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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives wish to recognize the 150th anniversary of 
4Joseph F. Glidden filing his patent for barbed wire; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Farmer Joseph Glidden, along with hardware 
6merchant Isaac Ellwood and carpenter Jacob Haish, crafted the 
7idea for a barbed wire fence upon witnessing a fence board with 
8projecting barb points at an agricultural fair in September 
91873; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Joseph Glidden and his wife, Lucinda, 
11experimented at the Glidden Homestead using a modified coffee 
12mill and a grindstone to create the first practical strand of 
13barbed wire; and
 
14    WHEREAS, At the age of 61, Joseph Glidden traveled to 
15Chicago to file a patent for his new invention on November 24, 
161874; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Joseph Glidden and Isaac Ellwood built the 
18world's first barbed wire factory in 1875; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Barbed wire played a significant role in settling 
20the American West, where it became popular due to its 
 
 
HR0635- 2 -LRB103 39724 ECR 70174 r

1durability and affordability; and
 
2    WHEREAS, In 1895, Joseph Glidden, Isaac Ellwood, and Jacob 
3Haish, along with journalist Clinton Rosette, founded what is 
4now Northern Illinois University with part of the land where 
5the idea for barbed wire originated; and
 
6    WHEREAS, By the time of Joseph Glidden's death, Isaac 
7Ellwood estimated that their factory had produced enough 
8barbed wire to circle the earth 17 times, earning DeKalb the 
9nickname of "The Barb City" to this day; therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
11HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
12we recognize the 150th anniversary of Joseph F. Glidden filing 
13his patent for barbed wire; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
15presented to the Joseph F. Glidden Homestead and Historical 
16Center as an expression of our esteem and respect.