85R6647 KSM-D
By: Lozano H.R. No. 129
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of San Patricio County are gathering in
Austin on February 15, 2017, to celebrate San Patricio County Day at
the State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Situated on the broad coastal plain along the Gulf
of Mexico, this region was originally inhabited by the Karankawa
Indians; less than 30 years after Columbus came to America, a
European explorer sailed into the bay behind Aransas Pass, and over
the next 200 years, the territory was visited by Spanish and French
explorers and Mexican sheepherders; and
WHEREAS, In 1829, 200 Irish families from New York formed a
colony under a contract with the government of Mexico and founded
the town of San Patricio de Hibernia, after Saint Patrick, the
patron saint of Ireland; the town was the site of a battle during
the Texas Revolution in 1836, and later that same year, San Patricio
County was created by the new Republic of Texas; and
WHEREAS, By 1860, San Patricio County was occupied by
ranchers and farmers, and during the Civil War, a Confederate fort
was built at Aransas Pass to deal with smugglers, rustlers, and
Federal raiders; the county's economy was boosted in 1885 when the
San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway was extended to Aransas
Harbor; the town of Sinton, named after an Ohio banker who had
invested in the area's development, was designated as the county
seat in 1893; and
WHEREAS, Oil and gas were discovered in the county in the
early 20th century, and the petroleum industry and agriculture
continue to be the foundation of the economy; cotton, sorghum, and
cattle are all major products, along with shrimp from the
commercial fisheries along the coast; the deepwater port at Aransas
Pass is easily accessible to northern markets by rail, highway, and
the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway; and
WHEREAS, Today, the people of San Patricio County enjoy a
relaxed rural lifestyle while taking advantage of their proximity
to the urban amenities of Corpus Christi; hunters, birders,
kayakers, snorkelers, and devotees of sport fishing travel to the
county for its many opportunities for recreation; the county is
also home to the Welder Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest
privately endowed refuges in the world; and
WHEREAS, Celebrating their colorful past even as they work to
build a bright future, those Texans who call San Patricio County
home may indeed take great pride in the important role their unique
region plays in the story of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize February 15, 2017, as San Patricio
County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting
delegation sincere best wishes for an enjoyable stay in Austin.