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                                                                  H.R. No. 197



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, October 14, 2003, marks the 95th anniversary of a 
significant event in the history of South Texas, the transfer of the 
Hidalgo County seat from the city of Hidalgo to the city of 
Edinburg; and
	WHEREAS, The municipality today known as Hidalgo was 
originally designated the county seat in 1852, at the time of 
Hidalgo County's creation; located near the banks of the Rio 
Grande, the city was subject to frequent flooding, and soon after 
the turn of the century the leaders of Hidalgo County began their 
search for a more suitable location to conduct governmental 
business; their solution was found 16 miles northeast of Hidalgo, 
at a site within a 50,000-acre spread of mesquite brush land known 
as Rancho Edinburgo; and
	WHEREAS, On October 10, 1908, the citizens of the county 
voted 422 to 90 in favor of moving the courthouse to this new site, 
which at the time was named Chapin, in honor of one of its original 
founders; opponents of the move were not to be dissuaded, however, 
and threatened to seek an injunction; the county leaders 
responsible for effecting the move, John Closner, tax 
assessor-collector Joe R. Alamia, commissioner William Sprague, 
county clerk Andres Chavez, and county attorney Dick Swearingen, 
forcibly removed the county records the following day, transporting 
them under armed guard to the new county seat of Chapin, now known 
as Edinburg; ultimately, the arrival of the records on October 14, 
1908, was greeted by county residents with great enthusiasm, and 
since that day 95 years ago the city of Edinburg has remained the 
official county seat of Hidalgo County; and
	WHEREAS, Edinburg was an unincorporated town until a vote for 
incorporation was approved unanimously on September 8, 1919; the 
year 2003 marks the 84th anniversary of Edinburg's incorporation; 
and
	WHEREAS, Representative Aaron Peña has justly recognized 
this important event by authoring this resolution in behalf of the 
citizens of Edinburg during the 78th legislative session; now, 
therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas 
Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby commemorate the 95th 
anniversary of Edinburg's designation as the county seat of Hidalgo 
County.

                                                                            Pena

                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 197 was adopted by the House on August 
22, 2003, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House