H.R. No. 373
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Proud residents of Kinney County are gathering at
the State Capitol to celebrate the role the county has played in the
annals of the Lone Star State; and
WHEREAS, Located west of San Antonio in the Rio Grande Plains
region, Kinney County was first populated as long as 10,000 years
ago, according to the archeological evidence found in rock
shelters; artifacts indicate the subsequent presence of tribes
including the Lipan Apaches, Coahuiltecans, Jumanos, Tamaulipans,
Tonkawas, and Comanches; and
WHEREAS, Early Spanish explorers visited the area, and in
1665, Fernando de Azcué, credited as the first European to cross the
Rio Grande, passed through what would become the southeastern
corner of the county; although the region remained sparsely
settled, the Texas Legislature carved it out of Bexar County to form
a new county in 1850, and it was named after pioneer Henry Lawrence
Kinney; and
WHEREAS, In 1852, the United States Army established Fort
Riley, soon redesignated as Fort Clark, along Las Moras Creek, and
the community of Brackett was founded; named for local merchant
Oscar B. Brackett, it became known as Brackettville, and it is today
the county's seat and largest city; the fort later became the base
for a small company of Black Seminole Indian scouts, and in 1872,
the Black Seminole Indian Scout Cemetery was sited there; by the
mid-1870s, the Black Seminoles numbered some 400 to 500; their
families lived on a military reservation along Las Moras Creek for
decades, and although the scouts were disbanded by the federal
government in 1912 and the reservation was closed, some descendants
remain in the county; and
WHEREAS, Through the years, cattle ranching has dominated the
county's economy, and wool and mohair production played an
important part in the nation's war effort during World War II;
today, tourists are drawn to the area by a variety of noteworthy
attractions, among them Kickapoo Cavern State Park, Alamo Village,
Las Moras Park, and Fort Clark; and
WHEREAS, The citizens of Kinney County are confidently facing
the future while continuing to embrace their rich and colorful
past, and it is indeed a pleasure to honor them at this time; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize Kinney County Day at the State Capitol
and extend to this delegation sincere best wishes for an enjoyable
and memorable visit.
Nevárez
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 373 was adopted by the House on
February 19, 2015, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House