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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives wish to
congratulate the Kewanee Park District 
4on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, The Kewanee Park District was founded in 1919 by

6Kewanee resident and industrial magnate Emerit E. Baker; and
  
 
7    WHEREAS, Emerit E. Baker was born on April 10, 1855 on a 
8rural
farm near Aurora; and
  
 
9    WHEREAS, At the age of only 15, Emerit E. Baker left home

10and went to work in Chicago for the Anderson Steamer and Heater

11Company as an office boy; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Emerit E. Baker eventually moved to the

13headquarters of the Anderson Steamer and Heater Company in 
14Kewanee
and worked his way up, eventually becoming
a member of 
15the board; and
 
16    WHEREAS, When the Anderson Steamer and Heater Company sold 
17its boiler business to focus on tubing, Emerit E.
Baker saw an 
18opportunity and purchased the boiler company; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Emerit E. Baker became the president of the newly

 
 
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1created Kewanee Boiler Company, which sold boilers all over the

2world and even installed a Kewanee boiler in the Statue of

3Liberty; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Emerit E. Baker was a noted leader and

5philanthropist in the community of Kewanee; he helped
organize 
6the local Rotary Club in 1917 and served as the village

7president and even as a volunteer fire fighter; and
 
8    WHEREAS, In 1919, Emerit E. Baker announced at a Chamber of

9Commerce meeting that he would donate $50,000 toward a park

10system if the people of Kewanee would pass a referendum to

11establish a park system and match his donation by authorizing a

12matching $50,000 in bonds; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The bond was approved by the people, and Emerit E.

14Baker was elected the first president of the Kewanee Park 
15Board; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Five parks would ultimately become a part of the

17Kewanee Park District, including Northeast Park, Chautauqua

18Park, Windmont Park,
Liberty Park, and Baker Park, named after 
19Emerit E. Baker; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In 1924, Emerit E. Baker established a foundation, 
21E.E. Baker
Incorporated, and  funded it with $400,000 dollars in

 
 
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1stocks and bonds in order to fund the Elks Crippled Children's

2Clinic, the Kewanee Public Library, and the Kewanee Park

3District; and
  
 
4    WHEREAS, The Kewanee Park District's trust is worth nearly

5$1.3 million today, a legacy of the generosity of Emerit E.

6Baker; and
  
 
7    WHEREAS, To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Kewanee

8Park District, the park district will host celebrations during

9the course of the summer that include music and games; 
10therefore, be it
  
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
12HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
13we
congratulate the Kewanee Park District on the occasion of 
14its
100th anniversary and celebrate the legacy of Emerit E.

15Baker; and be it further
  
 
16    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
17presented to the Kewanee Park Board of Commissioners as a 
18symbol of our respect and esteem.