| 2 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Proud members of the Perez family and residents of |
|---|
| 6 | 7 | | Starr County are gathering on April 1, 2017, for the dedication of |
|---|
| 7 | 8 | | an Official Texas Historical Marker at Rancho San Jose de la Mulada; |
|---|
| 8 | 9 | | and |
|---|
| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, This historic South Texas ranch dates back to |
|---|
| 10 | 11 | | December 1787, when Don Pedro Jose Perez, an early settler, |
|---|
| 11 | 12 | | purchased Porcion 74 from Pedro Lugo, who had been granted the land |
|---|
| 12 | 13 | | by the king of Spain in 1767; and |
|---|
| 13 | 14 | | WHEREAS, Although some families lost their land after the end |
|---|
| 14 | 15 | | of the Mexican American War in 1848, Santiago Perez, the son of Don |
|---|
| 15 | 16 | | Pedro, was able to retain possession of Porcion 74, and by the |
|---|
| 16 | 17 | | 1870s, the property had come to be known as Rancho San Jose de la |
|---|
| 17 | 18 | | Mulada; at that time, it was home to more than 30 residents who |
|---|
| 18 | 19 | | lived in five houses and looked after the ranch's sheep, goats, |
|---|
| 19 | 20 | | mules, and horses; and |
|---|
| 20 | 21 | | WHEREAS, In 1997, the ranch was featured along with other |
|---|
| 21 | 22 | | historic Tejano ranches in an exhibit at the LBJ Presidential |
|---|
| 22 | 23 | | Library in Austin, and in 2006, members of the Perez family donated |
|---|
| 23 | 24 | | priceless family artifacts from the ranch to the Museum of South |
|---|
| 24 | 25 | | Texas History; among the items were a saddle, a rifle, and a |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | | revolver that had belonged to Deputy U.S. Marshal Casimiro Perez |
|---|
| 26 | 27 | | Alvarez, who was the great-great-grandson of Don Pedro Jose Perez; |
|---|
| 27 | 28 | | and |
|---|
| 28 | 29 | | WHEREAS, The ranch continues to be owned by direct |
|---|
| 29 | 30 | | descendants of its founder, and one of them, Araceli Perez-Davis, |
|---|
| 30 | 31 | | who is Don Pedro's great-great-great-great-granddaughter, has |
|---|
| 31 | 32 | | turned an old adobe cabin on the property into a museum; it was also |
|---|
| 32 | 33 | | Ms. Perez-Davis who petitioned the Texas Historical Commission for |
|---|
| 33 | 34 | | a state marker in 2014; and |
|---|
| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, For 230 years, Rancho San Jose de la Mulada has |
|---|
| 35 | 36 | | contributed to the rich heritage of Starr County, and the ranch's |
|---|
| 36 | 37 | | special role in the history of South Texas is truly deserving of |
|---|
| 37 | 38 | | this special recognition; now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 38 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
|---|
| 39 | 40 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the dedication of an Official Texas |
|---|
| 40 | 41 | | Historical Marker at Rancho San Jose de la Mulada and extend to the |
|---|
| 41 | 42 | | Perez family and the members of the community sincere best wishes |
|---|
| 42 | 43 | | for a meaningful and memorable event; and, be it further |
|---|
| 43 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|---|
| 44 | 45 | | prepared for the Perez family as an expression of high regard by the |
|---|
| 45 | 46 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
|---|