HR0055 LRB094 07100 CSA 37245 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The City of Arcola will celebrate its
3 Sesquicentennial Homecoming on July 9-10, 2005; Arcola was
4 incorporated in 1873; and
 
5     WHEREAS, One hundred and fifty years of Amazing Arcola -
6 the city that moved from the river to the railroad, had to take
7 a new name, and became famous for broomcorn, football, and
8 Raggedy Ann; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The City of Arcola, population 2,652, is located
10 in Douglas County; on October 22, 1855, a surveyor from Coles
11 County laid out a small piece of ground a half-mile wide, with
12 the Illinois Central Railroad cutting right through the middle,
13 and the new little settlement was called Okaw; and
 
14     WHEREAS, When the town of Okaw applied for a postal permit,
15 they were told there was already a town named Okaw with a post
16 office, so Okaw was renamed Arcola; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Arcola's Colonel Cofer brought a few bushels of
18 broomcorn seed and planted twenty acres; the seed produced a
19 fine product and many area farmers began growing fields of
20 broomcorn, making this area "Broomcorn Capital of the World";
21 and
 
22     WHEREAS, Johnny Gruelle, the creator of Raggedy Ann and
23 Andy, was born in Arcola and Arcola has a Johnny Gruelle
24 Raggedy Ann and Andy Museum; and
 
25     WHEREAS, Arcola is also the entry point to Illinois'
26 largest Amish settlement and the Illinois Amish Interpretive
27 Center and Amish country tours; and
 
28     WHEREAS, Arcola has a quaint downtown area with lots of

 

 

HR0055 - 2 - LRB094 07100 CSA 37245 r

1 unique shops and historically-restored buildings; some of the
2 churches and the library are the original buildings; Arcola is
3 home to the Arcola Purple Riders and the Famous Arcola Lawn
4 Rangers; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Several activities during the Sesquicentennial
6 Homecoming are being planned, along with the reopening of the
7 centennial vault; therefore, be it
 
8     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
9 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
10 we congratulate the City of Arcola on the occasion of its
11 Sesquicentennial Homecoming celebration; and be it further
 
12     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13 presented to the City of Arcola as an expression of our esteem.