TITLE: Recognizing February 10, 2015, as Howard County Day at the State Capitol.

SUMMARY: Recognizing February 10, 2015, as Howard County Day at the State Capitol.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Citizens from Howard County are gathering in Austin to celebrate Howard County Day at the State Capitol on February 10, 2015; and WHEREAS, Nestled between the Caprock escarpment and the Edwards Plateau, this region of the West Texas High Plains is home to the "big spring" in Sulphur Draw; the nearby town of Big Spring began as a settlement of buffalo hunters in the 1870s; and WHEREAS, Howard County was organized in 1882, with Big Spring as the county seat; situated on the Texas and Pacific Railway, the town also became an important shipping point for livestock and produce; the community of Coahoma developed as a trading center with the arrival of the railroad in the early 1880s, while Forsan was established at the height of the county's oil boom in the 1920s; during World War II, Howard County became the site of the Big Spring Army Air Corps Bombardier School, which trained more than 5,000 men; and WHEREAS, Today, Howard County thrives as a center for oil and gas production, farming and ranching, transportation, and manufacturing, and the county looks to the future of energy production with its wind turbine farms; the McMahon-Wrinkle Airport further contributes to the area's economy, and the ongoing development of the city's downtown historic district is revitalizing the entire community; and WHEREAS, A regional hub for health care, Big Spring is home to a veterans hospital, a state mental health facility, and a rehabilitation center, and it is the location of Howard College and the Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf; and WHEREAS, Visitors and residents alike enjoy fine opportunities for recreation at Big Spring State Park, Moss Lake, and Comanche Trail Park, where the annual Festival of Lights is held; the region's colorful past is celebrated at the Heritage Museum and the Hangar 25 Air Museum; the town also plays host to the Annual Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo; and WHEREAS, Deeply devoted to their communities and to the land that has shaped them, the people of Howard County may take justifiable pride in all that they have accomplished over the years, knowing that the robust spirit of earlier generations is alive and well in their own; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby recognize February 10, 2015, as Howard County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation sincere best wishes for a meaningful and memorable stay in Austin. Darby Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 308 was adopted by the House on February 10, 2015, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House