREAS, The residents of Port Lavaca are justifiably proud
of their city's heritage and of the many qualities that make their
community a great place to live and to visit, and they are to be
commended for their contributions to the ongoing prosperity of the
Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 11, 2009, as Port Lavaca Day at
the State Capitol and extend best wishes to the visiting delegation
for an enjoyable and productive stay in Austin.