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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate the residents of the
4Village of Gilberts on the occasion of the Village's 125th
5anniversary; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The beginning of human settlement in the Village
7of Gilberts can be traced back prior to the War of 1812; at
8that time, various Native American tribes, including the
9Blackhawks, Algonquin, and Pottowatomies inhabited the rolling
10hills of the region; after the War of 1812, the tribes were
11taken off the land and the area became officially opened for
12white settlement in the 1820s; and
 
13    WHEREAS, In the spring of 1836, E.R. Starks and Elijah Rich
14filed claims to what would become Rutland Township, named after
15the Vermont city that had been their home before traveling to
16the Illinois frontier; the history of the Village of Gilberts
17begins with their official claims on this land; soon, the
18Starks, Hills, Moores, Lynches, and McCornack families took up
19claims in this township and contributed to the development of
20this area; in 1839, Albro Gilberts arrived, establishing his
21farm in what is now the center of Gilberts; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Rutlandville was now flourishing and farming

 

 

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1became the way of life with a few businesses opening to serve
2the farmers; the first post office was established around this
3time approximately 2 miles from Pingree Grove; growth within
4Rutlandville was emerging outward from Albro Gilberts' farm and
5the culture of this area began to develop; Rutlandville was
6noted to be a "Demographic Town", with local chapters of the
7Patrons of Husbandry forming and the "grange" becoming an
8important part of the social and political life of the area;
9and
 
10    WHEREAS, A key factor in the growth of the area was its
11proximity to the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, now the
12Union Pacific Railroad; around the year 1852, a post office was
13established near the railroad station and was named Gilberts
14Station; soon after, the surrounding area of this establishment
15was also known as Gilberts Station; and
 
16    WHEREAS, In 1855, Elijah Wilcox, and Andrew Pingree bought
17Gilberts' farm and platted the village; because of Albro
18Gilberts' great presence and establishment in this area,
19Gilberts Station was renamed Gilberts in his honor; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In 1868, David Haegar, founder of Haegar Pottery,
21started construction on what would become the largest tile and
22brick factory in Illinois; by 1875, Gilberts was a thriving
23community, featuring a train station, 2 blacksmith shops, a

 

 

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1steam feed mill, 2 grocery stores, livestock sales barns, a
2wagon shop, a drug store, a lumber store, several saloons, a
3dance hall, a local jail, 2 milk processing companies, an
4elementary school, and the St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran
5Church; the Brick and Tile Company was finally completed in
61882 and employed about 20 people; and
 
7    WHEREAS, In 1890, Gilberts was incorporated as a town with
8a board of trustees, a village president, and a local
9self-government; and
 
10    WHEREAS, When the Great Depression hit, life in Gilberts
11changed drastically; many businesses went under, causing the
12men to look for work outside of the community and leaving the
13farmers with no place to shop; the railway trains were also
14brought to a standstill, abolishing the transport of milk to
15Chicago that was vital to the Village's success; the Village's
16misfortunes continued through World War II; and
 
17    WHEREAS, In 1956, the construction of the
18Chicago-Northwest Tollway started a renewal in the Village;
19although there was not a direct access to the road, it did spur
20interest in further development in Gilberts; in the mid-1960s,
21a light industrial manufacturing area was established off of
22Route 72 and the core of the village was enhanced by 4 new
23subdivisions; by the 1970s, the first industrial park was

 

 

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1constructed along the southeast subdivisions and as growth
2continued, a second and eventually third industrial park were
3established; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Today, the Village of Gilberts continues its
5robust growth in population and light industrial
6manufacturing, but continues to remain true to its original
7identity and character; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
9NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
10congratulate the residents of the Village of Gilberts on the
11occasion of the Village's 125th anniversary and wish them
12continued success and happiness in the future; and be it
13further
 
14    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15presented to the Village of Gilberts as a symbol of our esteem
16and respect.