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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate the Village of Ridge Farm
4in the Elwood Township of Vermilion County on the occasion of
5its 150th anniversary; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Abraham Smith, a Tennessee farmer seeking the
7rich soil and opportunities that Illinois had to offer,
8founded Ridge Farm in 1829, building his farm on a glacial
9ridge and thus giving the village its name; he later opened a
10post office, a blacksmith shop, a tavern, a general store, and
11an inn, planting the roots that would anchor and help develop
12the village; and
 
13    WHEREAS, From 1873 to 1874, the Village of Ridge Farm
14further grew with the construction of railroads, increasing
15the number of its local businesses in the village, which
16included flour mills, lumberyards, hardware stores, hotels,
17grain businesses, and a bank; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The Village of Ridge Farm's incorporation
19petition was filed at the Vermilion County Clerk's Office on
20March 3, 1874, signed by County Judge R. W. Hanford on March 4,
211874, and approved by the general consensus of the community
22in a store owned by John C. Pierce on March 21, 1874,

 

 

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1exemplifying the principles of a government by the people, for
2the people; and
 
3    WHEREAS, The Village of Ridge Farm has important
4connections to several historical figures, including Abraham
5Lincoln, who frequently spent time in the area early in his
6legal career; the village was also once home to such esteemed
7individuals as Brigadier General Bonner Fellers, an assistant
8to General Douglas MacArthur and director of psychological
9warfare, Lori Gerard Hutt, an Emmy Award winner, and Ron
10Dillman, a Pulitzer Prize winner; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The Village of Ridge Farm is less defined by
12boundaries on a map and more defined by its shared community
13values, rich cultural history, environmental stewardship, and
14commitment to progress in local business; and
 
15    WHEREAS, The Village of Ridge Farm has many ties to the
16past but also ties to its future through engaging in a number
17of projects to build a better tomorrow for its residents;
18therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
20HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21we congratulate the Village of Ridge Farm on its
22sesquicentennial anniversary; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
2presented to Ridge Farm Village President Shawn Schendel and
3Elwood Township Supervisor Jennifer Kunze as a symbol of our
4esteem and respect.