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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate the City of
4Belleville as it celebrates the 200th anniversary of its
5founding in 2014; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Belleville was the center of the first important
7German settlement in the State of Illinois; the influence of
8Koerner, Hilgard, Bunsen, Abend, and Engleman was felt in law,
9journalism, education, science, and industry; Bornman, Braun,
10Gundlach, Eimer, Knoebel, and Brosius left similar impressions
11on the mechanical industry; by 1870, Belleville was the
12second-largest producer of manufactured goods in the State,
13tied with Peoria and second only to Chicago; it was the leading
14cigar revenue district of Southern Illinois, and the company
15which manufactures "Jelly Belly" candy was founded by 2 German
16candy makers in 1968; Belleville is credited with having the
17first electric trolley in the State; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Following the Civil War, Belleville's industry
19gravitated towards stove casting and it earned the moniker
20"Stove Capital of the World", and Belleville continues to this
21day to produce high-quality stoves and heating products; it was
22with the advent of steam-powered railroads that Belleville, a
23landlocked community, was pushed into the Industrial Era; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, During the first 50 years of the Illinois
2territory and its subsequent statehood, Ninian Edwards, John
3Reynolds and William Bissell - all Belleville men - held the
4office of the Governor; William Kinney and Gustave Koerner held
5the office of the Lt. Governor and James Shields was a hero in
6the Mexican War; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The American Miners Association was founded in
8Belleville in 1861, the first attempt to form a national miners
9union; its coal provided energy and wealth to fuel a post-civil
10war industrial boom, providing jobs for union workers in the
11production of stoves, shoes, and cigars; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The celebration will culminate in an event
13extravaganza the weekend of September 19-21, 2014, covering 9
14blocks in downtown Belleville and including 3 days of music,
15food, drinks, craft vendors, and historical demonstrations,
16along with a Civil War reenactment and a vintage baseball
17tournament; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
20we congratulate the City of Belleville as it celebrates the
21200th anniversary of its founding; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to the City of Belleville as an expression of our
3esteem and respect.