[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13588]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF KLEBERG COUNTY, TEXAS

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                           HON. FILEMON VELA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 12, 2013

  Mr. VELA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the 100th 
anniversary of Kleberg County, Texas.
  The recorded history of the land which includes Kleberg County 
precedes the establishment of the United States, and Kleberg County was 
already well on its way to prominent status when local leaders 
successfully petitioned the Texas Legislature in 1913 to break away 
from Nueces County and establish a new county.
  Over the last century several key developments helped spur growth and 
development in Kleberg County.
  An anchor of Kleberg County, the King Ranch was established in 1853 
when Richard King purchased the Santa Gertrudis grant from the heirs of 
the original Spanish grantees. The King Ranch continues to thrive today 
as an industry leader in the fields of farming, ranching, and 
conserving natural resources.
  The establishment of the City of Kingsville and the construction of 
railroad lines helped bring new industry to the region. Over the past 
100 years, the county has been a top producer of energy and 
agricultural commodities, and the county's proximity to the Gulf of 
Mexico has made it a destination for visitors from around the world who 
come for the clear blue water and rich diversity of wildlife.
  Kleberg County saw the establishment of Naval Auxiliary Air Station 
Kingsville in 1942. The base originally trained military aviators for 
combat. Now known as Naval Air Station Kingsville, the base remains one 
of the U.S. Navy's premier locations for jet aviation training.
  Texas A&M University Kingsville, originally established as South 
Texas Teachers College in 1921, is the oldest continuously operating 
public institution of higher learning in south Texas, and the first in 
the Nation to develop a doctoral program for bilingual education.
  It truly is a privilege and honor to represent Kleberg County in the 
United States House of Representatives, and I ask my colleagues in 
Congress to join me in celebrating this momentous occasion.

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