HR0949 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0949 LRB104 22237 ECR 38564 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Vermilion County on its Bicentennial anniversary and celebration during the 250th anniversary of the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, Vermilion County was named after the Vermilion River, which passes through the county into the Wabash River in Indiana near Cayuga, with the river being named after the color of the soil along its route; and

WHEREAS, Vermilion County was under the flag of France as part of New France from 1682 to 1763; it was taken over by Great Britain for 15 years after the French and Indian War, and it became a part of the colonies after the Revolutionary War when the area was surrendered to Virginia, becoming known as the Illinois County of Virginia; later, the area became a part of the Indiana Territory, then the Illinois Territory, and finally the State of Illinois; Vermilion County was officially created from a portion of Edgar County on January 18, 1826; and

WHEREAS, Vermilion County's saline springs attracted many early settlers, including Joseph Barron, an interpreter of Native American languages, who was present at the Vermilion Salines as early as 1801; the production of salt from the springs proved to be profitable when salt became less expensive from 1822 to 1829; and

WHEREAS, Many settlers in Vermilion County came from Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, Virginia, and western North Carolina due to their opposition to slavery; some of these settlers were members of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, and they founded the settlement of Vermilion Grove in the southern part of the county, establishing one of the county's first settlements and the site of the county's second public school; and

WHEREAS, Farmers turned the rich, black soil of Vermilion County to produce food and also raised cattle and hogs, and in the mid nineteenth century, coal became the leading industry in the county; and

WHEREAS, Vermilion County had many of its residents serve in the Winnebago War, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, and the county has many heroes who merit decorations for valor and bravery; and

WHEREAS, The Town of Westville in Vermilion County was laid out by William P. and Elizabeth West in May 1873, and by 1885, the town was thriving after Mike Kelly started several coal mines in the area; this later led to the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Rail line running through Westville, and a now memorialized train depot was built where passengers would purchase their tickets and coal miners would wait for their trains; and

WHEREAS, Westville will be having a Freedom Celebration from June 8 through June 14, 2026, which will include activities and events at the Westville American Legion, such as a patriotic home decorating contest and a celebration of Latoz Hardware's 80th anniversary; the Westville Depot and Historical Museum will be having an open house on June 12 and 13, and June 14 will close the events with a variety of activities, including a patriotic golf cart parade, a vendor's fair, a flea market at St. Mary's Parish grounds, and a vintage baseball game at Youhas Field; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Vermilion County on its Bicentennial anniversary and celebration during the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, and we commend all of the contributions by its leaders and families who have impacted the health of their community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the organizer of Westville's Freedom Celebration and a representative of the Westville Depot and Historical Museum as an expression of our esteem and respect.