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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate the Kewanee Park District
4on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Kewanee Park District was founded in 1919 by
6Kewanee resident and industrial magnate Emerit E. Baker; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Emerit E. Baker was born on April 10, 1855 on a
8rural farm near Aurora; and
 
9    WHEREAS, At the age of only 15, Emerit E. Baker left home
10and went to work in Chicago for the Anderson Steamer and Heater
11Company as an office boy; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Emerit E. Baker eventually moved to the
13headquarters of the Anderson Steamer and Heater Company in
14Kewanee and worked his way up, eventually becoming a member of
15the board; and
 
16    WHEREAS, When the Anderson Steamer and Heater Company sold
17its boiler business to focus on tubing, Emerit E. Baker saw an
18opportunity and purchased the boiler company; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Emerit E. Baker became the president of the newly

 

 

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1created Kewanee Boiler Company, which sold boilers all over the
2world and even installed a Kewanee boiler in the Statue of
3Liberty; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Emerit E. Baker was a noted leader and
5philanthropist in the community of Kewanee; he helped organize
6the local Rotary Club in 1917 and served as the village
7president and even as a volunteer fire fighter; and
 
8    WHEREAS, In 1919, Emerit E. Baker announced at a Chamber of
9Commerce meeting that he would donate $50,000 toward a park
10system if the people of Kewanee would pass a referendum to
11establish a park system and match his donation by authorizing a
12matching $50,000 in bonds; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The bond was approved by the people, and Emerit E.
14Baker was elected the first president of the Kewanee Park
15Board; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Five parks would ultimately become a part of the
17Kewanee Park District, including Northeast Park, Chautauqua
18Park, Windmont Park, Liberty Park, and Baker Park, named after
19Emerit E. Baker; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In 1924, Emerit E. Baker established a foundation,
21E.E. Baker Incorporated, and funded it with $400,000 dollars in

 

 

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1stocks and bonds in order to fund the Elks Crippled Children's
2Clinic, the Kewanee Public Library, and the Kewanee Park
3District; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The Kewanee Park District's trust is worth nearly
5$1.3 million today, a legacy of the generosity of Emerit E.
6Baker; and
 
7    WHEREAS, To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Kewanee
8Park District, the park district will host celebrations during
9the course of the summer that include music and games;
10therefore, be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
12HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
13we congratulate the Kewanee Park District on the occasion of
14its 100th anniversary and celebrate the legacy of Emerit E.
15Baker; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
17presented to the Kewanee Park Board of Commissioners as a
18symbol of our respect and esteem.