88R11366 JRI-D
By: Zaffirini S.R. No. 135
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Proud residents of McMullen County are gathering in
Austin to celebrate McMullen County Day at the State Capitol on
February 8, 2023; and
WHEREAS, Located in the center of South Texas, McMullen
County is made up of more than 1,000 square miles of flat and
rolling brushland; artifacts discovered in the county indicate that
human settlement dates back perhaps as far as 11,000 years, with
groups of hunter-gatherers in the area until the 1700s; and
WHEREAS, Several Spanish expeditions passed through the area
in the 17th and 18th centuries, but the population was sparse until
shortly before the Civil War, when settlers began to move in to take
advantage of the grasslands where wild mustangs and cattle could be
found; and
WHEREAS, The county was established in 1858, and a group of
resourceful adventurers settled where the Leoncita Creek flowed
into the Rio Frio; the town was first called Rio Frio, then Dog
Town, and finally Tilden, after Samuel J. (Whispering Sammy)
Tilden, the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for president in
1876; the town eventually became the county seat; and
WHEREAS, Cattle and sheep ranching have dominated the
county's economy, though oil and gas have grown in importance since
the 1930s, and the region is also a destination for hunters; and
WHEREAS, McMullen County residents are stewards of an area of
fascinating history and culture, and their unique county merits
special recognition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
hereby recognize February 8, 2023, as McMullen County Day at the
State Capitol and extend best wishes to the visiting delegation for
an informative and enjoyable stay in Austin.