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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate the
4administration, staff, and students of the Harrisburg School
5District on the occasion of its 150th anniversary in 2011; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The rich history of the Harrisburg School District
7began in October of 1861, when Green B. Weir was elected to
8serve as director of the school board; B. D. Grace, William
9Riley, J. W. Mitchell, James Feazel, and W. H. Dove were
10subsequently picked to serve on the school board over the next
11four years; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Harrisburg School District's first school
13building was a one room house on the corner of Church and Vine
14streets; eventually, the room proved to be too small to
15accommodate the number of pupils, leading the directors to rent
16another room in the town; by 1865, the number of pupils had so
17increased that the directors saw the necessity for having a
18larger building, and an election was ordered for October 27,
191865 to vote on the question of purchasing a school house site;
20in April of 1866, the site was bought for $200; the following
21month, the school board voted to borrow money to build a school
22house; in 1868, the building was furnished and three teachers
23were employed; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, In 1875, the Harrisburg School District attempted
2to institute a new teaching plan where an additional teacher
3was employed to teach in the school's upstairs space, which
4effectively made two separate schools in the same room; despite
5the inconvenience, the plan appeared to operate effectively; in
61879, the directors decided to try a new, ultimately
7unsuccessful plan where the school would have no principal,
8with each room being an independent school run by a male
9teacher; around this time, the school had become so overcrowded
10that it was necessary to make more room and employ more
11teachers; subsequently, in 1881, bonds in the amount of $2,000
12were issued and two new teachers were employed; and
 
13    WHEREAS, By 1877, the Harrisburg School District census had
14increased to over 500 and it was necessary to again make more
15room; as the population of the west end of the district had
16greatly increased, a lot was purchased from J. M. Baker for
17$500 as a school site and the lower story of the West Side
18school house was erected by J. P. Hodge at a cost of $1,402;
19and
 
20    WHEREAS, In 1890, a great many changes were made to the
21Harrisburg School District; the district's terms were
22lengthened to nine months, the salaries of the teachers were
23increased, and it was decided to employ no teachers except

 

 

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1those having successful experience in the department in which
2they wished to be employed; in addition, the schools were
3re-graded, a high school was organized, the district's course
4of study was revised, and a system of diplomas was created; in
51894, a second story was added to the West Side schoolhouse; in
61899, a new grade was added to the course of study; and
 
7    WHEREAS, In 1900, another year was added to Harrisburg
8School District's course of study; the following year, the
9people of Harrisburg Township voted to erect a building for the
10high school; after voting for $20,000 in bonds, a site was
11given to the township by the City National Bank free of charge;
12in 1903, the cornerstone of the high school was laid; in 1904,
13the building was completed, with classes moving into the new
14building in September of 1904; and
 
15    WHEREAS, The Harrisburg School District continued to grow
16rapidly throughout the early 1900s; in 1914, a new addition was
17constructed to the rear of the first unit; in 1922 and 1923,
18the third unit to the east was added; in 1929, an athletic
19field was purchased and equipped at an initial cost of $26,000,
20which was, at the time, the largest field in southern Illinois;
21by 1938, the district's enrollment had reached nearly 1,200,
22and a fourth unit to the west was added; and
 
23    WHEREAS, Today, the Harrisburg School District continues

 

 

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1the legacy of excellence created by Green B. Weir and his
2associates 150 years ago; therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5we congratulate the administration, staff, and students of the
6Harrisburg School District on the occasion of its 150th
7anniversary; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to the Harrisburg School District as a symbol of our
10esteem and respect.