HR1166 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1166 LRB094 20221 HSS 58151 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The city of DeKalb celebrates the 150th anniversary of its founding this year; and

WHEREAS, Vermont native Russell Huntley arrived in the area in 1837 and is considered the founder of DeKalb; he was soon followed by his brother, Lewis; the area was originally known as Huntley's Grove, then Buena Vista, DeKalb Centre, and finally DeKalb; Russell Huntley was the first Postmaster; and

WHEREAS, Russell and Lewis Huntley surveyed and platted the village with the coming of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad in 1853; in 1856 the town was organized as a city under the general act of the legislature of the State of Illinois; there have been a total of 26 mayors since 1877; and

WHEREAS, Joseph F. Glidden and his brothers arrived in 1842, in search of new, productive farmlands; Mr. Glidden and another farmer, Jacob Haish, each independently developed a wire fence using barbs to confine animals and keep them out of their crops; on November 24, 1874, Mr. Glidden received U.S. Patent 157124 for his invention known as "the winner", which would help settle the west; DeKalb has been known ever since as the "Barb City"; Mr. Glidden and hardware merchant Isaac Ellwood would form the Barb Fence Company that grew into the American Steel and Wire Company and produced barbed wire and other steel products in DeKalb for over half a century; and

WHEREAS, DeKalb's rich agricultural soils and innovative farmers led to the creation of the DeKalb County Soil Improvement Association in 1912, forerunner of the DeKalb County Farm Bureau, the first such group of its kind in the nation; there soon followed the DeKalb County Agricultural Association, which in 1934 marketed the first hybrid seed corn; this company went on to become DeKalb Genetics Corporation, now a division of Monsanto Corporation; and

WHEREAS, The DeKalb County Agricultural Association, located in DeKalb, also went on to market the first hybrid wheat and sorghum and played a major role in the use of biotechnology for corn and soybean seed trait development; and

WHEREAS, Religious denominations began organizing in the early 1840s; among the congregations formed in the 19th century were the Baptists, Congregationalists, Catholics, Swedish (First) Lutherans, Adventists, Methodists, Episcopalians, Bethlehem (Finnish) Lutherans, and Christian Scientists; many others have followed; and

WHEREAS, The banking firm of Hamlin & Hunt commenced operations in 1859; its direct successors included Rufus Hopkins & Company, Lott & Baird, J.D. Lott & Company, DeKalb National Bank, First National Bank of DeKalb, First National Bank in DeKalb, and Castle Bank (started in Sandwich in 1856); and

WHEREAS, Today's Daily Chronicle newspaper was first published on March 8, 1879, under Editor Clinton Rosette; Joseph F. Glidden subsequently acquired ownership, and it has been in continuous operation for 127 years; and

WHEREAS, DeKalb has had a fire department since 1869 and a police department since 1885; the DeKalb Public Library was established in 1893; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Legislature approved the passage of a bill in 1895 creating the Northern Illinois State Normal School, which would be located in DeKalb; it became Northern Illinois University in 1957 and is noted for excellence in teaching, discovery, and outreach; more than 25,000 students study there and nearly 200,000 alumni call NIU their alma mater; and

WHEREAS, DeKalb has had its medical needs served over the years by a series of public and private hospitals; these have included St. Mary's Hospital (1922-1966), Glidden Memorial/DeKalb Public (1922-1975), and Kishwaukee Community Hospital (since December 27, 1975); a new state-of-the-art hospital is currently under construction; and

WHEREAS, The Joseph F. Glidden House & Barn, Ellwood House, Egyptian Theatre, Gurler House, and DeKalb Public (Haish Memorial) Library are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and

WHEREAS, The DeKalb Park District was established in 1935, and now administers 46 facilities for public enjoyment; the President of the Park District, David Mason, serves as 2006 chairman of the Illinois Park District Board of Trustees; summer concerts are given at Hopkins Park by the DeKalb Municipal Band, organized in 1854; the Park District was the winner in 2003 of a National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Parks & Recreation presented in St. Louis at the NRPA Congress annual meeting; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the 150th anniversary of the city of DeKalb; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the city of DeKalb as an expression of our esteem.