Full Text of SR0298 98th General Assembly
SR0298 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The historic community of Pullman on Chicago's far | 3 | | southeast side was a company-owned town planned and built in | 4 | | the late 19th century by Chicago businessman and industrialist | 5 | | George M. Pullman, founder of the Pullman Palace Car Company, | 6 | | and includes the area east of Cottage Grove Avenue, from East | 7 | | 103rd Street to East 115th Street; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, The Pullman community includes scores of restored | 9 | | historic homes and buildings, including the Clock Tower | 10 | | Administration Building and Factory, where the Pullman luxury | 11 | | railroad passenger cars were constructed, and the Hotel | 12 | | Florence, which was built as lodging for visiting businessmen | 13 | | and dignitaries; both of these sites are now owned by the State | 14 | | of Illinois and maintained by the Illinois Historic | 15 | | Preservation Agency; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Pullman's important role in the nation's history | 17 | | was recognized by the National Park Service through its | 18 | | placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 | 19 | | and its designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1970; | 20 | | and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, Pullman is renowned as one of America's first and | 22 | | most important model industrial towns and for the seminal role |
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| 1 | | this town played in the nation's urban planning, labor, | 2 | | transportation, architectural, and African-American history; | 3 | | and | 4 | | WHEREAS, The country's first African-American labor union, | 5 | | the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, was established and | 6 | | led by the legendary labor leader, A. Philip Randolph, and the | 7 | | men hired by the Pullman Company to work as porters on his | 8 | | sleeping cars; this union was instrumental in the formation and | 9 | | advancement of the African-American middle class in America; | 10 | | and
| 11 | | WHEREAS, On March 13, 2013, the Chicago City Council passed | 12 | | a resolution urging Congress to make Pullman a National | 13 | | Historical Park or the President to declare it a National | 14 | | Monument; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, The Lincoln Home National Historic Site in | 16 | | Springfield is currently the only unit of the National Park | 17 | | System in Illinois; as a National Historical Park, Pullman | 18 | | would be a unique gem to add to the City of Chicago's | 19 | | remarkable and noteworthy destination sites for our tourism | 20 | | industry; and | 21 | | WHEREAS, The United States House of Representatives | 22 | | introduced H.R. 3894 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior |
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| 1 | | to conduct a Special Resource Study of the Pullman Historic | 2 | | District to determine the suitability and feasibility of | 3 | | designating the site as part of the National Park System; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, A reconnaissance survey is now being undertaken by | 5 | | the National Park Service to evaluate Pullman's significance, | 6 | | suitability, and feasibility as a potential unit of the | 7 | | National Park Service, which would ensure that the historic | 8 | | structures are protected and accessible for all people to | 9 | | experience; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, More than $26 million in State and federal funds | 11 | | have been invested in the Pullman State Historic Site for | 12 | | acquisition and stabilization, and a national park designation | 13 | | would capitalize on this investment; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, The local community is highly supportive of and | 15 | | would benefit from a revitalized and better utilized site, with | 16 | | enhanced interpretive and educational programs at the Clock | 17 | | Tower Administration Building and Factory and other buildings | 18 | | to teach about the significance of Pullman and the numerous | 19 | | historic and cultural themes associated with it; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, The Pullman State Historic Site is vital to the | 21 | | community's cultural and historical identity, but remains | 22 | | underutilized and at risk for deferred maintenance; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, National parks generate $31 billion for local | 2 | | economies each year and are shown to invigorate neighborhood | 3 | | historic renovation and spur business growth in urban areas; | 4 | | and | 5 | | WHEREAS, The general consensus is that now is the time for | 6 | | immediate action to develop the site to realize its full | 7 | | potential; therefore, be it
| 8 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL | 9 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Congress to | 10 | | pass a bill establishing Pullman as a National Historical Park | 11 | | or, alternatively, call upon President Barack Obama to exercise | 12 | | his authority by executive order to designate Pullman as a | 13 | | National Monument; and be it further
| 14 | | RESOLVED, That we state our belief that not only should the | 15 | | State of Illinois continue to have a presence and role at | 16 | | Pullman, but various community and civic organizations and | 17 | | institutions, as well as the National Park Service, should play | 18 | | a role and establish strong and lasting partnerships in | 19 | | redeveloping and reenergizing this site; and be it further | 20 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 21 | | delivered to Governor Pat Quinn, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, |
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| 1 | | U.S. Senators Richard Durbin and Mark Kirk, the members of the | 2 | | Illinois congressional delegation, National Park Service | 3 | | Director Jonathan Jarvis, and President Barack Obama.
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