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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate the city of Gibson City
4on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of its founding; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Gibson City was founded as a village in 1871 as a
6mile-square lot, which is now the intersections of IL Routes
79, 47, and 54; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The original land was purchased by Jonathan B.
9Lott, who built the first home and named the village after his
10wife, Margaret Gibson; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The village was incorporated in 1872 as Gibson
12but was later changed to Gibson City; the first trustees of the
13village of Gibson were J. H. Collier, S. J. LeFevre, Bruce
14McCormick, and W. T. Kerr, with T.D. Spalding serving as the
15first mayor; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Gibson City is located in Drummer Township, which
17was created in 1858, the second of 12 townships developed in
18Ford County; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The first business in Gibson City was a grain
20office opened by William Moyer, who would later donate $14,000

 

 

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1for a city library, the William Moyer Library, which was built
2in 1911; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Gibson City's businesses were ravished by fires
4on January 29, 1883, but the town would rebuild and, at that
5time, add the Burwell Opera House, which was known to be the
6finest opera house in the State outside of Chicago, boasting a
7stage, scenery, drop curtains, and gas lighting; this historic
8building, while currently vacant, still stands with hopes of
9being occupied again in the future; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Gibson City will celebrate its sesquicentennial
11anniversary at North Park on May 2, 2021 with fun, food, and
12music; in addition, the 1971 time capsule will be opened, and a
13new time capsule will be buried, which will be opened in 2071;
14therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
16HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17we congratulate the city of Gibson City on the 150th
18anniversary of its founding and wish it many more wonderful
19years; and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21presented to Gibson City as a symbol of our respect and esteem.