84R4707 RA-D
By: Pickett H.R. No. 105
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is pleased to
recognize February 10 and 11, 2015, as El Paso Days at the State
Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Located in the westernmost tip of the great state of
Texas, the city of El Paso combines a modern metropolis with the
charm born of its Spanish origins; the area was named El Paso by the
Spanish conquistador Don Juan de Onate because of the shallow place
in the river where the colonists crossed en route to Santa Fe, New
Mexico; and
WHEREAS, The arrival of the railroads in 1881 ushered in an
era of prosperity, and El Paso became a flourishing frontier
community that has developed into a significant industrial,
commercial, and transportation city; and
WHEREAS, Today, semitrailers, trains, and planes transport
manufactured goods through the border cities at the Pass, just as
Spanish traders did in the 16th century when they guided ox-drawn
carts along the Camino Real from Mexico City to Santa Fe; and
WHEREAS, With a population of nearly 700,000, El Paso is the
state's sixth-largest city and the 19th-largest city in the United
States; one of the largest American cities on the 2,000-mile
U.S.-Mexico border, it lies on the Rio Grande north of Ciudad
Juarez, Mexico's fifth-largest city, with a population of more than
a million; and
WHEREAS, Nearby Fort Bliss, which celebrates its 167th
anniversary this year, has recently completed the biggest
transformation in its history, with a 300 percent increase in its
population since 2005 and an investment of $6 billion in
construction for new, top-of-the-line facilities for incoming
personnel and their families, including a new billion-dollar
military hospital; at the forefront of the U.S. Army's
transformation plan, the post has transitioned from a TRADOC to a
FORSCOM installation; and
WHEREAS, El Paso is a vibrant, bilingual community; its
residents enjoy a thriving fine arts community, exemplary
educational institutions, and many cultural and historical
resources and museums; and
WHEREAS, El Paso Days at the State Capitol provide an
opportunity to honor El Paso and its rich heritage, which today is
enjoyed by residents and vacationers of all ages; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize February 10 and 11, 2015, as El Paso
Days at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation
sincere best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable visit to Austin;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the delegation as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.