HR0500 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0500 LRB094 12540 CSA 47076 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The City of Freeport is celebrating its sesquicentennial year in 2005; and

WHEREAS, On February 14, 1855, Freeport was incorporated as a city; and

WHEREAS, Winnebago Indians had a village at the mouth of Freeport's Spring Creek, along the river they called the Pektannon (now called Pecatonica); the depot which once served the Illinois Central Railroad marks the approximate spot of the village; and

WHEREAS, "Tutty" Baker came upon the primitive Indian village in the early 1830s and is credited with founding the settlement that became the City of Freeport; Mr. Baker, together with William Kirkpatrick and W.T. Galbraith, laid out and began the building of Freeport; and

WHEREAS, In 1836, people began coming to Freeport, which was at the time called Winneshiek after the chief of the Winnebago Indians; Tutty was a great Freeport cheerleader, a one-man Chamber of Commerce on the frontier, and he worked hard to entice others to settle in Freeport; he operated a ferry across the Pecatonica River and, where others charged a fee for a ferrying service, he took them and their wagons across for free as this was his chance to bring up all the good points about Freeport; his wife is credited with naming the city; as legend has it, she became frustrated with her husband's generosity and told him their home should be known as a "free port"; and

WHEREAS, In 1837, the State recognized Stephenson County, naming it after the late Col. Benjamin Stephenson; in 1838, Freeport saw many new residents and the completion of the courthouse, a schoolhouse, and a hotel; and

WHEREAS, In 1840, Freeport's population was 491 and, until 1850, growth was slow; from 1848 to 1850, the county's population had inched up from 10,000 to 11,666; the prairies were dotted with thriving farms and some merchants were multiplying; there were two newspapers prior to 1850, the Prairie Democrat and the Freeport Journal; and

WHEREAS, Today, the City of Freeport has a highly diverse collection of business and industry; the City is a center for the insurance industry, with such well-known names as Metlife, Kemper, and Royal & Sun Alliance; it is also a major industrial center, with four Fortune 500 companies; the City's largest employer is Honeywell's Micro Switch Division, which has several plants in various locations within the city and county; and

WHEREAS, Agriculture continues to contribute strongly to the area's economy; more than 1,400 farms in Stephenson County raise beef and dairy cattle and produce corn, soybean, hay, oats, and other cash crops; the largest dairy producing county in Illinois, Stephenson County has 23,000 dairy cows producing 346,344,000 pounds of milk annually; and

WHEREAS, To recognize Freeport's sesquicentennial, plans are underway to have a Walk of Fame pinpointing Freeport's sons and daughters who have achieved fame and fortune beyond the city gates, Tutty's Crossing Trailhead and the Welcome Center are reaching completion, a new play, "Tutty's Wake", has been written, and the "History of Stephenson County" has been reprinted; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the City of Freeport's 150th anniversary and applaud the efforts of those who are working to honor the memory of the settlers who led the way and the men and women who followed; we urge the residents of Freeport and the surrounding towns to join in the celebration as Freeport's history is remembered and relived during the many events that are planned to recognize its unique history; and be it further

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