Weldon Davis, left, and Mark Haddick prepare to raise an Illinois bicentennial flag during a ceremony which was held last Friday morning at the Union County Courthouse in Jonesboro. Davis and Haddick are members of an honor guard from the VFW post in Anna.Union County Presiding Judge Mark Boie, right, read a proclamation during the flag-raising ceremony at the courthouse.

Bicentennial ceremony held at courthouse

Union County formally joined the Illinois bicentennial celebration during a ceremony which was held last Friday morning.

The State of Illinois, Union County and the City of Jonesboro all will be celebrating their bicentennials during 2018.

On Dec. 3, state officials and leaders of the Illinois Bicentennial Commission officially kicked off the state’s yearlong 200th birthday celebration during ceremonies which were held in Chicago.

During last Friday’s ceremony at the courthouse, a proclamation was read and an official Illinois bicentennial flag was raised. Numerous local officials, as well as community members, were in attendance.

The proclamation was read by Union County Presiding Judge Mark Boie.

The proclamation had been formally approved at a regular meeting of the Union County Board of Commissioners earlier on Friday morning. The meeting was at the courthouse.

The proclamation declared that...

“...Sunday, December 3rd, 2017, marked Illinois’ 199th birthday, as Illinois became the 21st state in the Union December 3rd, 1818.”

“...the Illinois Bicentennial will be a year-long celebration between December 3rd, 2017, and December 3rd, 2018, which will our state’s 200th birthday.

“...the Illinois Bicentennial will remind us that every day in Illinois, amazing thing are born, built and grown.

“...the Illinois Bicentennial will honor the many ways that Illinois has influenced American history, achievement, culture, innovation and more.

“...the Illinois Bicentennial is a once in a lifetime invitation to fall in love with  Illinois all over again.

“...together, we can inspire pride in Illinois and show the world what makes this state so great and...our community should encourage citizens, organizations, businesses, congregations, and cultural and educational institutions to participate in the year-long celebration of the Illinois Bicentennial.

“...be it resolved on this 8th day of December 2017 that the County of Union recognizes and endorses the efforts of the Illinois Bicentennial and encourages all citizens of the county of Union to participate and to celebrate throughout the upcoming year.”

A special bicentennial flag has been provided by the State of Illinois to counties and municipalities and is to be flown either beside or below the state flag during the entire bicentennial year.  

The flag was officially raised by members of an honor guard from Veterans of Foreign Wars Carroll P. Foster No. 3455 of Anna.

The Union County Historical and Genealogy Society plans to kick off the celebration of the county’s bicentennial on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018.

The kick off event is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Union County Courthouse.

Members of the historical society were among those in attendance at Friday morning’s ceremony.

The Gazette-Democrat

112 Lafayette St.
Anna, Illinois 62906
Office Number: (618) 833-2158
Email: news@annanews.com

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