August 9, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 134 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1042-E1043]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE VILLAGE OF 
                              LOMBARD, IL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 9, 2019

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
150th anniversary of the founding of the Village of Lombard, and to 
celebrate its beginnings and the important contributions made by its 
citizens over its long and vibrant history.

[[Page E1043]]

  The first European settlers to the region arrived in the early 1830s, 
enticed by rich farmland and the promise of a better life. Originally 
known as Babcock's Grove, the Village of Lombard was officially 
incorporated in 1869 and named in honor of Josia Lewis Lombard, a 
Chicago banker and real estate developer.
  Among the early pioneers to the region were Sheldon and Harriet Peck. 
Sheldon was a folk artist of some renown, but he and Harriet also are 
remembered for their vigorous activism in support of women's rights, 
public education, temperance, and most importantly, the anti-slavery 
movement. The Pecks made their home a stop on the Underground Railroad 
and assisted numerous runaway slaves on their journey to freedom. To 
commemorate their courage, the Peck homestead was inducted in August of 
2011 into the National Park-sponsored `Network to Freedom' program.
  The women's suffrage movement also enjoyed one of its earliest 
triumphs thanks to the inspired advocacy of a Lombard attorney. Ellen 
Martin successfully argued that the Lombard town charter gave women the 
right to vote, as it conferred voter status on any resident of Lombard 
who had reached the age of majority. On April 6, 1891, Ellen Martin 
cast the first vote by a woman in our state, nearly 30 years before the 
enactment of the 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
  I believe the original settlers of Lombard would be deeply proud of 
the village they established and its distinguished history. Madam 
Speaker, I want to recognize this profoundly American story of courage, 
determination, and good works, and to acknowledge the vibrant history 
and future of the Village of Lombard.

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