92_HR0364

 
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 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS,  The  members   of   the   Illinois   House   of
 3    Representatives   are   pleased   to   recognize  significant
 4    milestones in the history of the cities, towns, and  villages
 5    of the State of Illinois; and

 6        WHEREAS,   The   Village   of   Baldwin,   although   not
 7    incorporated,  originally was settled about one mile north of
 8    its present location; the early settlers were the  Henderson,
 9    Allen,  and  Preston  families;  in 1874, the Mobile and Ohio
10    built the railroad in its present location;  later,  a  grain
11    elevator was built along the railroad and the present village
12    started to develop; and

13        WHEREAS,  In  1876,  the villagers circulated a petition,
14    requesting that the Village of Baldwin be  incorporated;  the
15    petition,  signed  by  fifty legal voters, requested that the
16    organizing of the Village of Baldwin located in the County of
17    Randolph be approved; and

18        WHEREAS,  County  Judge  John  H.  Lindsey  approved  the
19    petition and ordered an election held on  Tuesday,  July  11,
20    1876  regarding village organization, and all votes cast were
21    in favor of village organization; and

22        WHEREAS, The first village board was elected on August 8,
23    1876; the board held its first meeting on  August  11,  1876;
24    and

25        WHEREAS,  Baldwin  prospered  as  a small trading village
26    throughout  the  years,  its  main  business  being  a  grain
27    elevator; a grain elevator has operated in Baldwin since  its
28    incorporation,  the present one owned and operated by Gateway
29    FS, Inc.; and

30        WHEREAS, In 1932, Highway 154 was built  through  Baldwin
31    to  provide  all-weather transportation to neighboring towns;
 
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 1    railroad passenger and freight  service  was  provided  until
 2    October  1988,  when  passenger service was discontinued; the
 3    present rail system supplies services to  the  Baldwin  Power
 4    Plant,  Fairmont  Minerals, Kaskaskia Regional Port District,
 5    and Gateway FS, Inc.; and

 6        WHEREAS, Baldwin schools in past  years  consisted  of  a
 7    three-year  high  school  which closed in the 1940s, a public
 8    grade school which closed  in  1959,  and  a  Lutheran  Grade
 9    School which closed in the 1970s; and

10        WHEREAS,  Baldwin  in the past has had many churches; the
11    present churches are St. John  Lutheran  Church  and  Baldwin
12    Community  Presbyterian  Church;  each  of  the  churches has
13    organizations that promote the welfare of its members; and

14        WHEREAS, Over the years various organizations  have  been
15    active  in  promoting  civic  activities  in the village; The
16    present organizations include the Nicholas  Laufer  Post  619
17    American  Legion,  Baldwin  Athletic  Club, Baldwin Community
18    Development Association, Baldwin  Homecoming  Committee,  and
19    the 125th Baldwin Anniversary Committee; and

20        WHEREAS,  In  1999, the old school building, which served
21    as the Village Hall was razed; with the help of Senator David
22    Luechtefeld and Representative Dan Reitz,  funding  was  made
23    available  for the new Community Center, completed this year,
24    which will be used for all community functions, will serve as
25    the meeting room for  the  Village  Board  of  Trustees,  and
26    contains  the  offices  of  the Village President and Village
27    Clerk; and

28        WHEREAS, Approximately 450 citizens live in  the  Village
29    of  Baldwin,  including  Village President Jeffrey S. Rowold,
30    Village Clerk Wesley G. Stellhorn, Village  Treasurer  Eileen
31    Mehring,  and Village Trustees Craig Hartmann, James Mueller,
32    Darrell Mueth,  Tammy  Prost,  Gary  Schoenbeck,  and  Cheryl
 
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 1    Sellers; therefore be it

 2        RESOLVED   BY   THE   HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
 3    NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
 4    we  congratulate  the  Village  of  Baldwin  on   the   125th
 5    Anniversary of its incorporation; and be it further

 6        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this Resolution be
 7    delivered to  Village  President  Jeffrey  S.  Rowold  as  an
 8    expression of our esteem.