88R11366 JRI-D
 
  By: Zaffirini S.R. No. 135
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Proud residents of McMullen County are gathering in
  Austin to celebrate McMullen County Day at the State Capitol on
  February 8, 2023; and
         WHEREAS, Located in the center of South Texas, McMullen
  County is made up of more than 1,000 square miles of flat and
  rolling brushland; artifacts discovered in the county indicate that
  human settlement dates back perhaps as far as 11,000 years, with
  groups of hunter-gatherers in the area until the 1700s; and
         WHEREAS, Several Spanish expeditions passed through the area
  in the 17th and 18th centuries, but the population was sparse until
  shortly before the Civil War, when settlers began to move in to take
  advantage of the grasslands where wild mustangs and cattle could be
  found; and
         WHEREAS, The county was established in 1858, and a group of
  resourceful adventurers settled where the Leoncita Creek flowed
  into the Rio Frio; the town was first called Rio Frio, then Dog
  Town, and finally Tilden, after Samuel J. (Whispering Sammy)
  Tilden, the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for president in
  1876; the town eventually became the county seat; and
         WHEREAS, Cattle and sheep ranching have dominated the
  county's economy, though oil and gas have grown in importance since
  the 1930s, and the region is also a destination for hunters; and
         WHEREAS, McMullen County residents are stewards of an area of
  fascinating history and culture, and their unique county merits
  special recognition; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
  hereby recognize February 8, 2023, as McMullen County Day at the
  State Capitol and extend best wishes to the visiting delegation for
  an informative and enjoyable stay in Austin.