[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 44 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 44
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 27, 2003
Received and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To express support for the celebration in 2004 of the 150th anniversary
of the Grand Excursion of 1854.
Whereas reaching the shores of the Mississippi River represented a major
milestone for the westward expansion of the system of railroad
infrastructure that began on the East Coast in the 1830s;
Whereas in 1854 the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad became the first railroad
to reach the Mississippi River and that achievement was celebrated with
a combined railroad
and riverboat trip known as the ``Grand Excursion of 1854'';
Whereas the Grand Excursion of 1854 began in Chicago with a gathering of more
than 1,000 dignitaries from professions encompassing the fields of
government, education, business, journalism, and the arts, and included
most prominently former United States President Millard Fillmore;
Whereas the excursion party of 1854 traveled from Chicago, Illinois, to Rock
Island, Illinois, by train and then proceeded by boat from Rock Island
to the present-day twin cities of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and St. Paul,
Minnesota;
Whereas the Grand Excursion of 1854 is credited both with bringing the upper
Mississippi Valley into the national spotlight and with solidifying
Chicago's role as a major transportation hub;
Whereas communities located on the 419 mile stretch between Rock Island and
Minneapolis are investing more than $5,000,000,000 in recreational,
commercial, and environmental improvements to prepare for the
celebration of the Grand Excursion in 2004;
Whereas an educational program in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota will
bring the history of the Mississippi River to life for thousands of
students from kindergarten through 12th grade and will focus on the
recreational, environmental, and commercial importance of the river;
Whereas the Grand Excursion celebration of 2004 will establish a series of
permanent exhibits throughout the upper Mississippi River, recognizing
the achievements of the many communities and celebrating the history of
the Mississippi River;
Whereas the Grand Excursion, through its local, regional, national, and
international marketing programs and initiatives, will communicate to
the world the incredible attributes of the upper Mississippi River, and
will invite hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region to
celebrate;
Whereas the National Park Service, along with other Federal, State, and local
agencies and many other interested groups, is preparing activities to
celebrate the sesquicentennial of the Grand Excursion in 2004, to
educate local residents and visitors about the attributes of the river,
and to commemorate the occasion by establishing future traditions that
will improve community connections to the river; and
Whereas Grand Excursion, Inc. is organizing and coordinating the celebration in
2004 of the 150th anniversary of the Grand Excursion of 1854: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That the Congress--
(1) expresses its support for the work of all the Federal,
State, and local entities, and the work of all interested
groups that are preparing sesquicentennial activities to
celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Grand Excursion of 1854;
(2) expresses its support for the events to be held in
observance of the Grand Excursion of 1854 in Chicago, Rock
Island, Moline, and Galena, Illinois, in Davenport, Clinton,
and Dubuque, Iowa, in Prairie du Chien and La Crosse,
Wisconsin, in Wabasha, Winona, Red Wing, Saint Paul, and
Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in many other communities during
the sesquicentennial observance; and
(3) calls on the President of the United States, the
Secretary of Education, the Secretary of the Interior, the
Secretary of Defense, the Assistant Secretary of the Army, the
Director of the National Park Service, the Director of the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service, other public
officials, and the citizens of the United States to support,
promote, and participate in the many sesquicentennial
activities being planned to commemorate the Grand Excursion of
1854.
Passed the House of Representatives March 26, 2003.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.