PRINTER'S NO. 3644
No. 717 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY RAMALEY, BIANCUCCI, GIBBONS, MARSHALL, SAINATO, J. WHITE, GEORGE, MANTZ, HELM, DONATUCCI, VEREB, GRUCELA, SWANGER, PAYNE, BELFANTI, FRANKEL, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, HENNESSEY, READSHAW, MAJOR, GOODMAN, McCALL, VULAKOVICH, CALTAGIRONE, WOJNAROSKI, SURRA, MANN, ROSS, BAKER, D. O'BRIEN, MARKOSEK, DiGIROLAMO, KENNEY, NAILOR, ROHRER, COHEN, HESS, PHILLIPS, McILHATTAN, CLYMER, PRESTON, KULA, MILLARD, CONKLIN, PETRONE, SCAVELLO, O'NEILL, SAYLOR, SANTONI, MAHONEY, HARHART AND MOYER, MAY 2, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MAY 2, 2008
A RESOLUTION 1 Honoring the City of Aliquippa, Beaver County, on its 100th 2 anniversary. 3 WHEREAS, Aliquippa emerged in 1750 as a village along a back 4 channel of an Ohio River island; and 5 WHEREAS, It is popularly believed, but not historically 6 accurate, that the village was named for Queen Aliquippa, a pro- 7 British Iroquois leader who ruled over what is known today as 8 the greater Pittsburgh area in the mid-1700s; and 9 WHEREAS, The Village of Aliquippa was incorporated in 1894; 10 and 11 WHEREAS, By 1900, the Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation 12 expanded its business interests from Pittsburgh by purchasing 13 the Ohio River island located near present-day Aliquippa; and 14 WHEREAS, The Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation erected on
1 that island a large, integrated steel mill, which stretched 2 seven miles along the river; and 3 WHEREAS, The Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation invested in 4 the nearby villages by building homes and businesses to 5 accommodate the large influx of immigrants descending upon the 6 Village of Aliquippa to gain employment in the steel mills; and 7 WHEREAS, The Borough of Woodlawn, which would later become 8 the heart of the City of Aliquippa, was incorporated in 1908; 9 and 10 WHEREAS, In Woodlawn, the corporation laid out the borough in 11 a series of "plans" identified by a number; and 12 WHEREAS, The residents of the Village of Aliquippa were 13 settled separately in each plan based on race and ethnicity; and 14 WHEREAS, The Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation separated 15 its employees in such a manner to discourage American 16 integration, as well as to reduce social conflict among 17 neighbors; and 18 WHEREAS, The Village of Aliquippa and the Borough of Woodlawn 19 merged in 1928 to become the Borough of Aliquippa to appease the 20 Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation's wishes to have the 21 Aliquippa Works mill in a town named Aliquippa; and 22 WHEREAS, The newly incorporated Borough of Aliquippa and its 23 residents experienced prosperity throughout the 20th century 24 because of their centrality to the success of American steel 25 production; and 26 WHEREAS, The closure of the steel plants in the 1980s caused 27 enough economic strife to persuade council leaders to recharter 28 the borough in 1987 as the City of Aliquippa; and 29 WHEREAS, Today, the community leaders of the City of 30 Aliquippa wish to honor the history of their town by celebrating 20080H0717R3644 - 2 -
1 the centennial of the merger with year-long festivities 2 beginning May 22, 2008; and 3 WHEREAS, A centennial festival will be held the weekend of 4 May 22 through 26, 2008, with a Centennial Celebration Parade 5 being held on Saturday, May 24, 2008; and 6 WHEREAS, Residents of the City of Aliquippa have a tradition 7 of outstanding citizenship and deserve the congratulations of 8 this legislative body; therefore be it 9 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor the City of 10 Aliquippa, Beaver County, on its 100th anniversary. D17L82JS/20080H0717R3644 - 3 -