HR0050 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0050 LRB097 10449 GRL 50672 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the citizens of the City of Lake Forest on the occasion of the city's 150th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, The rich history of the City of Lake Forest began in 1835, when Michael Meehan built his homestead near Old Telegraph Road; in 1846, Lake Forest's first post office was established near present-day Waukegan Road and Route 60; in 1857, Lind University, which would eventually become Lake Forest College, was chartered; and

WHEREAS, On February 21, 1861, The City of Lake Forest received its charter; Harvey M. Thompson was subsequently chosen to serve as mayor of Lake Forest; Lake Forest's first public elementary school, Quinlan School, was opened at Walnut and Washington Roads the following year; and

WHEREAS, The City of Lake Forest continued to grow steadily throughout the late 1800s; in 1894, the first consolidated K-12 public school in Lake Forest, Central School, opened on Illinois Road; in 1895, telephone service was established in Lake Forest and the city's first police officer, James Gordon, was appointed; by 1896, the Highland Park Electric Light Company brought electricity to Lake Forest; and

WHEREAS, In 1898, the Lake Forest City Hall was constructed at Deerpath and Forest Avenue; that same year, the City established a public library, appointed the first library board, and established the Lake Forest Fire Department; and

WHEREAS, The arrival of the 20th century brought a period of robust growth to the City of Lake Forest; in 1917, Market Square, called "the first integrated and artfully designed shopping center in the country" was completed at a cost of $750,000; in 1923, the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Kiwanis Club was established; the Deerpath Theater was opened in 1928, followed by the construction of the Lake Forest Library in 1931; by 1942, the Lake Forest Hospital was completed; and

WHEREAS, The City of Lake Forest continued its pattern of prosperity in the latter half of the 20th century; the provisions for the creation of a Chicago Bears training facility at Lake Forest College were finalized in 1981; by 2000, the population of Lake Forest swelled to 20,059; and

WHEREAS, The City of Lake Forest will celebrate its 150th anniversary on February 22, 2011, when the Lake Forest City Council will perform a reenactment of the signing of the City charter; and

WHEREAS, The City of Lake Forest and its citizens serve as models of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the citizens of the City of Lake Forest on the occasion of the city's 150th anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to James Cowhey, Mayor of the City of Lake Forest, as a symbol of our esteem and respect.