SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 111
WHEREAS, Residents of the City 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 southern Hidalgo County; the ranch grew in size and,
after passing through the hands of several heirs, it was inherited
by his great-granddaughter, Salome Balli; Salome married John
McAllen, and together they continued to add to the property and
renamed it McAllen Ranch; and
WHEREAS, In 1904, Mr. McAllen and other early settlers
established a town site called West McAllen, and a year later,
the St. Louis, Brownsville, and Mexico Railroad arrived; 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's population exceeded 5,000
residents and was continuing to grow; 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 one of the fastest-growing metropolitan
statistical areas in the country; in 2009, Forbes ranked McAllen
as the top city in the country for population and job growth;
CNN/Money has listed McAllen as one of the best places in the
country to live and invest; and Moody's Investors Service ranked
the city number one for annual job growth in 2010; and
WHEREAS, The unique landscape of the Rio Grande Valley
offers rich soil for farming and a hospitable environment for
cultivating citrus fruits, cotton, sugarcane, and many other crops
and vegetables; and
WHEREAS, A center of cultural attractions, McAllen is home
to the International Museum of Art and Science, which serves as a
showcase for traveling exhibitors, loaned works from the
Smithsonian Institution, and an extensive collection of Latin
American folk art; McAllen's newly created Arts District holds
regular art walks, drawing thousands of art enthusiasts monthly;
the city is also a regional banking, retail, and convention hub
with La Plaza mall and the new $75 million convention center;
McAllen is also looking forward to opening the nation's largest
single-story public library later this year; and
WHEREAS, Tourists and residents alike enjoy festive annual
events, such as the Candlelight Posada, the Fourth of July festival,
and PalmFest; McAllen was named an All-America City in 1996, and
in 2010, McAllen celebrated its third annual and the region's
biggest New Year's Eve Bash, a free, communitywide event that
promises to provide an exciting New Year's Eve option for residents
throughout the Valley for years to come; and
WHEREAS, The citizens of McAllen are justifiably proud of
their city, which has played a significant role in the annals of
Texas history and is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a
municipality this year; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd
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.
Hinojosa, Lucio
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 1, 2011.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate