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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate the members of the
4 Will County Historical Society and the Give Something Back
5 Foundation on the occasion of the dedication of the Lincoln
6 Landing, the singular park located in historic downtown
7 Lockport; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Created by a donation from Bob and Jill Carr,
9 former residents of Lockport, the Give Something Back
10 Foundation is a privately-funded civic organization committed
11 to helping financially disadvantaged children, who are
12 committed to academic excellence, to complete a college degree;
13 and
 
14     WHEREAS, The Will County Historical Society is the
15 storyteller of the history of Will County, having planned and
16 executed many public activities and events to showcase the rich
17 history of the county and its residents; and
 
18     WHEREAS, The connection of Abraham Lincoln to the City of
19 Lockport is considerable; citing the need for improved
20 transportation in northeastern Illinois, a young man named
21 Abraham Lincoln and eight other legislators, dubbed "The Long
22 Nine", proposed a canal that would connect Lake Michigan and

 

 

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1 the Illinois River; the City of Lockport would become the
2 headquarters of the new canal, which would be named the
3 Illinois & Michigan Canal; the I & M Canal and the City of
4 Lockport would not be forgotten by Lincoln, who would go on to
5 proclaim the canal's completion and opening to the House of
6 Representatives in 1848 and sign legislation as President to
7 use the I & M Canal to transport cannon and armaments for the
8 Union Army to use in the Battle of Vicksburg during the Civil
9 War; following his assassination in 1865, his body was carried
10 through Lockport on the way to Springfield on the city's
11 railroad tracks; and
 
12     WHEREAS, The planning and construction of Lincoln Landing
13 was funded by the Give Something Back Foundation, with the
14 construction site located on land owned by the Will County
15 Historical Society; the park features a one of a kind statue of
16 Abraham Lincoln and educational bronze medallions that contain
17 information regarding the national implications of Lincoln,
18 Lockport, and the Illinois & Michigan Canal; in addition, a
19 curriculum is being created in conjunction with nine school
20 districts in the area and their teachers for use directly in
21 the classroom, the only project of its kind in the nation; and
 
22     WHEREAS, Lincoln Landing has recently been endorsed by the
23 Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in Washington, D.C., a
24 testament to the park's focus on Lincoln and his contributions

 

 

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1 to our nation; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Thanks to the combined efforts of the Will County
3 Historical Society and the Give Something Back Foundation,
4 Lincoln Landing will serve as a source of education and
5 enlightenment for many generations of citizens who wish to
6 learn about the life and legacy of our 16th president;
7 therefore, be it
 
8     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
9 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
10 congratulate the members of the Will County Historical Society
11 and the Give Something Back Foundation on the occasion of the
12 dedication of Lincoln Landing and wish them continued success
13 with their future endeavors; and be it further
 
14     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
15 presented to the Will County Historical Society and the Give
16 Something Back Foundation as a symbol of our esteem and
17 respect.