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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate Pease's Candy, located in
4Springfield, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and
 
5    WHEREAS, In the early 1900s, Martin A. Pease Sr., a watch
6maker by trade, began making candies out of his Canton, Ohio
7home; and
 
8    WHEREAS, In 1917, Martin Pease moved to Bloomington and
9shortly thereafter went into the candy business full time,
10hawking his homemade caramels and chocolates to moviegoers at
11the Majestic Theater in Bloomington with his six sons; and
 
12    WHEREAS, When the Great Depression ravaged the nation,
13Martin Pease founded two more candy stores owned by his two
14youngest sons, one in Decatur and one in Springfield, because
15the single store in Bloomington could not support the whole
16family; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Martin Pease Jr., the youngest son of Martin Pease
18Sr., went to extraordinary efforts to keep the candy business
19afloat during the Great Depression, even eating leftover candy
20for dinner when sales were slow; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The business was eventually bought by Bob Flesher,
2Martin Pease Jr.'s nephew, and is now co-owned by Rob Flesher
3and Doug Anderson, who continue the proud tradition of quality
4and consistency set forth by Martin Pease, Sr. and continued in
5the family for four generations; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Pease's Candy continues to innovate in the
7marketplace, partnering with BUNN Gourmet, a Springfield-based
8company known worldwide for its home and commercial beverage
9products, to jointly open a store at 2941 Plaza Drive in
10Springfield; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The original Pease's still operates out of a
12storefront at 1701 South State Street and has established
13itself as a Springfield staple known throughout the Midwest for
14its confections, specialty candies, and chocolate shoes; and
 
15    WHEREAS, For the past 100 years, Pease's Candy has been a
16proud part of the Springfield community; therefore, be it
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
18HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
19recognize the 100th anniversary of Pease's Candy, and we wish
20it many more years of success; and be it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

 

 

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1presented to the ownership and employees of Pease's Candy as a
2symbol of our respect and esteem.