HR0511 LRB094 12544 HSS 47165 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, During the weekend of June 17, 2005, the Village
3 of Cerro Gordo will celebrate its 150th anniversary; and
 
4     WHEREAS, The name Cerro Gordo is of Mexican origin and
5 means "Fat Hill"; the name was given to the town in 1855 in
6 honor of John S. "Cerro Gordo" Williams, who commanded some
7 forces and some early citizens who fought and were wounded in
8 the heroic battle at the mountain pass of Cerro Gordo, Mexico,
9 in the Mexican War from 1845 to 1848; and
 
10     WHEREAS, One notable souvenir of the war was the cork leg
11 of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna who unfortunately lost
12 it to the 4th Regiment Illinois Volunteers; this group later
13 became the Illinois National Guard, and the cork leg now has a
14 place of honor in the Guard's museum in Springfield; and
 
15     WHEREAS, A stagecoach driver is said to be the first to
16 call the community Cerro Gordo; the first store in Cerro Gordo
17 was established in 1856 by Andrew McKinney and A.L. Rogers; in
18 1865, the first brick house was built and the first brick
19 school building was erected; the first newspaper, The Cerro
20 Gordo News, was established in 1883; in 1889, a tornado struck
21 the town; fortunately, no one was killed; a soldiers' reunion
22 was held in 1890, which brought hundreds of visitors to the
23 town; in 1892, a tragic fire wiped out five stores; and
 
24     WHEREAS, In 1912, the Rev. S.W. Thorton claimed that the
25 Methodist Episcopal Sunday School class of 230 was the largest
26 in the nation; in 1934, Van Horn Seed Corn was started; a town
27 icon passed away in 1954, Dr. James G. Lamb had practiced
28 medicine in Cerro Gordo for 41 years and had delivered more
29 than 1,000 babies; in 1963, the State Bank of Cerro Gordo was
30 robbed of $5,632; the out-of-state robbers were apprehended and
31 convicted; and
 

 

 

HR0511 - 2 - LRB094 12544 HSS 47165 r

1     WHEREAS, Today, Cerro Gordo is a community of 1,436,
2 located about 12 miles east of Decatur on Route 105 and Route
3 32; the Village has a new grade school, a middle school, and a
4 high school; there are many businesses in the Village,
5 providing for the needs of citizens; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The Village is overseen by President James K.
7 Morgan, and the Board of Trustees; they are Jerry Morris, Rod
8 Forbes, Brad Williams, Lyle Shoraga, Mike Songer, and Don
9 Ritchie; the Village employs a police chief and 3 part-time
10 officers; and
 
11     WHEREAS, The Village and several groups keep the youth
12 entertained in the summer with Youth League ball, summer
13 reading programs, and park recreation; and
 
14     WHEREAS, In honor of the 150th anniversary of the founding
15 of Cerro Gordo there are many festivities and displays planned
16 including, a children's parade, bed races, King Family
17 fireworks, a horseshoe tournament, children's games, 3-on-3
18 basketball, antique trucks, tractors, an ice carving demo, a
19 book signing by author Richard Peck, a chicken dinner, a
20 pageant about Cerro Gordo, the Bement Country Opry, a quilt
21 exhibit, old time baseball, Jack Russell Terrier races, and
22 cake and ice cream; therefore, be it
 
23     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
24 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
25 we congratulate the Village of Cerro Gordo on the occasion of
26 its 150th anniversary; and be it further
 
27     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
28 presented to the Village of Cerro Gordo as an expression of our
29 esteem and with best wishes for a wonderful celebration and
30 success in the future.