Text: SR00166 Text: SR00168 Text: SR00100 - SR00199 Text: SR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN
1 1 SENATE RESOLUTION NO.
1 2 BY ANGELO
1 3 A Resolution honoring the town of Afton on its
1 4 sesquicentennial anniversary year.
1 5 WHEREAS, the town of Afton was platted in 1854 with
1 6 a center block-square park on land owned by E. A.
1 7 Temple of Chariton, and every alternate lot was
1 8 donated to the county to be sold and the proceeds
1 9 spent for the erection of public buildings; and
1 10 WHEREAS, Mrs. Temple named the town either from the
1 11 song "Flow Gently, Sweet Afton" or for the River Afton
1 12 in Scotland; and
1 13 WHEREAS, church services held in a private home in
1 14 1855 heralded the beginning of the Methodist Church in
1 15 Afton, and on July 4, 1855, a flagpole was raised and
1 16 a flag made by the town's ladies flew proudly; and
1 17 WHEREAS, Afton was the county seat for Union County
1 18 from 1855 until 1890; and
1 19 WHEREAS, the first house in Afton, built in 1855 by
1 20 David Fife, was constructed of logs and used both as a
1 21 dwelling and a store, stocked with goods brought by
1 22 wagon from St. Joseph, Missouri; a two-story log hotel
1 23 was built the same year, followed by a post office in
1 24 1856 and the first courthouse in 1857; and
1 25 WHEREAS, in the summer of 1859, The Afton Eagle
1 26 became Union County's first newspaper, followed in
1 27 1871 by a second newspaper, The Afton News, which was
1 28 the forerunner of the current Afton Star-Enterprise;
1 29 and
1 30 WHEREAS, in 1867, D. J. Spencer established a
2 1 brickyard west of town that was in operation for 50
2 2 years and produced the bricks for many of the
2 3 buildings in Afton and nearby Creston, including the
2 4 "new" courthouse built in 1872 on Afton's town square;
2 5 and
2 6 WHEREAS, the railroad known as the Burlington and
2 7 Missouri River Road, now the Burlington Northern,
2 8 arrived in 1868; and
2 9 WHEREAS, in 1954, the Afton Centennial Celebration,
2 10 held in conjunction with the Union County Fair, was
2 11 attended by an estimated 15,000 people and featured
2 12 Governor William S. Beardsley as the evening speaker,
2 13 as well as a large parade, a beef barbeque, local
2 14 ladies in long skirts, a whisker competition for the
2 15 local men, window displays, a period clothing style
2 16 show, and a local talent show, with fireworks closing
2 17 out the day; and
2 18 WHEREAS, the town of Afton is located in Union
2 19 County, near highways 34 and 69, and in close
2 20 proximity to Three Mile Lake which, with its 24 miles
2 21 of shoreline, provides not only water and wildlife
2 22 recreation, but flood control and a source of water
2 23 for surrounding communities; and
2 24 WHEREAS, today Afton has a population of 917, with
2 25 402 households, and boasts four churches, several
2 26 social and service organizations, a golf club,
2 27 thriving local businesses, and a very efficient
2 28 volunteer fire and rescue unit; and
2 29 WHEREAS, Afton is celebrating its 150th anniversary
2 30 on June 26, 2004, in conjunction with the annual
3 1 Lion's Pre-Fourth Celebration on June 27, and all
3 2 former and current residents and friends are invited
3 3 to attend and celebrate their heritage; NOW THEREFORE,
3 4 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate
3 5 recognizes and extends its congratulations to the town
3 6 of Afton on the town's sesquicentennial anniversary
3 7 and for its 150 years of service to its citizens and
3 8 to the State of Iowa.
3 9 LSB 7094SS 80
3 10 dea/sh/8
Text: SR00166 Text: SR00168 Text: SR00100 - SR00199 Text: SR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
© 2004 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
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