HR0543 LRB094 12632 CSA 47464 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Village of Gays is celebrating its 150th
3 anniversary in 2005; and
 
4     WHEREAS, The Village was once known as Summit; railroad
5 officials named it that because it was the highest point on the
6 Indianapolis and St. Louis railroad between Terre Haute,
7 Indiana, and St. Louis, Missouri; the railroad was responsible
8 for much of the community growth; in 1881, the name was changed
9 due to postal service confusion in mail delivery; there were
10 two towns in Illinois named Summit, so the name of Gays was
11 selected; and
 
12     WHEREAS, The first residence in the area and a store with a
13 small stock of goods was built by L. Waters in 1855; other
14 people built homes and, by 1869, two more stores with general
15 merchandise were located in Gays; in 1867, a school was under
16 construction and a Methodist and Christian church were added;
17 and
 
18     WHEREAS, The Gays Mutual Telephone Company was
19 incorporated in 1904; in 1905, the Village was officially
20 organized and an election was held with 26 votes cast for town
21 officials; a bank was started, but was liquidated as a result
22 of the bank moratorium in 1934; a fire in 1912 razed six
23 buildings and dwellings near the business district; because
24 there was no fire department, a bucket brigade was formed to
25 control the flames; and
 
26     WHEREAS, Since its beginning, the Village of Gays has had
27 restaurants, grocery stores, shoe repair shops, tile and brick
28 yards, meat markets, blacksmithing and wagon making, hardware
29 stores, feed mills, a cream station, garages, a filling
30 station, beauty shops, radio repairs shops, a bulk plant, and
31 bottle gas retail; in its early days, there was a succession of

 

 

HR0543 - 2 - LRB094 12632 CSA 47464 r

1 several doctors; the Village also has a two-story outhouse, and
2 visitors from all over come just to see the novelty; and
 
3     WHEREAS, To its credit today, the Village has a new City
4 Building, post office, and fire department; two churches and
5 Heritage Christian School add to the community; there is also
6 an elevator, a used car dealer, and a couple of beauty shops;
7 therefore, be it
 
8     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
9 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
10 we honor and recognize the Village of Gays and its residents on
11 the occasion of the 150th anniversary of its founding and
12 express our sincerest best wishes for the future; and be it
13 further
 
14     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15 presented to the Village of Gays as an expression of our
16 admiration and esteem.