HR0837 LRB101 21289 MST 71881 r
1		HOUSE RESOLUTION
2		WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3		Representatives wish to congratulate the City of Andover on the
4		185th anniversary of its founding; and
5		WHEREAS, Andover is Henry County's oldest community; it was
6		founded in 1835 by the visionary Presbyterian minister Rev.
7		Ithamar Pillsbury; the fledgling colony was patterned after New
8		Haven, Connecticut and envisioned as a seat of learning,
9		religion, and commerce; and
10		WHEREAS, The mill, which was constructed in 1836, was Henry
11		County's first industry and attracted many early settlers to
12		the village; and
13		WHEREAS, In 1840, Swedish seaman Sven Nelson became a
14		"landlubber" and settled in the area to enjoy the beautiful
15		prairie land and the scenic Edwards River; and
16		WHEREAS, Swedish immigrants learned about Andover and
17		sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, traveled by canal boat and
18		covered wagon, and walked long distances to settle there; these
19		early settlers were met with Andover hospitality, which still
20		exists in the village today; and

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1		WHEREAS, Andover's sister city is Kristdala, Sweden;
2		during the latter half of the 19th century, some 2,000 persons
3		left Kristdala and immigrated to the Andover area; this group
4		consisted of approximately one half of the entire population of
5		the town, and many of them settled on small parcels of land
6		between the communities of Andover and Woodhull, which came to
7		be known as Kristdala Backa (hills); today, Kristdala, which is
8		located in Kalmar County in the province of Smaland, has a
9		population of about 1,000; and
10		WHEREAS, Andover played an important role in the
11		Underground Railroad with four known locations or "stations" in
12		Andover, the Edwards River Mill located south of Andover, the
13		Colony Brick House located at 1st & Ash Streets, the Woolsey
14		House at Beech & 6th Streets, and the Mix-Lobeck House located
15		at Pine & 8th Streets; while only the Colony Brick House
16		building remains today, all of the sites have historical
17		markers; Andover's early English settlers were very active in
18		the abolitionist movement in the 1830s, and when the Swedes
19		arrived in the 1840s, many of them also became involved with
20		this movement; and
21		WHEREAS, For many years during the early and middle 20th
22		century, Andover had a baseball team, which became known as the
23		"Terrible Swedes"; they played on baseball diamonds with no
24		fences, and collections were taken to pay for bats and balls;

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1		in 1911, one of the team's pitchers, Franklin Johnson, signed
2		as a pitcher for Davenport in the old Three I League and then
3		played for the St. Louis Cardinals; and
4		WHEREAS, Andover's English and Swedish heritage has been
5		preserved for visitors, and the past is joined with the present
6		in a pleasant Illinois rural atmosphere; there are 25
7		information signs located throughout the Andover area
8		highlighting special sites; and
9		WHEREAS, Andover will celebrate its 185th birthday during
10		the first weekend of June in 2021; the festival was originally
11		scheduled for 2020 but has been postponed due to the COVID-19
12		pandemic; therefore, be it
13		RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
14		HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
15		we congratulate the City of Andover on the 185th anniversary of
16		its founding; and be it further
17		RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18		presented to the City of Andover as an expression of our esteem
19		and respect.