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| 1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that we remember those who | ||||||
| 3 | contributed to the betterment of the State of
Illinois; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, Captain Joseph Laur was born in Indian Village, | ||||||
| 5 | St. Francois, Lower Canada on March 14,
1814, one of 6 children | ||||||
| 6 | of Charles and Luch Laur; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Captain Joseph Laur emigrated from Canada to | ||||||
| 8 | Lincoln, Massachusetts in 1833; after
working there for a few | ||||||
| 9 | years, he began flat-boating around 1839 on the Ohio and | ||||||
| 10 | Mississippi rivers, hauling
merchandise from Pittsburgh, | ||||||
| 11 | Pennsylvania to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he would sell the | ||||||
| 12 | merchandise, dismantle the boat,
sell the lumber, and return on | ||||||
| 13 | foot by way of the Natchez Trace, which was being traversed by | ||||||
| 14 | a
constant stream of boatman during that era; and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, Captain Joseph Laur established a permanent home | ||||||
| 16 | in Knob Prairie in Jefferson County in
1841; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, Captain Joseph Laur mustered into the Union Army | ||||||
| 18 | on October 19, 1861 as a First
Lieutenant in Company K, | ||||||
| 19 | Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commanded by Col.
W.R. | ||||||
| 20 | Morrison; and | ||||||
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Captain Joseph Laur was promoted to Captain on | ||||||
| 2 | June 10, 1862 and thus earned the nickname
"Cap"; he fought at | ||||||
| 3 | the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, the Red River | ||||||
| 4 | expedition, and
the siege of Vicksburg; he was injured in | ||||||
| 5 | combat and discharged in September of 1865; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Captain Joseph Laur was awarded the contract on | ||||||
| 7 | Star Route 11799 and served each
post office from Ashley to | ||||||
| 8 | Moore's Prairie; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Captain Joseph Laur died on June 8, 1895; during | ||||||
| 10 | his time, Williamsburg became Old Town
and was superseded by | ||||||
| 11 | Waltonville; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, Captain Joseph Laur's service to the United States | ||||||
| 13 | and the State of Illinois has greatly
benefited the surrounding | ||||||
| 14 | communities; therefore, be it
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| 15 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 16 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | ||||||
| 17 | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the Big Muddy | ||||||
| 18 | Bridge east of
Waltonville on IL Route 148 as the "Captain | ||||||
| 19 | Joseph Laur Memorial Bridge"; and be it further | ||||||
| 20 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation | ||||||
| 21 | is requested to erect at suitable locations,
consistent with | ||||||
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| 1 | State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs | ||||||
| 2 | giving notice of the name
"Captain Joseph Laur Memorial | ||||||
| 3 | Bridge"; and be it further
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| 4 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 5 | presented to the Secretary of the Department of
Transportation, | ||||||
| 6 | the Mayor of Waltonville, and the family of Captain Joseph | ||||||
| 7 | Laur.
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