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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Citizens of Reeves County are celebrating Reeves |
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| 6 | 7 | | County Day at the State Capitol; and |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Habitation of Reeves County began in prehistoric |
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| 8 | 9 | | times, with the earliest residents dwelling in rock shelters and |
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| 9 | 10 | | caves in the Barrilla Hills, where artifacts and pictographs |
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| 10 | 11 | | provide clues to their way of life; by the time Spanish explorer |
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| 11 | 12 | | Antonio de Espejo visited the region in 1583, the Jumano Indians had |
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| 12 | 13 | | established irrigated crops of corn and peaches, and farmers of |
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| 13 | 14 | | Mexican descent later prospered in the fertile Madera Valley; the |
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| 14 | 15 | | first Anglo farmers settled in Toyah Valley in the early 1870s; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, In 1881, the area witnessed the opening of a new |
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| 16 | 17 | | chapter in its history with the arrival of the Texas and Pacific |
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| 17 | 18 | | Railway; the county was organized three years later and named after |
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| 18 | 19 | | George R. Reeves, a state legislator and colonel in the Confederate |
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| 19 | 20 | | Army; Pecos, the county seat, attracted colorful characters as a |
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| 20 | 21 | | crossroads for both cattle trails and railroads, and its frontier |
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| 21 | 22 | | days saw several infamous gunfights; a roping and riding |
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| 22 | 23 | | competition staged on the Fourth of July in 1883 launched what is |
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| 23 | 24 | | now the West of the Pecos Rodeo, which is marking its 132nd |
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| 24 | 25 | | anniversary in July 2015; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, Ranching and farming remain vibrant components of |
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| 26 | 27 | | the Reeves County economy; the alkaline soil and optimal growing |
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| 27 | 28 | | conditions produce the Pecos cantaloupe, known nationwide for its |
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| 28 | 29 | | sweet flavor, as well as cotton, pecans, pistachios, and other |
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| 29 | 30 | | crops; oil and natural gas represent another aspect of the economy, |
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| 30 | 31 | | while tourists are drawn by the scenery, including such spots as the |
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| 31 | 32 | | spring-fed pool at Balmorhea State Park, and by the West of the |
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| 32 | 33 | | Pecos Museum, which offers the unique opportunity to explore the |
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| 33 | 34 | | rooms of a historic hotel and saloon; and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Rich in Western heritage and natural beauty, Reeves |
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| 35 | 36 | | County can boast of many distinctive features, and its citizens may |
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| 36 | 37 | | take justifiable pride in the important role their unique region |
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| 37 | 38 | | continues to play in the story of the Lone Star State; now, |
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| 38 | 39 | | therefore, be it |
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| 39 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 40 | 41 | | Legislature hereby recognize Reeves County Day at the State Capitol |
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| 41 | 42 | | and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for an |
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| 42 | 43 | | enjoyable stay in Austin. |
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