88R18525 CJM-D
By: LaMantia S.R. No. 373
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Proud residents of Kleberg County are gathering in
Austin on April 4, 2023, to celebrate Kleberg County Day at the
State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Situated both on the broad grasslands of the Gulf
Coast and on Padre Island, the area that was to become Kleberg
County was first inhabited by the Karankawa and Coahuiltecan
peoples; Spanish settlements were established along the lower Rio
Grande in the 18th century, and after a period of Mexican rule, the
land became part of Nueces County when Texas secured its
independence; in 1853, Richard King established the vast King
Ranch, a large tract of which was used to form the city of
Kingsville in 1904; the new community grew quickly as a railway hub
for farmers and ranchers, and in 1913, the Texas Legislature
organized Kleberg County, naming it for Robert Justus Kleberg,
whose son was the manager of King Ranch, and designating Kingsville
as the county seat; and
WHEREAS, Today, Kleberg County is a place of diversified
industries; successful businesses include Proco, Inc., Texas
Cementing Services, and numerous energy companies; occupying
825,000 acres, the legendary King Ranch is still vital to the
prosperity of the county, and the enterprise has earned fame for the
region through its development of the Santa Gertrudis breed of
cattle, its contributions to quarter horse and thoroughbred
breeding, and its accomplishments in a variety of other
agribusiness interests; and
WHEREAS, The largest city in Kleberg County, Kingsville is
home to Texas A&M University-Kingsville, which includes the
Frank H. Dotterweich College of Engineering, the Dick and Mary
Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture, the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife
Research Institute, and the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy;
meeting an increasingly critical military need, Naval Air Station
Kingsville trains 50 percent of United States Navy and Marine Corps
tactical jet pilots every year; and
WHEREAS, The hardworking and forward-looking citizens of
Kleberg County are building on a long tradition of excellence, and
their history and achievements are indeed deserving of special
recognition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
hereby recognize April 4, 2023, as Kleberg County Day at the State
Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes
for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin.