H.R. No. 67
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of San Patricio County are gathering in
Austin on March 19, 2025, to celebrate San Patricio County Day at
the State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Situated on the broad coastal plain along the Gulf
of Mexico, this region was originally inhabited by the Karankawa
Indians; in 1829, 200 Irish families from New York formed a colony
under a contract with the government of Mexico and founded the town
of San Patricio de Hibernia, in honor of Saint Patrick, the patron
saint of Ireland; the town was the site of a battle during the Texas
Revolution in 1836, and later that same year, San Patricio County
was created by the new Republic of Texas; and
WHEREAS, By 1860, San Patricio County was occupied by
ranchers and farmers, and during the Civil War, a Confederate fort
was built at Aransas Pass to deal with smugglers, rustlers, and
Federal raiders; the county's economy was boosted in 1885 when the
San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway was extended to Aransas
Harbor; the town of Sinton, named after an Ohio banker who had
invested in the area's development, was designated as the county
seat in 1893; and
WHEREAS, Oil and gas were discovered in the county in the
early 20th century, and the petroleum industry and agriculture
continue to be the foundation of the economy; cotton, sorghum, and
cattle are all major products, along with shrimp from the
commercial fisheries along the coast; the completion of a major
dredging and expansion project at the La Quinta Ship Channel has
increased opportunities for strategic international business
partnerships, and in recent years, foreign and domestic companies
have invested billions of dollars in the county's industrial
sector; and
WHEREAS, Today, the people of San Patricio County enjoy a
relaxed rural lifestyle while taking advantage of their proximity
to the city of Corpus Christi; hunters, birders, kayakers,
snorkelers, and devotees of sport fishing travel to the county for
its many opportunities for recreation; the county is also home to
the Welder Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest privately endowed
refuges in the world; and
WHEREAS, San Patricio County benefits from the dedicated
leadership of its elected officials, including county
commissioners William Zagorski Sr., Tom Yardley, Ruben Gonzales,
and Howard J. Gillespie, as well as County Judge David R. Krebs; and
WHEREAS, Celebrating their colorful past as they work to
build an even brighter future, those Texans who call San Patricio
County home may indeed take great pride in the important role their
unique region plays in the story of the Lone Star State; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 19, 2025, as San Patricio County
Day at the State Capitol and extend a warm welcome to the visiting
delegation.
Lozano
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 67 was adopted by the House on March
13, 2025, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House