HR0579 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0579 LRB102 22660 MST 31805 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the Chicago High School for Agriculture Sciences on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the founding of its farm, located at 111th Street and Pulaski Road; and

WHEREAS, The farm, consisting of 129 acres, was purchased by the Chicago Board of Education for $79 on December 11, 1846, as they forecasted the extension of the city limits to distant points where schools would be needed; the land was leased for farming, and although the technology used has changed over the years, some things do not; the farm, now just under 79 acres after sections were sold, still grows corn, still has a market garden, and still hosts a farm stand; and

WHEREAS, The land has not fundamentally changed since 1846, though the community surrounding it certainly has; Mount Greenwood was first populated in 1830 but did not experience a notable influx of settlers until the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition; and

WHEREAS, In the early 1980s, the Chicago Board of Education was considering selling the land to real estate developers; the Citizen's Committee to Save Chicago's Last Farm was formed, and in response, the board announced a new plan in 1983; and

WHEREAS, Based on a first of its kind successful agricultural sciences high school in Philadelphia, the Chicago High School for Agriculture Sciences was created in 1985 and received more than 500 applications for approximately 150 freshmen openings; the school was designed to offer college preparatory and vocational education, with coursework devoted to horticulture, food science, landscape design, and other agriculture topics; and

WHEREAS, To date, the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences has an enrollment of approximately 800 students, and to commemorate the historic 175th anniversary of the school's farm, some of the students have created then-and-now photos for display; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Chicago High School for Agriculture Sciences on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the founding of its farm; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences as a symbol of our respect and esteem.