Full Text of HR0131 99th General Assembly
HR0131 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives are pleased to recognize the citizens of the | 4 | | City of Salem on the occasion of the City's 150th anniversary | 5 | | on April 17, 2015; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, The City of Salem was initially organized as a | 7 | | town on February 14, 1855 and was incorporated into a city on | 8 | | April 17, 1865; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, The New Madrid earthquake of 1811 caused the | 10 | | Mississippi River to flow backwards, church bells to ring as | 11 | | far away as Boston, and sent Captain Samuel Young searching for | 12 | | a more hospitable home, which he found when he reached | 13 | | present-day Salem; he set up camp on what is now the courthouse | 14 | | square; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, A severe drought hit northern and central Illinois | 16 | | in 1820, which contributed to wagon loads of people traveling | 17 | | to Illinois; as this was compared to the Biblical story of | 18 | | Israel going to Egypt to purchase grain, southern Illinois | 19 | | became known as "Egypt" and Salem became the "Gateway of Little | 20 | | Egypt"; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, Salem was originally founded in 1823 as the county |
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| 1 | | seat of Marion County; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Salem is located halfway between the Indiana and | 3 | | Missouri borders on what was originally the Vincennes-St. Louis | 4 | | Road, now U.S. Route 50; Salem evolved into a stagecoach stop | 5 | | on the Vincennes Trail; and | 6 | | WHEREAS, Salem was home to William Jennings Bryan, who was | 7 | | known as "The Great Commoner" and "The Silver-Tongued Orator" | 8 | | and was a candidate for President of the United States; | 9 | | Jennings was born in Salem on March 19, 1860; he attended Salem | 10 | | public schools and was a member of First United Presbyterian | 11 | | Church; a bronze statue stands today in Bryan Memorial Park on | 12 | | the east side of Illinois Route 37 North; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Salem played a significant role in the G.I. Bill | 14 | | of Rights; it was born in Luther B. Easley Post No. 128 of the | 15 | | American Legion in Salem on November 4, 1943 and was drafted by | 16 | | Omar J. McMakin and Earl W. Merritt, both of Salem, before | 17 | | being taken to Washington D.C. to be signed into law; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, Salem is rich in history, beauty, and solid | 19 | | American values; active volunteer support, the Salem Chamber of | 20 | | Commerce, the Historic and Patriotic Commission, and the Keep | 21 | | Salem Beautiful Organization play an essential role in the | 22 | | community; therefore, be it
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 2 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 3 | | congratulate the citizens of the City of Salem on the occasion | 4 | | of the City's 150th anniversary and wish them great success and | 5 | | happiness in the future; and be it further
| 6 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 7 | | presented to the City of Salem as a symbol of our esteem and | 8 | | respect.
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