SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 115
WHEREAS, Proud residents of Jeff Davis County are
gathering in Austin to celebrate Jeff Davis County Day at the
State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, This austerely beautiful region of canyons and
windswept plateaus is home to the Davis Mountains, which were
first inhabited by prehistoric peoples more than a thousand years
ago; the region was later home to the Mescalero Apaches, and the
first Spanish explorer, Antonio de Espejo, visited Limpia Canyon
in 1583; and
WHEREAS, In 1849, the United States Army opened a wagon
road from San Antonio to El Paso through the mountains, and in
1854, the army established a fort on the former site of an Indian
village, naming it after Jefferson Davis, the secretary of war,
and later the president of the Confederacy; Fort Davis changed
hands during the Civil War, and the United States Army reoccupied
it in 1867; ranchers moved into the area in the 1880s, and Jeff
Davis County was organized in 1887 with Fort Davis as the county
seat; the military post was abandoned in 1891; and
WHEREAS, Today, ranching and tourism continue to be the
mainstays of the county's economy; the county seat is home to the
Fort Davis National Historic Site, which preserves the history
and heritage of the frontier cavalry fort; the nearby Chihuahuan
Desert Nature Center features 507 acres of rolling grassland and
oak-covered hills, as well as a desert botanical garden and a
greenhouse; visitors are also drawn by the fine opportunities for
camping, birding, hiking, and horseback riding in Davis
Mountains State Park, and by the 74-mile scenic highway that
winds through the mountains; and
WHEREAS, The county is home to the McDonald Observatory of
The University of Texas at Austin and its Hobby-Eberly telescope,
one of the largest optical telescopes in the world; the
observatory's excellent visitors' center offers tours and
student activities, as well as star parties several nights each
week, where the public can marvel at some of the darkest night
skies in the continental United States; and
WHEREAS, Each August, the Bloys Cowboy Camp revival
meeting is held in Skillman's Grove, and also in August, the Fort
Davis Chamber of Commerce hosts an annual hummingbird festival in
the Davis Mountains; in Fort Davis itself, citizens reenact an
old Western bank robbery every Fourth of July; and
WHEREAS, Blessed with the opportunity to live in a
striking landscape with a rich history, the resilient and
independent-minded citizens of Jeff Davis County may indeed
take great pride in the unique role their county plays in both
the past and the future of the Lone Star State; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th
Legislature, hereby recognize Jeff Davis County Day at the State
Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes
for a memorable and meaningful visit to Austin.
RodrÃguez
________________________________
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on February 5, 2019.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate