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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate the residents of
4Farmer City as they celebrate the 175th anniversary of the
5city's founding; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In the early 1800s, central Illinois was an
7unbroken wilderness, inhabited by the Kickapoo and
8Pottawatomie Indians; occasionally, traders and adventurers
9traveled through the area; in the 1830s, pioneer families from
10the east and south began to arrive in the area, building cabins
11in the shelter of the timber groves along Salt Creek in Santa
12Anna Township; and
 
13    WHEREAS, More settlers came and pioneers began to venture
14out onto the prairie north of the timber; on January 28, 1837,
15this prairie was platted and named Mt. Pleasant and a mail
16route was soon established; there was already a town in
17Illinois named Mt. Pleasant, so, in 1869, Jacob Swigart, a
18local member of the Illinois legislature, traveled to
19Springfield and introduced a bill into the Assembly proposing
20that Mt. Pleasant's name be changed to Farmer City; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Farmer City was a community of farmers, therefore
22the name was deemed very appropriate; Farmer City prospered as

 

 

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12 railroads traveled through the community; when the Civil War
2started, 250 brave men within a 6-mile radius of Farmer City
3enlisted and served their country; 37 did not return, taking a
4heavy toll on local families and leaving a huge impact; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Two devastating fires in 1879 and 1894 burned down
6much of the business district, but the community rebuilt and
7the town continued to grow and prosper; in the early 1900s, the
8first power plant was built, streets were brick-paved, a water
9tower was built, and modern utilities became available; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Illinois Route 39 (now, Route 150) and Route 48
11(now, Route 54) were built through Farmer City, enabling
12citizens to travel with ease; Interstate 74 was opened in 1974,
13making travel even easier, with the Farm Land Rest Area opening
14just west of Farmer City in 1993; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Farmer City still has an electric plant, and now
16has an Ambulance District; a new high school was built in the
17year 2000; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Farmer City will have a Quartoseptcentennial
19175th Birthday Celebration from June 30 to July 8, 2012; school
20reunions, parades, farm and antique displays, music, food, and
21other entertainment are planned; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3we congratulate the residents of Farmer City on this momentous
4occasion; and be it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6presented to the residents of Farmer City as a symbol of our
7respect and esteem.