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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to congratulate the Village of Stewardson | ||||||
| 4 | on the occasion of its 150th anniversary; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, Stewardson, located on Route 32 in the | ||||||
| 6 | southeastern part of Shelby County, was founded on September | ||||||
| 7 | 30, 1874; and | ||||||
| 8 | WHEREAS, Stewardson's namesake, William Stewardson Jr., | ||||||
| 9 | was born to William and Mary Nicholson Stewardson in | ||||||
| 10 | Westmoreland County, England on February 24, 1828; he came to | ||||||
| 11 | Shelby County in 1845; he married Nancy Douthit in 1851, and | ||||||
| 12 | they relocated to Richland and Prairie Township soon after; | ||||||
| 13 | and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, Stewardson was plotted by the surveyor of Shelby | ||||||
| 15 | County on January 10, 1874, and it was incorporated as a | ||||||
| 16 | village on September 30, 1874; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, Stewardson's 150-year history includes a number | ||||||
| 18 | of important events, such as the establishment of the | ||||||
| 19 | Enterprise, the first village newspaper, in 1878, the building | ||||||
| 20 | of an opera hall in 1893, the completion of the Hoffman Block | ||||||
| 21 | Building in 1909, the vote for the village to be a dry | ||||||
| 22 | community in 1910 which was later appealed in 2013, the | ||||||
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| 1 | consolidation of Stewardson-Strasburg and the opening of a new | ||||||
| 2 | high school north of town along Route 32 in 1951, the placement | ||||||
| 3 | of street signs at intersections in 1969, the opening of a new | ||||||
| 4 | series station and convenience store in 2000, and the opening | ||||||
| 5 | of a Dollar General in 2022; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Stewardson's school system was consolidated in | ||||||
| 7 | 1949, with its first class graduating from the new high school | ||||||
| 8 | in 1951; the Stewardson Grade School was built adjoined to the | ||||||
| 9 | high school in 1967; the old Stewardson Grade School building | ||||||
| 10 | was then sold to the village to become the civic center in | ||||||
| 11 | 1970, and the structure was demolished in 1980; the school | ||||||
| 12 | system added an every-day kindergarten in 1988, a | ||||||
| 13 | prekindergarten in 1995, and a new junior wing in 1997; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, Today, Stewardson is home to over 20 businesses, | ||||||
| 15 | three churches, the Stewardson Fire and Ambulance District, a | ||||||
| 16 | new Stewardson Community Center, and a new American Legion | ||||||
| 17 | Hall; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, Stewardson is a standing example of the positive | ||||||
| 19 | growth that can be found in a small community; its citizens | ||||||
| 20 | show care and concern for one's family, neighbors, and | ||||||
| 21 | community, and they also show continued dedication towards | ||||||
| 22 | growth and a positive vision for the future; and | ||||||
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Stewardson will celebrate its 150th anniversary | ||||||
| 2 | from June 27 through June 30, 2024; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 3 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 4 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 5 | we congratulate the Village of Stewardson on its 150th | ||||||
| 6 | anniversary; and be it further | ||||||
| 7 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 8 | presented to the Village of Stewardson as an expression of our | ||||||
| 9 | esteem and respect. | ||||||