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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate the Village of Westville
4on the occasion of its 150th sesquicentennial celebration; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Westville was platted in 1873 and petitioned to
6become a village in July 1896, with the first village board
7meeting being held in September 1896; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Westville's early days were closely tied to the
9coal industry as a primary industry and a way of life, leading
10the village to become known as a melting pot of nations due to
11the many nationalities that immigrated to the United States
12and eventually made their way to work in the local coal mines,
13with the village once being home to as many as 37 different
14nationalities; its miners returned home each day by way of the
15Westville Train Depot, established in 1885, which remains
16located in the center of the village and has been restored to
17serve as a museum filled with local history and includes a
18caboose, two coal cars, a mural, and a coal mining silhouette;
19and
 
20    WHEREAS, Westville opened its first U.S. Post Office in
211876; its first bank, the First National Bank, was opened in
221904; the village's water system began in 1926, which

 

 

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1coincided with the opening of Zamberletti Park; its first
2library was launched in 1937; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Westville's first public schools were the Central
4and Edison schools, with the first Central School building
5being purchased by Saints Peter & Paul Church; the village's
6Westville School District, known today as Westville Community
7Unit School District #2, was founded in 1910 and now includes
8the Judith Giacoma Elementary School, Westville Junior High
9School, and Westville High School; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Westville has been a strong contender in
11athletics over the years; the village is home to the 1923
12Westville High School football team, referred to as the "1000%
13Team" for remaining undefeated and allowing no opponent to
14score, and the annual Coal Bucket football game, established
15in 1963; the village will be celebrating the 100th and 60th
16anniversaries of the team and game, respectively, this year;
17the village is also the hometown of Hayden Copass, who won an
18IHSA Class 1A State Wrestling Championship in 2020; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Westville has retained a strong local business
20community since its inception and has been home to many fine
21businesses over its 150-year history, with some of the
22village's most notable establishments including the Jacket
23Factory, Joy Ann Bakery, The Grab It Here Store, Lisick

 

 

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1Appliance, Bob's Bargain Barn, Le Grand Cleaners, and McMillan
2Appliance; the village was also home to the Bee Line Transit
3Corporation, founded by Dominic "Nick" Giacoma, which became
4an asset to the south end of Vermilion County, providing jobs
5and transportation for many years; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Westville's churches have played an important
7role in the community, dating back to the founding of the
8Christian Church in 1870 and Saints Peter & Paul Church, the
9oldest Roman Catholic Church, in 1897; today, Westville boasts
10three churches, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Trinity United
11Church of Christ, and the Westville First Church of Christ;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, Currently, Westville's residents are under the
14care and protection of the Westville Police Department and the
15volunteer Westville Area Fire Protection District; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Westville remains a community whose residents are
17proud to honor and celebrate their village's history while
18continuing to make the village a great place to live;
19therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
21HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
22we congratulate the Village of Westville on its 150th

 

 

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1anniversary, and we wish the village continued success in the
2years to come; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
4presented to the Village of Westville as an expression of our
5esteem and respect.