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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Proud citizens of Frio County are gathering in |
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Austin on February 19, 2013, to celebrate Frio County Day at the |
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State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Located along the river from which it derives its |
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name, Frio County features gently rolling plains, scattered prairie |
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brush, and loamy soil that has made for ideal farmland; the area was |
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once inhabited by Payaya and Pachal Indians, while the later |
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presence of hostile Comanche mustangers discouraged settlement |
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until after the Civil War; and |
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WHEREAS, On February 1, 1858, the Texas Legislature approved |
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the formation of a new county out of parts of nearby Atascosa, |
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Bexar, and Uvalde Counties, but it was not formally organized until |
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1871; in 1883 residents voted to have Pearsall designated as the |
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county seat; and |
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WHEREAS, In the late 1800s, agriculture became more viable |
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with the introduction of barbed wire and irrigation to the area, and |
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railroads expanded the market for Frio County's many cash crops; |
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cotton remained its primary product until the Great Depression, |
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when local producers turned to peanuts as a more lucrative |
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substitute; as the decades passed, farming and ranching were made |
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more efficient by the use of such machinery as the squeeze chute and |
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the peanut combine, the latter of which was invented by a Frio |
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County farmer; and |
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WHEREAS, With the county favorably situated in the Eagle Ford |
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shale region, oil has joined agriculture as one of the region's |
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thriving industries, and today, a period of increased commerce and |
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job growth is drawing new residents and businesses; and |
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WHEREAS, Frio County is known for its abundant wild game, and |
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the Pearsall area is regarded as a "hunter's paradise" with |
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approximately 675,000 acres of prime hunting grounds; other leisure |
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attractions in the town of Pearsall itself include numerous parks |
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and the Old Frio County Jail Museum; to the south, Dilley is Frio |
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County's second-largest town; it has long been famous for its |
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watermelons and its giant watermelon statue, but more recently, it |
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is becoming known as the gateway to the Greater Eagle Ford Shale, as |
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the county's citizens respond to the challenges and opportunities |
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brought by new drilling technology and increased interest in their |
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area from the oil and gas industry; and |
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WHEREAS, Celebrating their rich heritage as they look forward |
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to a future bright with promise, Frio County residents may take |
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special pride in the unique contributions they are making to the |
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history and prosperity of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 19, 2013, as Frio County Day |
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at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere |
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best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. |