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1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of |
3 | | Representatives wish to congratulate the Village of Westville |
4 | | on the occasion of its 150th sesquicentennial celebration; and
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5 | | WHEREAS, Westville was platted in 1873 and petitioned to |
6 | | become a village in July 1896, with the first village board |
7 | | meeting being held in September 1896; and
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8 | | WHEREAS, Westville's early days were closely tied to the |
9 | | coal industry as a primary industry and a way of life, leading |
10 | | the village to become known as a melting pot of nations due to |
11 | | the many nationalities that immigrated to the United States |
12 | | and eventually made their way to work in the local coal mines, |
13 | | with the village once being home to as many as 37 different |
14 | | nationalities; its miners returned home each day by way of the |
15 | | Westville Train Depot, established in 1885, which remains |
16 | | located in the center of the village and has been restored to |
17 | | serve as a museum filled with local history and includes a |
18 | | caboose, two coal cars, a mural, and a coal mining silhouette; |
19 | | and
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20 | | WHEREAS, Westville opened its first U.S. Post Office in |
21 | | 1876; its first bank, the First National Bank, was opened in |
22 | | 1904; the village's water system began in 1926, which |
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1 | | coincided with the opening of Zamberletti Park; its first |
2 | | library was launched in 1937; and
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3 | | WHEREAS, Westville's first public schools were the Central |
4 | | and Edison schools, with the first Central School building |
5 | | being purchased by Saints Peter & Paul Church; the village's |
6 | | Westville School District, known today as Westville Community |
7 | | Unit School District #2, was founded in 1910 and now includes |
8 | | the Judith Giacoma Elementary School, Westville Junior High |
9 | | School, and Westville High School; and
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10 | | WHEREAS, Westville has been a strong contender in |
11 | | athletics over the years; the village is home to the 1923 |
12 | | Westville High School football team, referred to as the "1000% |
13 | | Team" for remaining undefeated and allowing no opponent to |
14 | | score, and the annual Coal Bucket football game, established |
15 | | in 1963; the village will be celebrating the 100th and 60th |
16 | | anniversaries of the team and game, respectively, this year; |
17 | | the village is also the hometown of Hayden Copass, who won an |
18 | | IHSA Class 1A State Wrestling Championship in 2020; and
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19 | | WHEREAS, Westville has retained a strong local business |
20 | | community since its inception and has been home to many fine |
21 | | businesses over its 150-year history, with some of the |
22 | | village's most notable establishments including the Jacket |
23 | | Factory, Joy Ann Bakery, The Grab It Here Store, Lisick |
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1 | | Appliance, Bob's Bargain Barn, Le Grand Cleaners, and McMillan |
2 | | Appliance; the village was also home to the Bee Line Transit |
3 | | Corporation, founded by Dominic "Nick" Giacoma, which became |
4 | | an asset to the south end of Vermilion County, providing jobs |
5 | | and transportation for many years; and
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6 | | WHEREAS, Westville's churches have played an important |
7 | | role in the community, dating back to the founding of the |
8 | | Christian Church in 1870 and Saints Peter & Paul Church, the |
9 | | oldest Roman Catholic Church, in 1897; today, Westville boasts |
10 | | three churches, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Trinity United |
11 | | Church of Christ, and the Westville First Church of Christ; |
12 | | and
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13 | | WHEREAS, Currently, Westville's residents are under the |
14 | | care and protection of the Westville Police Department and the |
15 | | volunteer Westville Area Fire Protection District; and
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16 | | WHEREAS, Westville remains a community whose residents are |
17 | | proud to honor and celebrate their village's history while |
18 | | continuing to make the village a great place to live; |
19 | | therefore, be it
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20 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE |
21 | | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
22 | | we congratulate the Village of Westville on its 150th |