SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 373
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
welcome the citizens of Harlingen who are visiting Austin on the
occasion of Harlingen Day at the State Capitol on March 6, 2013; and
WHEREAS, From the moment in 1904 when Lon C. Hill placed
his proposed town site astride the tracks of the Saint Louis,
Brownsville, and Mexico Railway, Harlingen was destined to
become a crossroads; the first train passed through the rugged
settlement that railroad workers called Rattlesnake Junction on
July 4, 1904; and
WHEREAS, Tales of rangers and customs patrol agents
target-shooting next to the Harlingen depot in the earliest years
gave Harlingen its next nickname of Six-shooter Junction; and
WHEREAS, From the 1910s to the 1930s, trains brought
thousands of frost-nipped Midwestern farmers to Harlingen and
the fertile Magic Valley that could grow at least two crops a
year; Harlingen at one point had Texas' biggest ice plant and
produced ice for countless railcars of produce heading north; and
WHEREAS, The city's World War II army air field evolved into
Harlingen Air Force Base and then Valley International Airport, the
largest airport in the Rio Grande Valley; additionally, Harlingen's
Free Trade Bridge gives access to Mexico, and its barge port
connects to the Intracoastal Waterway; and
WHEREAS, Harlingen's semitropical climate, natural
resources, and friendly people have long made it a destination
for travelers, including Winter Texans, birders, and other
outdoor enthusiasts; today the Iwo Jima Memorial, the historical
downtown district with its mural and heritage trails, and an
abundance of sports fields and parks have expanded the
community's list of attractions; and
WHEREAS, The caring hearts of Harlingen residents have
spurred the community's development into a regional health care
hub with assets including Valley Baptist Health System,
Harlingen Medical Center, and Su Clinica Familiar; Harlingen has
recently become headquarters of the state's newest Department of
Veterans Affairs Health System, serving South Texas and the
Coastal Bend with a 160,000-square-foot veterans ambulatory and
surgical facility; and
WHEREAS, Residents of Harlingen have long understood
education as a key to the future and have supported efforts to
expand public and private schools, including remarkable assets
such as Texas State Technical College, the Marine Military
Academy, and the Regional Academic Health Center, a branch campus
of the medical school of The University of Texas Health Science
Center at San Antonio, which has played an important role in
medical services and education across the Valley since 1999; and
WHEREAS, Harlingen is a dynamic city that is proud of its
heritage and is building a vibrant future; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd
Legislature, hereby proclaim March 6, 2013, as Harlingen Day at
the State Capitol and call upon all Texans to celebrate the
contributions made by this community and its citizens to the
economic vitality of this state and nation for more than 100
years; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in
honor of Harlingen Day.
Lucio
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on March 6, 2013.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate