84R9478 KSM-D
By: Morrison H.R. No. 568
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Proud residents of Aransas County are gathering in
Austin to celebrate Aransas County Day at the State Capitol on
February 25, 2015; and
WHEREAS, This region of thousand-year-old oaks, coastal
prairie, and sandy beaches was first inhabited by native peoples
8,000 years ago; and
WHEREAS, In 1828, the Mexican government awarded an
empresario grant to bring in settlers from Ireland and Mexico, and
not long after the Civil War, the towns of Fulton and Rockport were
founded as ports for the cattle business; Aransas County was formed
in 1871 and named after a Spanish palace; and
WHEREAS, Aransas County is the gateway to the 116,000-acre
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, where the amazing whooping cranes
spend the winter, and Goose Island State Park, which has over
200,000 visitors annually; and
WHEREAS, Rockport and Fulton Harbors are the home ports of
many popular boating excursions for birders, dolphin watchers, and
devotees of deep-sea and bay fishing, while the beautifully lit
Fulton Harbor Pier and 8,690-foot-long Copano Bay Pier offer
first-rate opportunities for angling; and
WHEREAS, The county's history is evoked by the 19th century
Fulton Mansion and the 1870s Victorian-style Aransas County History
Center, while the official Texas Maritime Museum in Rockport
celebrates the marine heritage of the Lone Star State; the Rockport
Center for the Arts is a hub for the region's thriving cultural
scene, which includes such festive annual events as the Bountiful
Bowl Pottery Fair, the Fulton Oysterfest, the Rockport Film
Festival, the HummerBird Celebration, LaMardi Gras, and the annual
Rockport Festival of Wines; and
WHEREAS, Blessed with more magnificent bays than land, more
redfish and trout than cars, and a chamber of commerce with a
five-star rating, Aransas County is one of the treasures of the Lone
Star State, and its citizens may indeed take great pride in their
heritage and look forward to a future filled with opportunity and
good times; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize February 25, 2015, as Aransas County
Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation
sincere best wishes for a memorable and meaningful visit to Austin.