[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2110]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO THE SESQUICENTENNIAL OF ATASCOSA COUNTY

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                           HON. HENRY CUELLAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 16, 2006

  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the sesquicentennial 
of Atascosa County, which is a county in the 28th district of Texas and 
was founded in 1856. This year marks the 150th anniversary of 
Atascosa's beginnings and we will kick off a year long celebration at 
the annual Tux and Boots Ball on Saturday, January 28, in Pleasanton, 
TX.
  Mr. Speaker, Atascosa County is south of San Antonio on the Rio 
Grande Plain region of south central Texas. The first census taken in 
Atascosa County was in 1860 and counted 1,578 people. Today, Atascosa 
County's population is at more than 43,000 residents.
  The earliest schools in Atascosa County were organized around the 
time of the Civil War. By 1914, there were 37 schools in the county. By 
the 1940s the school districts had begun to consolidate. The total 
number of persons over the age of 25 who had completed 4 years of high 
school rose from 1,300 in 1950 to 2,083 in 1960. In addition, the 
number of residents with some college rose from 395 in 1950 to 473 in 
1960. By the year 2000, when the census counted 38,628 people living in 
Atascosa County, over 65 percent of residents age 25 and older had 4 
years of high school. Agriculture, government services, and some light 
manufacturing are key elements of the area's economy. The largest 
communities in the county are Jourdanton, the county seat, and 
Pleasanton, the county's largest town. Other communities include 
Campbelton, Poteet, Lytle, Charlotte, Christine, Leming, McCoy, and 
Peggy. Some of the county's wonderful attractions include the Poteet 
Strawberry Festival, the Jourdanton Days Celebration, and the Cowboy 
Homecoming and Rodeo in Pleasanton. As we look back on the last 150 
years with pride, we also look forward to a promising future for 
Atascosa.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Atascosa County on their 150th 
anniversary and all of their accomplishments.

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