Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0830
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Full Text of HR0830  100th General Assembly

HR0830 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY


  

 


 
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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Eternal Indian, also known as the Black Hawk
3Statue, stands high on a bluff within Lowden State Park,
4overlooking the Rock River and the city of Oregon, Illinois;
5and
 
6    WHEREAS, The Eternal Indian is listed on the National
7Register of Historic Places and attracts visitors from across
8the nation, greatly contributing to the economy of the
9surrounding area; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The statue was created by Elmwood, Illinois native
11and internationally-renowned sculptor Lorado Taft, who came to
12the area to found the Eagle's Nest Art Colony, a group of
13artists from the Chicago Art Institute and the University of
14Chicago, to escape the city's summer heat; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Lorado Taft sought to adequately pay tribute to
16the various Native American tribes who lived on the wooded
17bluffs, most notably the Sauk, Fox, Sioux, and Mohawk tribes;
18and
 
19    WHEREAS, Lorado Taft was particularly inspired by the life
20of Sauk leader Black Hawk, who was born in the village of
21Saukenuk, near what is now Rock Island, Illinois, and went on

 

 

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1to lead the Sauk and Fox tribes; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Lorado Taft began constructing the statue in 1909,
3and the statue was dedicated on July 1, 1911; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The statue stands just under 50 feet tall and is
5hollow, reinforced with iron and covered by an outer layer of
6cement and pink granite, which is as thick as three feet in
7some spots; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Eternal Indian is estimated to weigh around
9536,770 pounds and is thought to be the second largest concrete
10monolithic statue in the world; and
 
11    WHEREAS, After 107 years in the varying Illinois weather,
12the statue has exhibited numerous signs of wear, such as deep
13cracks and pockmarks, that threaten not just the aesthetic
14appeal, but also the structural integrity of the statue; and
 
15    WHEREAS, In 2009, the General Assembly of the State of
16Illinois appropriated $350,000 to the Lowden State Park for the
17renovation of the statue; however, these funds were never
18received; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Seeing the lack of state funding, private citizens
20stepped up and formed the Friends of the Black Hawk Statue

 

 

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1Committee, which has worked tirelessly to raise funds and
2awareness of the statue; their efforts were enhanced on
3November 5, 2009, when the statue was added to the U.S.
4National Register of Historic Places; and
 
5    WHEREAS, We applaud the efforts of the Friends of the Black
6Hawk Statue Committee, but much of the several hundred thousand
7dollars that have been raised are being used for upkeep instead
8of restoration; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The statue is not only a point of pride for the
10people of northwest Illinois, it is a national historical
11landmark and a tribute to the lives of the Native Americans who
12inhabited Illinois well before the state was established;
13therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
15HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
16urge the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to explore
17ways to finance the renovation of the Eternal Indian statue at
18Lowden State Park in order to preserve a treasured Illinois
19monument for generations to come; and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That we applaud and admire the efforts of private
21citizens and the Friends of the Black Hawk Statue Committee in
22these difficult financial times; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
2presented to the Chairperson of the Friends of the Black Hawk
3Statue Committee, the Illinois Department of Natural
4Resources, and the Mayor of Oregon, Illinois.