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