88R10954 AMB-D
By: LaMantia S.R. No. 140
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Proud residents of Bee County are gathering at the
State Capitol to celebrate Bee County Day on February 8, 2023; and
WHEREAS, Artifacts indicate that the Bee County area was
originally inhabited by humans 6,000 to 10,000 years ago; the first
permanent European settlers arrived in the early 1800s, and later,
11 area landowners were among the signers of the Texas Declaration
of Independence; and
WHEREAS, On January 25, 1858, the county was officially
organized and was named for Barnard E. Bee Sr., an accomplished
statesman from South Carolina who later served as secretary of war
under Sam Houston; and
WHEREAS, Located in the South Texas Plains vegetation region,
Bee County covers 866 square miles that gently slope toward the Gulf
of Mexico; with the area's open expanses of grasslands, its economy
is dominated by farming and ranching, along with its thriving oil
and gas operations and agribusiness; Beeville, the county seat, has
revitalized its downtown district and has been recognized as a
Texas Main Street City by the Texas Historical Commission, and
other towns in the county include Skidmore, Blue Berry Hill,
Pettus, Tuleta, Tynan, Pawnee, Normanna, and Mineral; and
WHEREAS, Coastal Bend College-Beeville offers occupational
as well as academic classes for its students, and it has the oldest
academic educational glassblowing facility in the state; art
enthusiasts may delight in the exhibits of the Beeville Art Museum,
which is funded by the Joe Barnhart Foundation and housed in the
historic Esther Barnhart House; in addition, visitors come from all
across Texas to celebrate the state's rich traditions at Western
Week, one of the county's largest and longest-running festivals;
and
WHEREAS, Bee County is host to many cultural and historical
attractions that make it an inviting place to live and an
interesting area to visit, and its residents may take great pride in
their vibrant heritage and myriad contributions as they look toward
a bright and prosperous future; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
hereby recognize February 8, 2023, as Bee County Day at the State
Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes
for a memorable stay in Austin.