Full Text of HR0482 95th General Assembly
HR0482 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The official celebration for the 125th | 3 |
| anniversary of the founding of the village of Sims takes place | 4 |
| on June 13-16, 2007; the village of Sims was established in | 5 |
| 1882; and
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| WHEREAS, The village of Sims has a population of | 7 |
| approximately 250-300 people; it is located in Wayne County; in | 8 |
| 1812, Joseph White and two brothers, Thomas and George Waken, | 9 |
| natives of northern England, crossed the Atlantic Ocean and | 10 |
| traveled across many states until they reached a large and | 11 |
| beautiful prairie in the State of Illinois; satisfied that this | 12 |
| was the place to settle, they built their homes there; John, | 13 |
| son of Joseph White, was the first child born in the township; | 14 |
| the township was named Arrington, in honor of Charles | 15 |
| Arrington, one of the earliest settlers who moved from | 16 |
| Tennessee and resided there for about 20 years; and
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| WHEREAS, The village of Sims has had five names: Arrington, | 18 |
| Arrington Station, Simms, Simms Station, and Sims, by which it | 19 |
| is known today; John Simms had landed on the south side of the | 20 |
| Louisville, Evansville, and St. Louis Railroad line, which was | 21 |
| laid off by James Hilliard, County Surveyor in the summer of | 22 |
| 1882; the original plot consisted of 12 acres; the Post Office | 23 |
| was created at this point in 1882 and took the name Simms, |
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| which was later changed to Sims; as the village grew, it | 2 |
| expanded both north and south of the original tract of land; | 3 |
| Sims became a thriving village with three churches, a school, a | 4 |
| blacksmith shop, two general stores, a five & dime store, Dr. | 5 |
| Claire Dixon's office, Phillip's Shoe Cobbler, Bright's Mine | 6 |
| Props, a bank, two barber shops, and many other industries and | 7 |
| shops; during the summer months, a traveling skating rink would | 8 |
| set up under a tent complete with a wooden floor, where young | 9 |
| and old alike could roller skate for ten cents; and
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| WHEREAS, Thursday, March 11, 1915 was a dark day in the | 11 |
| history of Sims, when foot men known as "Black Hatters" | 12 |
| dynamited the General Baptist Church at the south end of the | 13 |
| village; they desecrated the altar with animal remains; they | 14 |
| were all convicted and sent to prison for their actions; the | 15 |
| congregation continued holding services until 1995, when the | 16 |
| new church building was erected; and
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| WHEREAS, Today, residents of Sims comprise all areas of the | 18 |
| work force; factory workers, health care professionals, | 19 |
| teachers, ministers of the Gospel, laborers, oil field workers, | 20 |
| federal, State and village employees, farmers, railroad | 21 |
| workers, self-employed business men and women, and retirees, | 22 |
| among others; and | 23 |
| WHEREAS, Many members of the community have served or are |
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| serving in the military; the village has a very active Rebekah | 2 |
| Lodge, with members who pulled together with the rest of the | 3 |
| community during the April 2002 tornado that leveled homes and | 4 |
| businesses just north of Sims along Route 15; despite the lack | 5 |
| of electricity, they emptied freezers, refrigerators, and | 6 |
| shelves to cook for and feed approximately 200 people two to | 7 |
| three meals a day for almost two weeks during the clean-up; and | 8 |
| WHEREAS, The youth of Sims are involved in community | 9 |
| service through Girl Scouts, helping with the Easter Egg Hunt | 10 |
| with the Lodge, the Sims Celebration, and Sims Clean-up Days; | 11 |
| the Sims School has been converted into a community center, | 12 |
| which is available to have gatherings for families, the Sims | 13 |
| Celebration, basketball games and other activities; and
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| WHEREAS, Direct descendents of John Simms reside in or own | 15 |
| property in Sims; John Simms' son James married Martha Miller, | 16 |
| whose brother gave some land to the Village where the General | 17 |
| Baptist Church was built in 1905 and a new church was erected | 18 |
| in 1995; and
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| WHEREAS, The people of Sims have suffered through | 20 |
| hardships, wars, depression, tornadoes, and other disasters, | 21 |
| but their resolve to continue on in spite of these setbacks | 22 |
| makes this community special in their ability to pull together | 23 |
| to pray for and support each other through their tough times; |
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| 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 Sims on celebrating | 5 |
| the 125th anniversary of the village and wish them continued | 6 |
| success and happiness in the future; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 8 |
| presented to the Mayor of the village of Sims as an expression | 9 |
| of our esteem and respect.
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