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“TRIBUTE TO CRYSTAL CITY IN ZAVALA COUNTY, TEXAS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2640 on Dec. 19, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO CRYSTAL CITY IN ZAVALA COUNTY, TEXAS
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HON. CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ
of texas
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the historic 100 year anniversary of the founding of Crystal City in Zavala County in the great State of Texas.
In 1907, two land developers, Carl F. Groos and E.J. Buckingham, set about developing this town on the site of the 10,000-acre Cross S Ranch, which they purchased in 1905. In 1908 the arrival of a railroad set the foundation for the city's development as a processing, packing, and shipping center for vegetables, and in particular the locally grown spinach.
Originally named for its crystal clear artesian wells, today Crystal City is known as the ``Spinach Capital of the World.'' Texas Governor James V. Alfred bestowed the title on the city after the First Annual Spinach Festival was held there in 1936. Staking claim to its spinach status, Crystal City is also home to a larger than life statue of Elzie C. Segar's Popeye. The well known sailor that is ``strong to the finish
`cause he still eats his spinach'' also serves as the Annual Spinach Festival mascot. Crystal City's landmark Popeye statue was erected in 1937 and dedicated ``To All the World's Children.''
The Spinach Festival centers on the agricultural heritage of the region and is held every second weekend in November. The three day festival attracts over 60,000 people to Crystal City and celebrates the production and consumption of spinach. Throughout its history, the festival has been recognized in issues of National Geographic, Texas Highway, and Texas Monthly magazines, and by the publishers of the Special Event Industry and Event Business News. In 1945 the California Packing Corporation, later the Del Monte Corporation, built an extensive canning plant just northwest of Crystal City.
Today, Crystal City still serves as the center for Texas's ``Winter Garden'' region, an area named for its year-round production of vegetables by irrigation.
This community of over 7,000 people has a historically significant past. During World War II, Crystal City was home to the largest alien internment camp housing American civilians of German, Italian and Japanese ancestry. On November 1, 1947, more than two years after the end of World War II, the Crystal City internment camp was formally closed.
In the 1960s, Crystal City was also at the center of the beginning of the Mexican-American civil rights movement. In 1969, a conflict arising from the ethnicity of cheerleaders resulted in 200 Mexican-American students staging a walk-out from the high school, that soon spread to the middle and elementary schools. The U.S. Department of Justice became involved in the dispute and ultimately negotiated a settlement that paved the way for bilingual education and better testing programs.
Crystal City's rich--and sometimes turbulent--past has made it what it is today, a shining example of a truly American community.
I am proud to represent the people of Crystal City and to recognize the city upon its 100th anniversary.
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