HR0006 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0006 LRB103 06050 LAW 51080 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Edgar County on the occasion of its 200th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, Edgar County was formed in 1823 and named for John Edgar, one of its first judges and an Irish-born officer in the British Royal Navy who resigned rather than fight against Americans in the Revolutionary War; and

WHEREAS, Even before its organization, the region of Edgar County played an important role in the history of Illinois and the nation; in 1765, a famous treaty was agreed upon by Ottawa Chief Pontiac and British representative George Croghan in a formal peace council near Palermo or Hickory Grove in northwestern Edgar County; the treaty ended the most threatening Native American uprising against the British following the French and Indian War; today, historical markers in Edgar County commemorate this critical event in history; and

WHEREAS, Abraham Lincoln also had a strong connection to Edgar County, as it was one of 14 counties in central Illinois on the 8th Judicial Circuit that young Lincoln, in company of other lawyers and judges, traveled on horseback to provide a court of law in county seats in the spring and fall from 1842 to 1853; records show that Lincoln was engaged in 45 cases during his circuit riding days in the county; in 2017, the county was recognized as an official Looking for Lincoln site by the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition (LFLHC) and is now encompassed in the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area (ALNHA); and

WHEREAS, In more recent history, Edgar County has been home to a Nobel Prize winner, a Congressional Medal of Honor winner, a comedy film series star, one of the nation's first female brigadier generals, and a country music star; and

WHEREAS, Edgar County encompasses a total area of 624 square miles in east central Illinois, includes the Cities of Chrisman and Paris, the Villages of Brocton, Hume, Kansas, Metcalf, Redmon, and Vermilion, 10 unincorporated communities, and 15 townships, and is currently home to nearly 17,000 Illinoisans; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Edgar County on its bicentennial and honor the achievements of its citizens and its role in Illinois and U.S. history; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we wish Edgar County another 200 years of success; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Edgar County as an expression of our esteem and respect.