H.R. No. 231
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of McAllen are gathering at the State
Capitol on February 1, 2011, to celebrate their community's
contributions to the vitality of the Lone Star State; and
WHEREAS, The development of present-day McAllen began in 1797
when Spanish settler Jose Manuel Gomez founded the Santa Anita
Ranch in what is now southern Hidalgo County; the ranch grew in size
and was eventually inherited by Mr. Gomez's great-granddaughter,
Salome Balli, who married John McAllen; together they continued to
add to the property and renamed it McAllen Ranch; and
WHEREAS, In 1904, the St. Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico
Railroad arrived, and that same year, Mr. McAllen and other early
settlers established the McAllen Townsite Company, along with a
community named for John McAllen; other developers founded East
McAllen in 1907, and the two towns eventually merged and became home
to several businesses, churches, residences, and a newspaper; by
1920, the city was home to some 6,000 residents; and
WHEREAS, Over the last four decades, McAllen has grown into a
center for business, commerce, and government in the Rio Grande
Valley, and it is part of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan
statistical areas in the country; in 2009, Forbes magazine ranked
McAllen as the top mid-sized city in the nation for population and
job growth; CNNMoney.com has listed McAllen as one of the best
places in the country to live and invest, and Moody's Analytics
ranked the city number one for job growth for 2008-2013; such
designations continue a trend of recognition for McAllen dating
back to at least 1996, when it was named an All-America City; and
WHEREAS, A vibrant cultural center, McAllen is home to the
International Museum of Art and Science, which serves as a showcase
for traveling exhibitions, loaned works from the Smithsonian
Institution, and an extensive collection of Latin American folk
art; the city's newly created Arts District holds regular art
walks, drawing thousands of art enthusiasts monthly; McAllen is
also a regional hub for banking, shopping, and conventions, thanks
to La Plaza Mall and the recently opened $75 million convention
center; moreover, a 123,000-square-foot public library is
scheduled for completion in summer 2011; and
WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy such festive
annual events as the Candlelight Posada, the Fourth of July
Celebration, and PalmFest, and in 2010, the city celebrated its
third annual New Year's Eve bash, a free, community-wide event; and
WHEREAS, During 2011, the citizens of McAllen are celebrating
the city's 100th anniversary as a municipality, and they may indeed
take great pride in their city, which has played a significant role
in the annals of Texas history; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize February 1, 2011, as McAllen Day at
the State Capitol and extend to all McAllen residents who are
present on this day sincere best wishes for a memorable visit to
Austin.
Gonzales of Hidalgo
Pena
Munoz, Jr.
Martinez
Guillen
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 231 was adopted by the House on
February 1, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House