HOUSE MEMORIAL 5

55th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2021

INTRODUCED BY

Jack Chatfield

A MEMORIAL

DECLARING MARCH 4, 2021 "HARDING COUNTY DAY" IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND CELEBRATING HARDING COUNTY'S ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY.

     WHEREAS, with vast plains and mesas, grasslands and rivers, Harding county is as unique as it is beautiful; and

     WHEREAS, when the railroads opened up settlement of the west, homesteaders settled in what is now remote Harding county and southern Union county until the great depression and the dust bowl impeded progress; and

     WHEREAS, although small in terms of population, Harding county is rich in history and geography; and

     WHEREAS, Harding county was created by the state legislature on March 4, 1921, with Governor Merritt C. Mechem conferring official status to Harding county; and

     WHEREAS, Harding county is named for United States President Warren G. Harding and was created from parts of Union and Mora counties; and

     WHEREAS, March 4, 1921 also was the same day Warren G. Harding was inaugurated as the twenty-ninth president of the United States; and

     WHEREAS, Harding county is the least populous county in New Mexico, and the only incorporated cities in the county are Roy and Mosquero, the county seat; and

     WHEREAS, Harding county has a total area of two thousand one hundred twenty-six square miles and is divided between high prairie to the northwest and a lower semi-desert rangeland to the southeast; and

     WHEREAS, Harding county is bounded on the west by the Canadian river canyon, one of the most striking features in eastern New Mexico, with soaring cliffs, diverse flora and fauna, wild rivers, striking rock formations and historic ruins; and

     WHEREAS, the Kiowa national grasslands is located in the northern section of Harding county and is part of a national grasslands system that covers two hundred sixty-three thousand nine hundred fifty-four acres scattered throughout New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma; and

     WHEREAS, dinosaur tracks start at Mosquero creek and stretch northward through New Mexico and southeastern Colorado; and

     WHEREAS, Harding county is home to cowboys and cowgirls and colorful characters like Bob Wills, who was a barber in a Roy barbershop in his pre-Texas Playboys music days; and

     WHEREAS, Harding county residents are a blend of Hispanic and Anglo cultures; and

     WHEREAS, much of the personal income in Harding county is from cattle ranching; and

     WHEREAS, Harding county boasts blue skies with three hundred sixty days of sunshine per year; and

     WHEREAS, Harding county was founded on preserving the principles of patriotism, prosperity and progress; and

     WHEREAS, residents of Harding county dedicate themselves to promoting harmony and the social welfare of people and protecting the rights of people;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the great people and great places of Harding county be recognized on its one hundredth birthday; and

     BE IT RESOLVED that March 4, 2021 be declared "Harding County Day" in the house of representatives; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the members of the board of county commissioners of Harding county.

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