Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

In force July 21, 1837.

AN ACT to alter the town plat of Geneva, and for other purposes.
1

Proprietors of town may vacate plat

Proviso

Sec.[Section] 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That the proprietors of the town of Geneva, Kane county, and the owners of lots therein, be, and they are hereby authorized and empowered to alter, change, or vacate the survey and plat of said town; Provided, The consent of all the proprietors and owners aforesaid shall be first had in writing, which shall be acknowledged before some justice of the peace of the county, and recorded in the recorder’s office of the county of Kane.

May build mill dam

Proviso

Sec. 2. That R. J. Hamilton, James M. Strode, James Herrington, and their associates, be, and they are hereby authorized to construct a mill dam across Fox river at the town of Geneva; Provided, however, said grant shall not be so construed as to prevent the state from improving said Fox river by dams and locks, at any time hereafter, for the purpose of slack water navigation.

Name of town of Winchester changed

Sec. 3. That the name of the town of Winchester, in the county of Will, be, and it is hereby changed to the name of Wilmington, and by that name the aforesaid town shall be hereafter known and designated.

All bonds &c.[etc.] still binding

Sec. 4. All bonds and other contracts made and entered into of and concerning the said town of Winchester, and all muniments of title of and concerning the said town of Winchester, shall apply and be as binding as if the name of the said town had not been changed.

Approved, 21st July, 1837.

1William Stadden introduced the bill, originally titled “A Bill for the Purposes Therein Named,” in the Senate on July 15, 1837. The Senate referred the bill to a select committee, which reported it back with amendments on July 18. The Senate approved the amendments, and on July 19 they passed the bill. They then amended the title to read “A Bill to Alter the Town Plat of Geneva, and for Other Purposes.” The House of Representatives passed the bill on July 21. The same day, the Council of Revision approved the bill and the act became law.
Journal of the House of Representatives of the Tenth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, at a Special Session (Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1837), 121, 155, 156-57; Journal of the Senate of the Tenth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, at a Special Session (Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1837), 67, 85, 99, 120, 136, 146.