IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 455

To express support for the celebration in 2004 of the 150th anniversary

of the Grand Excursion of 1854.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 26, 2002

Mr. LEACH (for himself, Mr. KIND, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr.

OBERSTAR, Mr. SABO, Mr. NUSSLE, Mr. LUTHER, Mr. EVANS, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr. GUTKNECHT, and Mr. LATHAM) submitted

the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee

on Government Reform

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 profes-
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sions 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 at-
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tributes 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

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) expresses its support for the work of all the

4 Federal, State, and local entities, and the work of all

5 interested groups that are preparing sesquicenten6 nial activities to celebrate the 150th anniversary of

7 the Grand Excursion of 1854;

8 (2) expresses its support for the events to be

9 held in observance of the Grand Excursion of 1854

10 in Chicago, Rock Island, Moline, and Galena, Illi11 nois, in Davenport, Clinton, and Dubuque, Iowa, in

12 Prairie du Chien and La Crosse, Wisconsin, in

13 Wabasha, Winona, Red Wing, Saint Paul, and Min-
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1 neapolis, Minnesota, and in many other communities

2 during the sesquicentennial observance; and

3 (3) calls on the President of the United States,

4 the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of the In5 terior, the Secretary of Defense, the Assistant Sec6 retary of the Army, the Director of the National

7 Park Service, the Director of the United States Fish

8 and Wildlife Service, other public officials, and the

9 citizens of the United States to support, promote,

10 and participate in the many sesquicentennial activi11 ties being planned to commemorate the Grand Ex12 cursion of 1854.

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