SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 194
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, named 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 Senate of the State of Texas, 85th
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.
Zaffirini
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 15, 2017.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate