H.R. No. 128
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of Brownsville are gathering in Austin to
celebrate Brownsville Day at the State Capitol on January 25, 2011;
and
WHEREAS, Located across the Rio Grande from Matamoros,
Mexico, the site of Brownsville originally formed part of the
Espiritu Santo land grant, a tract of 59 leagues that was awarded to
Salvador de la Garza in 1781; by the time Texas declared its
independence from Mexico in 1836, a small community had developed
in the vicinity of the future town; a decade later, U.S. troops
under General Zachary Taylor arrived in the area and began
constructing a defensive post that soon became known as Fort Brown,
in honor of Major Jacob Brown, who had died during a Mexican assault
on the post; when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the
Mexican-American War in 1848, the Rio Grande became the recognized
southern boundary of Texas, and that same year Charles Stillman
platted the town of Brownsville and created the Brownsville Town
Company to promote it; and
WHEREAS, During the Civil War, Brownsville became the only
port available to the Confederacy for shipping cotton to Europe in
exchange for war provisions; Brownsville was also the site of the
last Civil War battle, an encounter that occurred at Palmito Ranch;
and
WHEREAS, Designated the Cameron County seat in 1849,
Brownsville is now the largest city in the lower Rio Grande Valley
and the southernmost city in Texas; with international sea and land
ports, Brownsville thrives on a mixed economy encompassing trade
and marine services, together with electronics, food processing,
and the warehouse distribution industry; and
WHEREAS, Tourism also plays a major role in the local
economy, owing to an abundance of historical and natural
attractions; featuring more than three miles of wildlife trails,
the Sabal Palm Audubon Center in Brownsville is a sanctuary for one
of the most threatened ecosystems in South Texas and northern
Mexico, and it harbors native plants and animals that cannot be
found elsewhere in the United States; the city is also home to the
Gladys Porter Zoo, where visitors can observe such endangered
species as the white rhinoceros and the lowland gorilla; moreover,
the convergence of two major flyways is located above the city, and
most northern species pass through Brownsville as they migrate
south for the winter, making the area a bird-watcher's paradise;
and
WHEREAS, The city of Brownsville is fortunate to have many
public-spirited citizens who are committed to ensuring that their
community and its people are prepared to meet the challenges of the
21st century, and the Brownsville Interagency Group is a coalition
of various organizations that are dedicated to fulfilling that
important objective; it is indeed a pleasure to welcome members of
this group to the State Capitol today and to recognize the entities
that they represent: the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce,
Brownsville Community Improvements Corporation, Brownsville
Convention and Visitors Bureau, Brownsville Economic Development
Council, Brownsville Independent School District, Brownsville
Navigation District/Port of Brownsville, Brownsville Public
Utilities Board, Brownsville South Padre Island International
Airport, Brownsville Urban System, Cameron County, City of
Brownsville, Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, United
Brownsville Coordinating Board, Inc., The University of Texas at
Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, and Workforce
Solutions--Cameron; and
WHEREAS, Citizens of this vibrant South Texas community
celebrate their rich history even as they work to build a bright
future, and they may reflect with great pride on their city's
notable contributions to the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize January 25, 2011, as Brownsville Day
at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere
best wishes for an enjoyable stay in Austin.
Oliveira
Lucio III
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 128 was adopted by the House on
January 25, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House