HR0870 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0870 LRB098 20364 MST 55885 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the City of Belleville as it celebrates the 200th anniversary of its founding in 2014; and

WHEREAS, Belleville was the center of the first important German settlement in the State of Illinois; the influence of Koerner, Hilgard, Bunsen, Abend, and Engleman was felt in law, journalism, education, science, and industry; Bornman, Braun, Gundlach, Eimer, Knoebel, and Brosius left similar impressions on the mechanical industry; by 1870, Belleville was the second-largest producer of manufactured goods in the State, tied with Peoria and second only to Chicago; it was the leading cigar revenue district of Southern Illinois, and the company which manufactures "Jelly Belly" candy was founded by 2 German candy makers in 1968; Belleville is credited with having the first electric trolley in the State; and

WHEREAS, Following the Civil War, Belleville's industry gravitated towards stove casting and it earned the moniker "Stove Capital of the World", and Belleville continues to this day to produce high-quality stoves and heating products; it was with the advent of steam-powered railroads that Belleville, a landlocked community, was pushed into the Industrial Era; and

WHEREAS, During the first 50 years of the Illinois territory and its subsequent statehood, Ninian Edwards, John Reynolds and William Bissell - all Belleville men - held the office of the Governor; William Kinney and Gustave Koerner held the office of the Lt. Governor and James Shields was a hero in the Mexican War; and

WHEREAS, The American Miners Association was founded in Belleville in 1861, the first attempt to form a national miners union; its coal provided energy and wealth to fuel a post-civil war industrial boom, providing jobs for union workers in the production of stoves, shoes, and cigars; and

WHEREAS, The celebration will culminate in an event extravaganza the weekend of September 19-21, 2014, covering 9 blocks in downtown Belleville and including 3 days of music, food, drinks, craft vendors, and historical demonstrations, along with a Civil War reenactment and a vintage baseball tournament; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the City of Belleville as it celebrates the 200th anniversary of its founding; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the City of Belleville as an expression of our esteem and respect.