SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 435
WHEREAS, Proud citizens of La Salle County are visiting the
State Capitol on April 18, 2023, to celebrate the role their South
Texas home has played in the annals of the Lone Star State; and
WHEREAS, In the Spanish colonial era, the Old Presidio
Road passed through present-day La Salle County; Coahuila
governor Alonso De Leon used this road on his way to search for
the French settlement of the Sieur de La Salle, as did the
famed missionary and historian Friar Juan Agustin Morfi; and
WHEREAS, Although the county was created in 1858, outlaw
activity and Indian raids delayed settlement; Fort Ewell,
established in 1852 to protect travelers, was abandoned two
years later; with the last Indian raid occurring in 1878,
however, the arrival of the railroad in the early 1880s and the
gradual suppression of desperadoes, ranching soon became a
viable project; and
WHEREAS, One of the ranches established during this period
was a huge spread managed by the Hall brothers, among them Jesse
Leigh "Lee" Hall, a noted Texas Ranger who had been instrumental
in bringing order to South Texas; Lee Hall became the prototype
for the Texas Ranger who appears in many short stories by the
writer O. Henry, who spent two years on the ranch while seeking to
improve his health; and
WHEREAS, Ranching remains a major part of the county's
economy; other income is derived from oil and gas, a significant
industry here since the 1950s, and from agriculture; the South
Texas practice of cool-season farming originated in La Salle
County in the 1890s, and by 1910 the county was the leading
vegetable producer in the Winter Garden Region; and
WHEREAS, The citizens of La Salle County are heirs to a
notable history and heritage, and their productivity and
dedication to being good stewards of the earth are a model for
all Texans and are truly worthy of commendation; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
Legislature, hereby recognize April 18, 2023, as La Salle County
Day at the State Capitol and extend to the county's residents and
delegates sincere best wishes for a memorable and rewarding
visit; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in
honor of this special occasion.
Zaffirini
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on April 18, 2023.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate