III 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 309 

Recognizing and celebrating the 145th anniversary of the entry of Nevada 

into the Union as the 36th State. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 8, 2009 

Mr. REID (for himself and Mr. ENSIGN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing and celebrating the 145th anniversary of the 

entry of Nevada into the Union as the 36th State. 

Whereas October 31, 2009, marks the 145th anniversary of 

President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation admitting Nevada into the Union as the 36th State; 

Whereas Nevadans celebrate the anniversary of ‘‘Battle 

Born’’ statehood every year as Nevada Day; 

Whereas Nevada’s State motto is ‘‘All for Our Country’’, reflecting the patriotism and sense of duty demonstrated by 

countless Nevadans since the State’s entrance into the 

Union; 

Whereas Nevada’s brave veterans and service members have 

made critical contributions to our Nation’s security in 

times of war and of peace; 


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•SRES 309 ATS 

Whereas the Henderson magnesium mines and the Nevada 

Test Site played key roles in the United States’ victories 

during World War II and the Cold War, respectively; 

Whereas Nevada is honored to host our Nation’s Armed 

Forces at Nellis Air Force Base, Creech Air Force Base, 

Naval Air Station Fallon, and the Hawthorne Army 

Depot, as well as National Guard Armories and Reserve 

Readiness Centers throughout the State; 

Whereas Nevada is a premier destination for tourists, business travelers, family vacationers, and outdoor enthusiasts throughout the United States and around the 

globe; 

Whereas Nevada’s unique features attract vacationers and 

locals alike, including the pastoral Washoe Valley, the 

crags of the Ruby Mountains, the ‘‘Biggest Little City in 

the World’’, the Las Vegas Strip, the Hoover Dam, 

Lovers Lock Plaza, and the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering; 

Whereas mining became an important industry to the Silver 

State with the 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode, the 

most valuable deposit of silver in the Nation; 

Whereas Nevada produces more gold than all other States 

combined and is one of the largest sources of gold in the 

world; 

Whereas the entrepreneurial spirit of Nevadans is reflected in 

a versatile economy, from the world’s largest gaming establishments to small businesses that make up the vast 

majority of Nevada’s employers; 

Whereas Nevada has a rich cultural heritage that draws from 

diverse populations, from multi-generational ranching 

families to new residents, from Hispanic Americans to 


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•SRES 309 ATS 

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and from Basque 

communities to Mormon pioneers; 

Whereas Nevada recognizes the language, culture, and generosity of Nevada’s first dwellers, the Northern and 

Southern Paiutes, Shoshone, and Washoe peoples; 

Whereas Nevada celebrates Thocmentony, or Sarah 

Winnemucca, the first Native American woman to author 

a publication in English, whose statue graces Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center; 

Whereas the snow-capped mountains of Nevada (pronounced 

Neva ̆da) were the inspiration for the Spanish origin of its 

name; 

Whereas Nevada offers beautiful outdoor settings ranging 

from vibrant desert landscapes to grand ski slopes, and 

from picturesque hiking trails to flowing river currents; 

Whereas Lake Tahoe is one of the deepest and clearest alpine 

lakes in the world, and Lake Mead is the largest engineered reservoir in the United States; 

Whereas Nevada is home to Great Basin National Park, 17 

State parks, 2 national forests, and 3,400,000 acres of 

wilderness, including Sloan Canyon, Red Rock Canyon, 

and Black Rock Desert; 

Whereas Nevada exemplifies the independence, opportunity, 

and pioneering spirit of the West; and 

Whereas Nevada’s delegation to the 111th Congress - Senator 

Harry Reid, Senator John Ensign, Representative Shelley 

Berkley, Representative Dean Heller, and Representative 

Dina Titus - invite all to join in the celebration of Nevada statehood: Now, therefore, be it 


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•SRES 309 ATS 

1 Resolved, That the Senate recognizes and celebrates 

the 145th 2 anniversary of the entry of Nevada into the 

3 Union as the 36th State. 

Æ 


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