H.R. No. 371
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Citizens of Presidio County are visiting Austin on
this date in celebration of Presidio County Day at the State
Capitol; and
WHEREAS, An area steeped in history and possessed of a
frontier mystique, Presidio County lies in the Trans-Pecos region
of Southwest Texas and is bordered by the Rio Grande and Mexico; its
desert terrain varies from rolling plains to canyons and volcanic
cliffs and rises to some of the state's tallest mountain ranges, as
well as to its highest waterfall, Capote Falls, with a drop of 175
feet; and
WHEREAS, Diverse populations of Paleo-Indians once roamed
Presidio County, and Jumanos, Apaches, and Comanches were present
in the area when Spanish missions arrived in the 1680s; the
outskirts of present-day Presidio, where corn farmers of the
Cochise culture settled around 1500 B.C., is believed to contain
the oldest continuously cultivated farmland in Texas, and in the
19th century, a settlement was founded on Cibolo Creek by José
Ygnacio Ronquillo, who was issued a constitutional land grant in
1832; and
WHEREAS, Presidio County was established from parts of the
Bexar Land District on January 3, 1850, and organized a
quarter-century later; initially the largest county in the United
States at 12,000 square miles, it eventually relinquished land and
today holds the claim of fourth-largest county in the state at
nearly 3,860 square miles; its original county seat was Fort Davis,
which became part of Jeff Davis County, and the Presidio County
government relocated to Marfa two years after the town's founding
in 1883; and
WHEREAS, From the 1880s to the 1940s, silver mining was a
leading industry in Presidio County after a silver deposit was
found in the Chinati Mountains by local rancher and trader John W.
Spencer; his discovery led to the opening of Presidio Mine, which
would produce more than 32.6 million ounces of silver over the
course of its existence; and
WHEREAS, Today, the local economy is based primarily on
agriculture; in the southern portion of the county, the loamy soil
provides fertile ground for growing tomatoes, melons, onions,
grain, and cotton, while ranchers have traditionally raised sheep
and cattle, including the famed Highland Hereford, wherever there
is adequate pastureland; although no permanent streams exist in the
county, the completion of Elephant Butte Dam across the Rio Grande
in 1910 created a reliable supply of irrigation water, greatly
increasing farming production; and
WHEREAS, Presidio, with a population of nearly 4,500, is the
county's largest town and home to the Fort Leaton historic site, a
public museum containing ruins, exhibits, and nature trails; the
county seat of Marfa has some 2,000 people and boasts historical
attractions as well as an active local arts scene, including the
world-renowned Chinati Foundation; the town has become a popular
tourist draw for its vintage charm and art and for the mysterious
Marfa Lights, an atmospheric phenomenon first observed in the night
sky in 1883; and
WHEREAS, With its friendly people, majestic scenery, and
sundry intangible qualities, Presidio County is truly a treasure of
the Lone Star State, and it is indeed a pleasure to celebrate the
heritage and contributions of this storied region; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize Presidio County Day at the State
Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes
for a meaningful and memorable visit to Austin.
Nevárez
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 371 was adopted by the House on
February 17, 2015, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House