HR0588 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0588 LRB095 12691 GRL 38011 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the residents of Foster Township on the 150th anniversary of their township on August 18 and 19, 2007; and

WHEREAS, Foster Township is situated in the northwestern portion of Madison County, bounded on the north by Jersey and Macoupin counties, on the east by Moro Township, on the south by Alton and Wood River Townships, and on the west by Godfrey Township; and

WHEREAS, Foster Township was named for Oliver Foster, a veteran of the War of 1812; Foster and his family arrived at Shawneetown on January 1, 1819, then continued on to Edwardsville, then Upper Alton; being a skilled mechanic, Foster erected the Foster Inn, the finest building in the township; the inn's location on the Springfield Road, the regular stagecoach route from Alton to Springfield, made the inn a popular stopping place for travelers as well as a relay station where fresh horses were obtained for the next lap of the journey; Abraham Lincoln and other prominent persons of the era stayed at the Foster Inn when the stagecoach made an overnight stop; the Foster family property was sold following the death of Mrs. Foster in August 1866; and

WHEREAS, Oliver P. Foster, son of Oliver Foster, surveyed the land for the original 4 blocks of the town of Foster on September 28, 1857; the plat for the town of Foster was recorded by Oliver P. and Lucinda Foster on October 12, 1857; the town was renamed Fosterburg in 1858; the first residence built in Foster belonged to Ransom Chandler, son of early settler Martin Chandler; and

WHEREAS, The first school house in Foster Township is believed to have been a log school house built on the farm of Green Short in 1833; subsequent schools include Ingersoll School, which was started in 1856, Heiens and Fosterburg Schools, which were built in 1858, Werts School, which was built in 1859, Sherfy School, which was built in 1860, Luman School, and Bockstruck School; Fosterburg School was destroyed by a tornado in 1948, which led to a new school being built in 1949; Fosterburg and Werts Schools were consolidated during the summer of 1949; on August 28, 1950, the Fosterburg, Heiens, and Ingersoll-Sherfy districts were placed into Alton Consolidated School District 151; after an election in 1952, Alton School District 151 became Alton Community School District No. 11 and two remaining schools, Woods and Bockstruck, were closed; and

WHEREAS, Following Madison County's adoption of a township form of government in 1876, the first town meeting was held in the town of Foster at the office of J.H. Mueller on April 4, 1876; and

WHEREAS, The original Foster town hall was built in 1908 on land donated by William R. Eddington, a Civil War veteran, from property purchased from H. G. Bassett; Eddington also donated the materials to construct the hall, with members of the community donating their labor to construct the building; the old hall was used for a variety of activities, including box socials, Christmas programs, church services, school programs, and as a polling place for elections; the hall was completely destroyed in the 1948 tornado; in 1954, a new basement was constructed, just north of the old site, which was used until 1975; a new town hall building of double steel wall construction was erected at the west end of Main Street; the new town hall's dedication ceremony was held on June 29, 1975; and

WHEREAS, Foster Township has had a long history of economic growth; the Rockford, Rock Island, & St. Louis Railroad Company purchased right-of-way through the township in 1870 and began construction of a new railroad; the rail lines were bought by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1876, and were used to haul limestone to its many customers; many small coalmines were operated in the township from the 1850's until the early 1940's; and

WHEREAS, The first Postal Service in Foster Township was established in the stagecoach era; the office was located at the Foster Inn, with John Nichols as postmaster; the stage would travel over the Hillsborough and Staunton Post Road, leaving Hillsboro and arriving in Alton; an application was made for a post office for the town of Foster in 1858; since there was another office in the state by that name, the town's named was changed to Fosterburg; Rural Free Delivery was begun in 1896; and

WHEREAS, The Fosterburg Telephone System was established in 1903 when the right-of-way was signed with the St. Clair and Eastern Telephone Company; the telephone line was known as the Star Line and ran from Fosterburg to Alton; the company's office and equipment were destroyed in the 1948 tornado; negotiations were begun with Illinois Bell Telephone Company and the line was completed and service was renewed in 1949; and

WHEREAS, Volunteers from Foster Township made up the larger part of Company K of the 80th Illinois Regiment, which fought in many Civil War battles; and

WHEREAS, The Fosterburg Water District began in 1965 when concern over surface water entering the well at Fosterburg Elementary School prompted the principal, Clifford E. Tinsley, to call Dr. J. B. Johnson, Superintendent of Alton School District #11, to discuss water service for the Fosterburg area; however, as word spread, the areas of Dorsey, Prairietown, Midway, Deerfield, and areas west of Fosterburg were included; the district grew to encompass approximately 94 square miles; a public election was held on November 25, 1967, which resulted in the establishment of the Fosterburg Water District by a court order on January 2, 1968; the first official meeting of the District was held on February 1, 1968, with Principal Tinsley presiding; and

WHEREAS, The Fosterburg Fire Department was formed in 1971 and officially went into operation on August 8, 1971, with a call-out list of 30 men under the direction of Chief Charles Miller; in September 1971, the Fosterburg Firemen's Ladies Auxiliary was formed by the wives of the firemen; the fire department moved into their new 6 bay brick firehouse in May 1979; and

WHEREAS, The citizens of Foster Township are grateful to its early pioneers and settlers for their important role in founding the township and continue to take great pride in the township's natural and historic treasures; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the residents of Foster Township on the 150th anniversary of their township and wish them many more happy and successful years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to a representative of Foster Township as a symbol of our esteem and respect.