89R30310 KRT-D
By: Blanco S.R. No. 524
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Preservation Month is taking place in May 2025,
providing a fitting opportunity to recognize Rio Vista Farm in
Socorro; and
WHEREAS, Rio Vista Farm was initially established in the
early 1900s to serve as a poor farm and institutional campus; from
1951 to 1964, it served as a processing center for the Bracero
Program, an initiative established by the governments of the United
States and Mexico that brought Mexican laborers to the U.S. to
legally work in the American agricultural and railroad industries;
as one of the first and most active bracero centers in the U.S., Rio
Vista processed hundreds of thousands of workers over the course of
its operation; and
WHEREAS, Efforts to preserve Rio Vista resulted in the farm
being designated a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of
the Interior on December 13, 2023, the first landmark established
in Far West Texas in over two decades; the revitalization process
has been guided by the City of Socorro and its historic preservation
officer, Victor Reta; the city has embarked on a $35 million
rehabilitation and capital improvement project to restore the
campus and adapt it for public use as a cultural destination by
establishing a museum and education center; and
WHEREAS, The preservation of Rio Vista Farm honors the
contributions that the braceros and other immigrant groups have
made to our state and nation, and by investing in this historically
significant site, the City of Socorro is ensuring that it will be
appreciated for generations to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 89th Texas Legislature
hereby honor the revitalization efforts at Rio Vista Farm on the
occasion of Preservation Month 2025 and extend to all those
associated with the initiative sincere best wishes for continued
success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the City of Socorro as an expression of high regard by
the Texas Senate.