Full Text of HR0360 103rd General Assembly
HR0360 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives wish to congratulate the Village of Westville | 4 | | on the occasion of its 150th sesquicentennial celebration; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Westville was platted in 1873 and petitioned to | 6 | | become a village in July 1896, with the first village board | 7 | | meeting being held in September 1896; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Westville's early days were closely tied to the | 9 | | coal industry as a primary industry and a way of life, leading | 10 | | the village to become known as a melting pot of nations due to | 11 | | the many nationalities that immigrated to the United States | 12 | | and eventually made their way to work in the local coal mines, | 13 | | with the village once being home to as many as 37 different | 14 | | nationalities; its miners returned home each day by way of the | 15 | | Westville Train Depot, established in 1885, which remains | 16 | | located in the center of the village and has been restored to | 17 | | serve as a museum filled with local history and includes a | 18 | | caboose, two coal cars, a mural, and a coal mining silhouette; | 19 | | and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Westville opened its first U.S. Post Office in | 21 | | 1876; its first bank, the First National Bank, was opened in | 22 | | 1904; the village's water system began in 1926, which |
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| 1 | | coincided with the opening of Zamberletti Park; its first | 2 | | library was launched in 1937; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, Westville's first public schools were the Central | 4 | | and Edison schools, with the first Central School building | 5 | | being purchased by Saints Peter & Paul Church; the village's | 6 | | Westville School District, known today as Westville Community | 7 | | Unit School District #2, was founded in 1910 and now includes | 8 | | the Judith Giacoma Elementary School, Westville Junior High | 9 | | School, and Westville High School; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Westville has been a strong contender in | 11 | | athletics over the years; the village is home to the 1923 | 12 | | Westville High School football team, referred to as the "1000% | 13 | | Team" for remaining undefeated and allowing no opponent to | 14 | | score, and the annual Coal Bucket football game, established | 15 | | in 1963; the village will be celebrating the 100th and 60th | 16 | | anniversaries of the team and game, respectively, this year; | 17 | | the village is also the hometown of Hayden Copass, who won an | 18 | | IHSA Class 1A State Wrestling Championship in 2020; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Westville has retained a strong local business | 20 | | community since its inception and has been home to many fine | 21 | | businesses over its 150-year history, with some of the | 22 | | village's most notable establishments including the Jacket | 23 | | Factory, Joy Ann Bakery, The Grab It Here Store, Lisick |
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| 1 | | Appliance, Bob's Bargain Barn, Le Grand Cleaners, and McMillan | 2 | | Appliance; the village was also home to the Bee Line Transit | 3 | | Corporation, founded by Dominic "Nick" Giacoma, which became | 4 | | an asset to the south end of Vermilion County, providing jobs | 5 | | and transportation for many years; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Westville's churches have played an important | 7 | | role in the community, dating back to the founding of the | 8 | | Christian Church in 1870 and Saints Peter & Paul Church, the | 9 | | oldest Roman Catholic Church, in 1897; today, Westville boasts | 10 | | three churches, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Trinity United | 11 | | Church of Christ, and the Westville First Church of Christ; | 12 | | and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Currently, Westville's residents are under the | 14 | | care and protection of the Westville Police Department and the | 15 | | volunteer Westville Area Fire Protection District; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Westville remains a community whose residents are | 17 | | proud to honor and celebrate their village's history while | 18 | | continuing to make the village a great place to live; | 19 | | therefore, be it
| 20 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 21 | | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 22 | | we congratulate the Village of Westville on its 150th |
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| 1 | | anniversary, and we wish the village continued success in the | 2 | | years to come; and be it further
| 3 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 4 | | presented to the Village of Westville as an expression of our | 5 | | esteem and respect.
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