HR0379 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0379 LRB099 11752 GRL 33618 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the residents of the Village of Gilberts on the occasion of the Village's 125th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, The beginning of human settlement in the Village of Gilberts can be traced back prior to the War of 1812; at that time, various Native American tribes, including the Blackhawks, Algonquin, and Pottowatomies inhabited the rolling hills of the region; after the War of 1812, the tribes were taken off the land and the area became officially opened for white settlement in the 1820s; and

WHEREAS, In the spring of 1836, E.R. Starks and Elijah Rich filed claims to what would become Rutland Township, named after the Vermont city that had been their home before traveling to the Illinois frontier; the history of the Village of Gilberts begins with their official claims on this land; soon, the Starks, Hills, Moores, Lynches, and McCornack families took up claims in this township and contributed to the development of this area; in 1839, Albro Gilberts arrived, establishing his farm in what is now the center of Gilberts; and

WHEREAS, Rutlandville was now flourishing and farming became the way of life with a few businesses opening to serve the farmers; the first post office was established around this time approximately 2 miles from Pingree Grove; growth within Rutlandville was emerging outward from Albro Gilberts' farm and the culture of this area began to develop; Rutlandville was noted to be a "Demographic Town", with local chapters of the Patrons of Husbandry forming and the "grange" becoming an important part of the social and political life of the area; and

WHEREAS, A key factor in the growth of the area was its proximity to the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, now the Union Pacific Railroad; around the year 1852, a post office was established near the railroad station and was named Gilberts Station; soon after, the surrounding area of this establishment was also known as Gilberts Station; and

WHEREAS, In 1855, Elijah Wilcox, and Andrew Pingree bought Gilberts' farm and platted the village; because of Albro Gilberts' great presence and establishment in this area, Gilberts Station was renamed Gilberts in his honor; and

WHEREAS, In 1868, David Haegar, founder of Haegar Pottery, started construction on what would become the largest tile and brick factory in Illinois; by 1875, Gilberts was a thriving community, featuring a train station, 2 blacksmith shops, a steam feed mill, 2 grocery stores, livestock sales barns, a wagon shop, a drug store, a lumber store, several saloons, a dance hall, a local jail, 2 milk processing companies, an elementary school, and the St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church; the Brick and Tile Company was finally completed in 1882 and employed about 20 people; and

WHEREAS, In 1890, Gilberts was incorporated as a town with a board of trustees, a village president, and a local self-government; and

WHEREAS, When the Great Depression hit, life in Gilberts changed drastically; many businesses went under, causing the men to look for work outside of the community and leaving the farmers with no place to shop; the railway trains were also brought to a standstill, abolishing the transport of milk to Chicago that was vital to the Village's success; the Village's misfortunes continued through World War II; and

WHEREAS, In 1956, the construction of the Chicago-Northwest Tollway started a renewal in the Village; although there was not a direct access to the road, it did spur interest in further development in Gilberts; in the mid-1960s, a light industrial manufacturing area was established off of Route 72 and the core of the village was enhanced by 4 new subdivisions; by the 1970s, the first industrial park was constructed along the southeast subdivisions and as growth continued, a second and eventually third industrial park were established; and

WHEREAS, Today, the Village of Gilberts continues its robust growth in population and light industrial manufacturing, but continues to remain true to its original identity and character; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the residents of the Village of Gilberts on the occasion of the Village's 125th 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 the Village of Gilberts as a symbol of our esteem and respect.