| 2 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 5 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Residents of San Patricio County are gathering in |
|---|
| 8 | 9 | | Austin on March 19, 2025, to celebrate San Patricio County Day at |
|---|
| 9 | 10 | | the State Capitol; and |
|---|
| 10 | 11 | | WHEREAS, Situated on the broad coastal plain along the Gulf |
|---|
| 11 | 12 | | of Mexico, this region was originally inhabited by the Karankawa |
|---|
| 12 | 13 | | Indians; in 1829, 200 Irish families from New York formed a colony |
|---|
| 13 | 14 | | under a contract with the government of Mexico and founded the town |
|---|
| 14 | 15 | | of San Patricio de Hibernia, in honor of Saint Patrick, the patron |
|---|
| 15 | 16 | | saint of Ireland; the town was the site of a battle during the Texas |
|---|
| 16 | 17 | | Revolution in 1836, and later that same year, San Patricio County |
|---|
| 17 | 18 | | was created by the new Republic of Texas; and |
|---|
| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, By 1860, San Patricio County was occupied by |
|---|
| 19 | 20 | | ranchers and farmers, and during the Civil War, a Confederate fort |
|---|
| 20 | 21 | | was built at Aransas Pass to deal with smugglers, rustlers, and |
|---|
| 21 | 22 | | Federal raiders; the county's economy was boosted in 1885 when the |
|---|
| 22 | 23 | | San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway was extended to Aransas |
|---|
| 23 | 24 | | Harbor; the town of Sinton, named after an Ohio banker who had |
|---|
| 24 | 25 | | invested in the area's development, was designated as the county |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | | seat in 1893; and |
|---|
| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Oil and gas were discovered in the county in the |
|---|
| 27 | 28 | | early 20th century, and the petroleum industry and agriculture |
|---|
| 28 | 29 | | continue to be the foundation of the economy; cotton, sorghum, and |
|---|
| 29 | 30 | | cattle are all major products, along with shrimp from the |
|---|
| 30 | 31 | | commercial fisheries along the coast; the completion of a major |
|---|
| 31 | 32 | | dredging and expansion project at the La Quinta Ship Channel has |
|---|
| 32 | 33 | | increased opportunities for strategic international business |
|---|
| 33 | 34 | | partnerships, and in recent years, foreign and domestic companies |
|---|
| 34 | 35 | | have invested billions of dollars in the county's industrial |
|---|
| 35 | 36 | | sector; and |
|---|
| 36 | 37 | | WHEREAS, Today, the people of San Patricio County enjoy a |
|---|
| 37 | 38 | | relaxed rural lifestyle while taking advantage of their proximity |
|---|
| 38 | 39 | | to the city of Corpus Christi; hunters, birders, kayakers, |
|---|
| 39 | 40 | | snorkelers, and devotees of sport fishing travel to the county for |
|---|
| 40 | 41 | | its many opportunities for recreation; the county is also home to |
|---|
| 41 | 42 | | the Welder Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest privately endowed |
|---|
| 42 | 43 | | refuges in the world; and |
|---|
| 43 | 44 | | WHEREAS, San Patricio County benefits from the dedicated |
|---|
| 44 | 45 | | leadership of its elected officials, including county |
|---|
| 45 | 46 | | commissioners William Zagorski Sr., Tom Yardley, Ruben Gonzales, |
|---|
| 46 | 47 | | and Howard J. Gillespie, as well as County Judge David R. Krebs; and |
|---|
| 47 | 48 | | WHEREAS, Celebrating their colorful past as they work to |
|---|
| 48 | 49 | | build an even brighter future, those Texans who call San Patricio |
|---|
| 49 | 50 | | County home may indeed take great pride in the important role their |
|---|
| 50 | 51 | | unique region plays in the story of the Lone Star State; now, |
|---|
| 51 | 52 | | therefore, be it |
|---|
| 52 | 53 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
|---|
| 53 | 54 | | Legislature hereby recognize March 19, 2025, as San Patricio County |
|---|
| 54 | 55 | | Day at the State Capitol and extend a warm welcome to the visiting |
|---|
| 55 | 56 | | delegation. |
|---|