SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 316
WHEREAS, Citizens of Presidio County are visiting Austin
on March 1, 2017, in celebration of Presidio County Day at the
State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, An area steeped in history and possessed of a
frontier mystique, Presidio County lies in the Trans-Pecos
region of Southwest Texas and is bordered by the Rio Grande and
Mexico; its desert terrain varies from rolling plains to canyons
and volcanic cliffs and rises to some of the state's tallest
mountain ranges, as well as to its highest waterfall, Capote
Falls, with a drop of 175 feet; and
WHEREAS, Diverse populations of Paleo-Indians once roamed
Presidio County, and Jumanos, Apaches, and Comanches were
present in the area when Spanish missions arrived in the 1680s;
the outskirts of present-day Presidio, where corn farmers of the
Cochise culture settled around 1500 B.C., is believed to contain
the oldest continuously cultivated farmland in Texas, and in the
19th century, a settlement was founded on Cibolo Creek by José
Ygnacio Ronquillo, who was issued a constitutional land grant in
1832; and
WHEREAS, Presidio County was established from parts of the
Bexar Land District on January 3, 1850, and organized a
quarter-century later; initially the largest county in the
United States at 12,000 square miles, it eventually relinquished
land and today holds the claim of fourth-largest county in the
state at nearly 3,860 square miles; its original county seat was
Fort Davis, which became part of Jeff Davis County, and the
Presidio County government relocated to Marfa two years after the
town's founding in 1883; and
WHEREAS, From the 1880s to the 1940s, silver mining was a
leading industry in Presidio County after a silver deposit was
found in the Chinati Mountains by local rancher and trader John
W. Spencer; his discovery led to the opening of Presidio Mine,
which would produce more than 32.6 million ounces of silver over
the course of its existence; and
WHEREAS, Today, the local economy is based primarily on
agriculture; in the southern portion of the county, the loamy
soil provides fertile ground for growing tomatoes, melons,
onions, grain, and cotton, while ranchers have traditionally
raised sheep and cattle, including the famed Highland Hereford,
wherever there is adequate pastureland; although no permanent
streams exist in the county, the completion of Elephant Butte Dam
across the Rio Grande in 1910 created a reliable supply of
irrigation water, greatly increasing farming production; and
WHEREAS, Presidio, with a population of nearly 4,500, is
the county's largest town and home to the Fort Leaton historic
site, a public museum containing ruins, exhibits, and nature
trails; the county seat of Marfa has some 2,000 people and boasts
historical attractions, as well as an active local arts scene
that includes the world-renowned Chinati Foundation; the town
has become a popular tourist draw for its vintage charm and art
and for the mysterious Marfa Lights, an atmospheric phenomenon
first observed in the night sky in 1883; and
WHEREAS, With its friendly people, majestic scenery, and
sundry intangible qualities, Presidio County is truly a treasure
of the Lone Star State, and it is indeed a pleasure to celebrate
the heritage and contributions of this storied region; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th
Legislature, hereby recognize Presidio County Day at the State
Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes
for a meaningful and memorable visit to Austin.
RodrÃguez
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on March 1, 2017.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate