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92_HR0182 LRB9208574KBkb 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 3 Representatives are pleased to honor milestones in the State 4 of Illinois; and 5 WHEREAS, The City of Zion has recently celebrated its 6 centennial year; in 1900, the City of Zion was founded by Dr. 7 John Alexander Dowie; Dr. Dowie was Scottish by birth, and 8 had been a congregational minister in Melbourne, Australia; 9 Dr. Dowie came to America and began preaching in front of the 10 Columbia Exposition in Chicago; and 11 WHEREAS, As his following increased, Dr. Dowie founded 12 the Christian Catholic Church and Zion City, a religious 13 industrial community; the city was located seven miles north 14 of Waukegan on the shore of Lake Michigan; Zion was a part of 15 Benton Township until 1931, when Zion Township was formed; 16 and 17 WHEREAS, The town began with a bank, a candy factory, a 18 printing establishment, a cookie factory, and the famous Zion 19 Lace Factory, later purchased by Marshall Field of Chicago; 20 the property went from undeveloped wilderness to having a 21 value of $7,000,000; by 1905, problems were developing in the 22 Zion industries; bankruptcy was declared and a receiver was 23 appointed to handle the financial problems; and 24 WHEREAS, Wilbur Glenn Voliva succeeded Dr. Dowie as 25 Overseer of Zion; under his leadership, the City of Zion 26 began to regrow until the Great Depression of 1929; by 1935, 27 people were disillusioned with the community and its state of 28 disarray, causing a break in the Christian Catholic Church; a 29 city election during this time changed the leadership of the 30 community, allowing for new industries and growth in the 31 city; and -2- LRB9208574KBkb 1 WHEREAS, The City of Zion and the Christian Catholic 2 Church continue to grow and develop; this unique community 3 has a rich history and deserves recognition; therefore, be it 4 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 5 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 6 we congratulate the people of Zion, Illinois as they 7 celebrate their centennial year; and be it further 8 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 9 presented to the Mayor of the City of Zion.