H.C.R. No. 77

	HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, The vaquero is one of the iconic figures of the Lone
	Star State, and today the heritage of the vaqueros remains
	especially strong in Jim Hogg County, where they have played a
	fundamental role in that region's economy and culture since the
	arrival of the earliest settlers; and
	WHEREAS, Renowned for their horsemanship and stock-handling
	abilities, vaqueros were crucial to the advance of Spanish ranching
	into South Texas; from the mid-18th century onward, their skills
	and fortitude figured greatly in the development of large,
	open-range cattle ranches in the region south of the Nueces River;
	and
	WHEREAS, These ranches left an imprint on the landscape that
	is visible today in fortified stone blockhouses and in ranch
	outbuildings, in chapels and cemeteries, in hand-dug wells, and in
	man-made reservoirs that made it possible to assemble enormous
	herds of livestock for drives north; and
	WHEREAS, With the expansion of the Texas cattle industry in
	the 19th century, the vaquero's traditions came to shape ranching
	practices far beyond the Nueces; over the years, much of the
	vaquero's equipment--his chaps, bandana, sombrero, lasso, spurs,
	and saddle--became the standard gear of all Texas cowboys, while
	elements of his craft, such as mounted herding and roping
	techniques, also influenced early Anglo-American methods; the
	system of range management and working cattle that evolved in
	Texas, a system infused with vaquero lore, subsequently spread
	across the High Plains and western part of the United States; and
	WHEREAS, Endowed with soils better suited to livestock
	production than farming, the area of present-day Jim Hogg County
	has beckoned ranchers for the past two centuries; the first known
	grant within the borders of today's county was made to Xavier Vela
	in 1805 and encompassed nearly 18,000 acres; altogether, between
	1805 and 1836, approximately 25 grants were conferred within the
	county; and
	WHEREAS, Among the first ranches founded in the area were
	Randado, Las Noriacitas, Las Animas, San Antonio Viejo, Las
	Enramadas, Las Viboritas, El Baluarte, and San Javier, while
	important spreads in the latter 1800s included Randado, Las
	Noriacitas, San Javier, and El Sordo; and
	WHEREAS, Some of the earliest ranches to be established in
	Jim Hogg County are still held by descendants of the original
	owners; the most famous of these venerable ranches, Randado, was
	originally occupied in 1830 by Hipolito Garcia and is now one of the
	oldest continuously operated ranches in the nation; and
	WHEREAS, Formerly embracing more than 100,000 acres, Randado
	was famed both for its vast herd of Spanish ponies, which by the
	1870s numbered some 3,000 head, and for the fine leather and
	horsehair accoutrements fashioned by its vaqueros; the name of the
	ranch, in fact, refers to the production there of an elaborate style
	of lasso, the randa; Robert E. Lee, who spent time in Texas before
	the Civil War, wrote about his visit to Randado, and the ranch
	figured in literary works by John Houghton Allen, Tom Lea, and J.
	Frank Dobie; and
	WHEREAS, Ranching remains one of the chief pillars of the
	economy in Jim Hogg County, and most communities in the area have
	ranching roots or associations; Agua Nueva, Cuevitas, Guerra, and
	Randado all originated as ranching settlements; and
	WHEREAS, Hebbronville, the county seat, is located on land
	that once formed part of Las Noriacitas; the town's namesake, W. R.
	Hebbron, acquired the site from descendants of the original grantee
	about 1880, and in 1883 he established Hebbronville along the route
	of the Texas Mexican Railway; and
	WHEREAS, For a time, Hebbronville ranked as the largest
	cattle shipping center in the country, and to this day it is a hub of
	ranching activity; when award-winning director/producer Hector
	Galan made a documentary about the vaquero in the mid-1980s, he shot
	most of the film in Hebbronville, and the city hosts an annual
	Vaquero Festival every year, on the first weekend in November; and
	WHEREAS, Through a deep appreciation of the land and through
	expertise honed over centuries, the vaquero has contributed
	immeasurably to the settlement of South Texas and to the rich
	ranching heritage of the Lone Star State, and it is fitting that the
	county where he has played such a far-reaching role continue to be
	appropriately recognized; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
	hereby redesignate Jim Hogg County as the official Vaquero Capital
	of Texas; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section
	391.003(e), Government Code, this designation remain in effect
	until the 10th anniversary of its designation.
	Guillen
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.C.R. No. 77 was adopted by the House on May
	5, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 142, Nays 1, 3 present, not
	voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	I certify that H.C.R. No. 77 was adopted by the Senate on May
	26, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	APPROVED: __________________
	Date
	__________________
	Governor