| 1 | 1 | | By: Springer (Senate Sponsor - Duncan) H.C.R. No. 84 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Received from the House April 29, 2013; |
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| 3 | 3 | | May 6, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on |
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| 4 | 4 | | Administration; May 15, 2013, reported favorably by the following |
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| 5 | 5 | | vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 15, 2013, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The people of the Lone Star State are proud of their |
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| 10 | 10 | | agricultural heritage, and for many years, the city of Floydada has |
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| 11 | 11 | | been associated with one crop in particular, the pumpkin; and |
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| 12 | 12 | | WHEREAS, The history of the pumpkin in Floyd County can be |
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| 13 | 13 | | dated back to the 1540s and the time of the Spanish explorer |
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| 14 | 14 | | Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, whose starving expedition was fed |
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| 15 | 15 | | roasted pumpkins by native tribes who lived near Blanco Canyon; the |
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| 16 | 16 | | modern pumpkin industry in Texas began with Floyd County farmer |
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| 17 | 17 | | B. A. "Uncle Slim" Robertson, who began growing the squash on 10 |
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| 18 | 18 | | acres, selling produce by the side of the road; he later increased |
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| 19 | 19 | | his acreage and went on to ship truckloads of pumpkins far and wide; |
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| 20 | 20 | | and |
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| 21 | 21 | | WHEREAS, In recent times, Floydada has carried on "Slim" |
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| 22 | 22 | | Robertson's legacy by making the pumpkin a mainstay of its economy |
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| 23 | 23 | | and culture, and Floydada pumpkins and squashes have become coveted |
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| 24 | 24 | | by consumers in Texas and beyond; the city produces between 15 and |
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| 25 | 25 | | 20 million pumpkins every year, ranging from the orange Jack |
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| 26 | 26 | | O'Lantern to pie pumpkins to white and red pumpkins to Atlantic |
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| 27 | 27 | | Giants, which can weigh several hundred pounds; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | WHEREAS, The city has trademarked itself as the Pumpkin |
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| 29 | 29 | | Capital of the United States, and since 1987, the second Saturday of |
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| 30 | 30 | | every October has been celebrated in Floydada as Punkin Day, a |
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| 31 | 31 | | festival that features every pumpkin-related activity imaginable, |
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| 32 | 32 | | including pumpkin carving, pie baking, pumpkin bowling, and |
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| 33 | 33 | | guessing the weight of giant pumpkins; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Citizens of Floydada have long been proud of their |
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| 35 | 35 | | association with this festive and nutritious agricultural product, |
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| 36 | 36 | | which is both a significant source of revenue and an inspiration for |
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| 37 | 37 | | high-spirited fun; now, therefore, be it |
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| 38 | 38 | | RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 39 | 39 | | hereby designate Floydada as the Pumpkin Capital of Texas. |
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| 40 | 40 | | * * * * * |
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