HR1091 LRB093 22692 HSS 52351 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the
3 State of Illinois are pleased to congratulate the Village of
4 Dawson on the occasion of the its 150th anniversary; and
 
5     WHEREAS, When the Village of Dawson was formed 150 years
6 ago, Central Illinois was little more than a wilderness of
7 waving grasses and yellow rosin weed, frequently taller than a
8 person on horseback; the first price for the land in the Dawson
9 area was only $1.25 an acre; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Dawson was located near an old Native American
11 trail which meandered from Springfield toward Buffalo Hart,
12 where Native Americans had a camp ground; many first settlers
13 to the area lived in tents until they could clear the land and
14 build their homes with the felled trees; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The Village of Dawson was named after the
16 Honorable John Dawson; Joseph Ledlie, a civil engineer, arrived
17 in Illinois in May of 1837; in 1846, he moved to Springfield
18 and was appointed Deputy County Surveyor; in 1854, Mr. Ledlie
19 and Thomas Lewis laid out the town of Dawson; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The first streets in Dawson were dirt roads; John
21 Billington and Abner Wheeland were the first settlers in
22 Dawson; Samuel Wolgamont was the first to erect a house; the
23 original town was comprised of about 30 acres; its various
24 additions totaled about 85 acres; and
 
25     WHEREAS, The town was incorporated in 1883; T.A. Bracken
26 was the first elected mayor, Duncan Ross and Abner Wheeland
27 were trustees, and A.N. Jones was the first town clerk; and
 
28     WHEREAS, Notable citizens from the Dawson area are Aaron
29 Morgan, Jacob Constant, and Strother G. Jones; and
 

 

 

HR1091 - 2 - LRB093 22692 HSS 52351 r

1     WHEREAS, The Village of Dawson will celebrate its
2 sesquicentennial during the weekend of July 3 and 4, 2004;
3 therefore, be it
 
4     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
6 congratulate the Village of Dawson on the occasion of its 150th
7 anniversary, and we extend to the Village our sincerest wishes
8 for its future success; and be it further
 
9     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10 presented to the Village of Dawson as an expression of our
11 respect and esteem.