HR0918 LRB095 18661 GRL 44750 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate the citizens of the
4 Village of Buffalo Grove on the occasion of the 50th
5 anniversary of their village; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The history of Buffalo Grove began in the 1840's,
7 when German immigrant farmers, including Melchior Raupp, John
8 Simon Hennemann, and Jacob Weidner, began inhabiting the lands
9 native to the Pottawatomi tribe; between the 1840's and 1950's,
10 the area now known as Buffalo Grove became a farming community;
11 and
 
12     WHEREAS, After World War II, the new demand for
13 single-family homes outside of Chicago led to a wave of
14 "suburban settlers" in the Buffalo Grove area; one of these new
15 settlers, Al Frank, purchased about 100 acres and began
16 building 1,000 square foot homes that would become the backbone
17 of residential development in the area; and
 
18     WHEREAS, On March 6, 1958, incorporation of the Village of
19 Buffalo Grove was approved by a vote of 38 to 8; a Cook County
20 court approved the incorporation the following day; the
21 population of this new village was 162, with 42 homes; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, The Village of Buffalo Grove's first election was
2 held on March 27, 1958; the first village president was William
3 Clohessy, who served until April of 1959; his wife, Paula,
4 served as the first village clerk, the village's first village
5 board meetings were held in an old farmhouse; in 1958, the
6 Buffalo Grove Village Board established a plan commission and a
7 park and recreation commission; in the same year, the first
8 volunteer chief of police, Arthur Dick, was appointed; in 1959,
9 the village hired a professional planner to create a
10 comprehensive village land use plan, which enabled the village
11 to avoid the problems associated with rapid growth in suburban
12 areas; Alcott School opened its doors in 1960; and
 
13     WHEREAS, In 1962, the village's first Buffalo Days festival
14 was held; during the festival, a competition was held to obtain
15 a design for the new Buffalo Grove flag; the winner of the
16 contest was Joan Kuffel, who depicted a majestic, fighting
17 buffalo to represent strength, green leaves to represent the
18 wilderness from which Buffalo Grove arose, and gold bands to
19 represent the bright future of the Village; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The 1970s represented a period of major growth for
21 the Village of Buffalo Grove; the population of the village
22 grew by more than 80 percent, the third highest rate in the
23 northwest suburbs during the decade; Buffalo Grove's Village
24 Hall, created to house the village administration and the

 

 

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1 police department, was dedicated in 1970; the village annexed
2 the Highlands, Green Knolls, and Windfield subdivisions in
3 1977, adding greatly to the village's housing stock; and
 
4     WHEREAS, In 1980, the Village of Buffalo Grove established
5 home rule status by referendum, giving greater flexibility to
6 the village to craft its own solutions to local problems; in
7 1985, the village was designated as an Illinois Certified City,
8 receiving its own zip code, 60089; and
 
9     WHEREAS, In February of 1992, the Village of Buffalo Grove
10 made history with the United States Postal Service by creating
11 the first main postal facility in the United States in 20
12 years, an effort only made possible by persistent pressure on
13 the village's federal legislators; in 1994, the village's
14 reconstructed village hall was rededicated; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The Village of Buffalo Grove's forward-thinking
16 mentality was proven once again in 2006, when the village
17 became one of the first official smoke-free communities,
18 banning all smoking in public places and work environments; and
 
19     WHEREAS, The Village of Buffalo Grove's sterling
20 reputation as a well-liked and family-friendly village is
21 indicative of its wonderful residents, who have given much of
22 their time, money, and spirit to make Buffalo Grove such a

 

 

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1 great place to live, work, and visit; therefore, be it
 
2     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
4 congratulate the citizens of the Village of Buffalo Grove on
5 the occasion of the 50th anniversary of their village and wish
6 them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it
7 further
 
8     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9 presented to Buffalo Grove Village President Elliott Hartstein
10 as a symbol of our esteem and respect.