HR0931 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0931 LRB094 19646 HSS 56043 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives are pleased to recognize significant milestones for communities of our State; and

WHEREAS, The Village of Creston is celebrating its 150th birthday on August 11, 2006; and

WHEREAS, In 1836, John Brodie, from Ohio, was the first settler in the area known as Brodie's Grove, located north of the present Village of Creston; and

WHEREAS, Benjamin Worden, Elias Snively, Henry Sharer, and others from as far away as Canada and California began to settle in the area; and

WHEREAS, As more land in the vicinity became occupied, a village was founded and named Brodie's Grove; and

WHEREAS, In 1853-1854, the building of the Chicago and Galena railroad brought even more settlers to the area; and

WHEREAS, The town of Dement was surveyed on July 11, 1855, and in 1856 Dement Township became separated from Flagg Township; and

WHEREAS, The name of the town of Dement was changed to Creston when a stranger riding the train stepped off and remarked about the little village on the crest of the hill; the town's name was officially changed to Creston on August 11, 1869; and

WHEREAS, The Creston Opera House was built in 1875 by a stock company; purchased in 1959 from Dement Township by the Creston Booster Club, it has been the site of hundreds of events ranging from church services to medicine shows to family reunions, as well as plays and musicals; it was also the home of the first Creston-Dement Library; and

WHEREAS, The Creston Booster Club was organized in 1956 by a group of men dedicated to the betterment of the community; celebrating 50 years of existence this year, the Club has financially helped all three churches in town, the grade school, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, 4-H, the library, and various other organizations when help was needed; and

WHEREAS, The Creston-Dement Library was organized in 1985 as a volunteer, not-for-profit library; in 1989 the library was named the Illinois State winner for Family Circle Magazine's "Leaders of Readers" Award; on March 17, 1992, the residents of Creston voted to approve the formation of a library district which would provide taxes for library operation; at the same time, the Creston-Dement Park District was formed; and

WHEREAS, The Creston Opera House Repertoire Nucleus Conducting Off Broadway Scenarios (C.O.H.R.N. C.O.B.S.), a community theater group, was organized in 1989; the group holds an annual theatrical production to raise money for the continuation of the Opera House and donations to the Booster Club; and

WHEREAS, Creston Grade School continually boasts high test scores on mandatory State tests, and the town is proud to keep its small school atmosphere and individualized attention for students; in the Rockford Register Star's Sunday, March 9, 2003 edition, the school was applauded as having top ISAT scores, which were 23 points higher than the statewide average; and

WHEREAS, In 1994, Creston was voted "Best Little Town in America" by the Jack Daniels Corporation; the village is now in the process of renovating the Opera House and improving the downtown merchant area; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we proclaim August 11, 2006, as the Village of Creston's 150th birthday in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Village of Creston as an expression of our esteem and with best wishes for a prosperous future.