SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 243
WHEREAS, Proud residents of Aransas County are gathering
in Austin to celebrate Aransas County Day at the State Capitol on
February 26, 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, in the mid-1860s, 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 nearly
115,000-acre Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, where the amazing
whooping cranes spend the winter, and Goose Island State Park,
which has between 150,000 and 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 Senate of the State of Texas, 84th
Legislature, hereby recognize February 26, 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.
Kolkhorst
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 23, 2015.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate