[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17768]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF LINCOLN, 
                                ILLINOIS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. RAY LaHOOD

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 10, 2003

  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the City of Lincoln, in the 
18th District of Illinois, for their one hundred and fiftieth 
anniversary.

       Whereas the city of Lincoln, Illinois, is celebrating its 
     sesquicentennial;
       Whereas such an occasion commemorates the life and times 
     lived by those citizens who influenced or nurtured the 
     development of the nation, state, county, and individual 
     communities in which they lived;
       Whereas the city of Lincoln, Illinois, has planned 
     sesquicentennial activities to commemorate its founding;
       Whereas an official celebration will occur August 21 
     through August 31, 2003 in downtown Lincoln, Postville, and 
     Lincoln College, and will include commemorative displays as 
     well as the Annual Art and Balloon Festival;
       Whereas the history of the settlement of the original 
     thirteen colonies along the Atlantic seaboard was one of 
     people seeking a promised land--a land with freedom and 
     opportunity;
       Whereas Logan County, Illinois, was established as a result 
     of the American westward movement across the Appalachian 
     Mountains, through the Ohio River Valley, and onto the broad 
     expanse of the Illinois prairies;
       Whereas founded in 1853 as a result of that American 
     westward movement, Lincoln, Illinois has had an illustrious 
     history which has strongly influenced the city's citizens' 
     way of life;
       Whereas since its founding, the citizens of Lincoln, 
     Illinois, have come from all walks of life and have 
     represented all races, creeds, and nationalities;
       Whereas, from the time of the original settlers of Lincoln, 
     Illinois, and through the passage of time, the citizens of 
     Lincoln have shared a common dream that their children would 
     enjoy a better life than they themselves had;
       Whereas that dream became the legacy, which remained 
     throughout the economic, political, and social development of 
     Lincoln, Illinois;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln was the embodiment of that dream 
     whereby a person can transcend from a ``dirt floor cabin'' 
     background and become a symbol of hope to the citizens of 
     Lincoln, Illinois, the United States, and throughout the 
     world;
       Whereas Lincoln, Illinois, was the only town or city named 
     for Abraham Lincoln before he ever achieved any prominence or 
     fame;
       Whereas Lincoln College was the only educational 
     institution in the world named for Abraham Lincoln during his 
     Presidency from 1861 to 1865;
       Whereas the founders of Lincoln, Illinois--Robert B. 
     Latham, John D. Gillett, Virgil Hickox--were close friends of 
     the 16th President of the United States and named the city 
     after him;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln spent many hours in both Postville, 
     which is now a part of Lincoln, and in Lincoln, Illinois, 
     when handling his legal cases while riding the Eighth 
     Judicial Circuit from 1839 to 1861;
       Whereas Abraham Lincoln served as Presiding Judge while 
     hearing several legal cases in Lincoln, Illinois, and was 
     also a landowner in his namesake city;
       Whereas, like Abraham Lincoln, there have been many 
     citizens of Lincoln, Illinois, who have endeavored to pursue 
     the causes of humanitarianism, justice, freedom, and true 
     democracy;
       Whereas the cornerstone of the heritage of Lincoln, 
     Illinois, might be described by the words said by Abraham 
     Lincoln during a time of great personal tragedy, ``faith-
     love-hope''; and
       Whereas such ``faith-love-hope'', along with determination 
     and hard work have become the qualities which have enabled 
     the citizens of Lincoln, Illinois, to develop the city into 
     an entity in which each person can be proud.

  Therefore, I ask that Lincoln, Illinois, and its residents be 
commended for their contributions and investment in the Nation's future 
and for the opportunities that the city and residents have to continue 
to reaffirm those principles which have served them well during the 
past 150 years.

                          ____________________