HR0456 LRB094 12405 CSA 46696 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Village of Heyworth is hosting
3 Sesquicentennial pre-celebration activities on May 21, 2005,
4 during their annual "Hey Days" event; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The Village will celebrate its 150th anniversary
6 on May 17 to May 21, 2006; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Heyworth was founded in 1856 and named after an
8 early settler; Campbell Wakefield was essentially the founder
9 of Heyworth and became the owner of a vast tract of land of
10 approximately fifteen hundred acres which is now Heyworth; he
11 made several donations, encouraged trade, and induced
12 businessmen to locate in the new town; the Village was
13 officially incorporated on May 10, 1901; and
 
14     WHEREAS, The interurban railway made its last run down
15 Walnut Street through Heyworth in February of 1953; steam
16 locomotives were silenced by the 1960s; during the 1940s and
17 1950s, many businesses were located in downtown Heyworth,
18 including a doctor, several grocery stores, hardware, lumber,
19 farm machinery, and a couple of drug stores; the current
20 Village Hall is located in the building where the power supply
21 for the entire Village was generated until 1963; electricity
22 was generated by several large diesel generators, and their
23 operation provided jobs for many residents; before radios were
24 used, the workers would "blink" the street lights to let the
25 police officer on duty know to report to Village Hall for an
26 emergency; by the end of the 1960s, Heyworth saw its downtown
27 area begin to fade like a lot of other small towns; and
 
28     WHEREAS, Memorial Day weekend in 1970 saw a major event
29 take place in Heyworth, which became known as the "Kickapoo
30 Creek Rock Festival; about 90,000 people from all over the
31 nation took part in the very interesting event located a mile

 

 

HR0456 - 2 - LRB094 12405 CSA 46696 r

1 northwest of town; and
 
2     WHEREAS, The relocation of high voltage power lines around
3 the west side of Heyworth in the early 1990s started a huge
4 housing boom and four new subdivisions helped the population
5 increase to its current 2,600; many major improvements have
6 been made to the water, sewer, and highly traveled streets;
7 Heyworth has its first strip mall with Dollar General and
8 Subway; many new parks have been added throughout the Village
9 and Centennial Park on the west side of town has a beautiful
10 lake with a walking trail, several ball fields, and a soccer
11 area for the community to enjoy; and
 
12     WHEREAS, The Village still has several businesses in the
13 downtown area and looks forward to the future with hopes of
14 expansion in residential and commercial growth; therefore, be
15 it
 
16     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18 we recognize the Village of Heyworth's pre-celebration
19 activities in preparation for the occasion of its 150th
20 anniversary; and be it further
 
21     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
22 presented to the Village of Heyworth as an expression of our
23 esteem.