HR0562 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0562 LRB096 13537 GRL 28285 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor the organizers of the Trask Bridge Picnic Tribute for their work in paying tribute to the old Trask Bridge Picnic; and

WHEREAS, In the fall of 1909, the Burritt Grange #1759 was organized; the newly formed Burritt Grange was officially chartered on January 10, 1910; and

WHEREAS, In the fall of 1910, four Burritt farmers decided to set up a local Harvest Picnic for their area; after making big plans for the event and arranging for various dealers and entertainment vendors to attend, the farmers held the first picnic in late August of 1909 on the Scott farm on Cemetery Road; hoping to have as many as 150 people show up for the picnic, the men were shocked to find that over 1,000 people arrived from northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS, With the original picnic a resounding success, the Burritt farmers, exhausted from their tireless work, decided to get the Burritt Grange to sponsor the following year's picnic; after the group agreed to sponsor the event, the Trask Bridge Picnic was born; the picnic of 1911 was held in Andrew's Grove, where many school picnics, Sunday School picnics, and family gatherings were held; the picnics were continually held in Andrew's Grove until 1965, with the exception of 1932, when a new highway was being built, and 1942 to 1945, due to the ongoing struggle of World War II; and

WHEREAS, At the height of the Trask Bridge Picnic's success, as many as 50,000 to 60,000 people attended the picnic, which was always a one-day affair from 8:00 A.M. until 7:00 P.M.; unfortunately, as time went on, procuring help for the picnic became harder to come by and the picnic came to an end on August 26, 1965; and

WHEREAS, Starting in 2004, an annual Trask Bridge Picnic Tribute was held on a smaller scale than the original picnic in order to celebrate the heritage of the original event and to renew old acquaintances in the area; the Tribute Picnic is currently sponsored by the Burritt Museum; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor the organizers of the Trask Bridge Picnic Tribute for their work and wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the organizers of the Trask Bridge Picnic Tribute as a symbol of our esteem and respect.