HR1333LRB098 22899 MST 61849 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to recognize the Sheldon Peck Homestead on
4the occasion of the 175th anniversary of its founding; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Sheldon Peck was born in Vermont in 1797; he
6married Harriet Cory in 1825, and shortly thereafter, made his
7way to Illinois; he completed his homestead (then known as
8Babcock's Grove) in Lombard in 1839 and became involved in many
9of the reform movements that started to take hold in the
10mid-1800s; he established the first school in the area to
11ensure all children would receive an education; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Sheldon Peck became deeply involved in the
13abolitionist movement and supported it to the extent that he
14became a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad; runaway
15slaves would make their way to his home, where they would be
16given food, shelter, and a place to rest, before moving on to
17the next "station"; and
 
18    WHEREAS, During the years Sheldon Peck was aiding slaves on
19the road to freedom, he continued his painting business,
20producing portraits for many local families; it is believed his
21art business served as a cover for his Underground Railroad
22work, allowing him to covertly move slaves between safe houses

 

 

HR1333- 2 -LRB098 22899 MST 61849 r

1in his wagon; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Sheldon Peck's homestead was sold to the Village
3of Lombard in the mid-1990s; in 1996, the process of
4restoration began with historical research, fundraising, and
5finally physical refurbishing; in August of 1999, a ribbon
6cutting ceremony was held and Sheldon Peck's home, restored to
7its 1839 appearance, was unveiled; in 2011, the homestead
8became part of the National Park Service's Network to Freedom,
9an organization that catalogs Underground Railroad sites; the
10homestead will soon be placed on the National Register of
11Historic Places; and
 
12    WHEREAS, A 3-day celebration event was held in honor of the
13175th anniversary at the Sheldon Peck Homestead on August 22nd,
1423rd, and 24th, 2014; therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17we recognize the Sheldon Peck Homestead on its 175th
18anniversary; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to the Lombard Historical Society as an expression of
21our esteem and respect.