KEY: stricken = old language to be removed
     underscored = new language to be added

H.R. No. 5, as introduced: 83rd Legislative Session (2003-2004) Posted on March 10, 2003

03-1845   
  1.1                          A house resolution 
  1.2             commemorating the 85th anniversary of the Fires of 
  1.3             1918. 
  1.4      
  1.5      WHEREAS, this year, 2003, will mark the 85th anniversary of 
  1.6   the Fires of 1918, the largest natural disaster ever to hit the 
  1.7   state of Minnesota and the second largest fire in U.S. history; 
  1.8   and 
  1.9      WHEREAS, this disaster directly took the lives of 500 
  1.10  individuals, and another 100 died later of injuries and 
  1.11  increased susceptibility to disease during the flu epidemic of 
  1.12  1919; and 
  1.13     WHEREAS, some 2,000 people required medical treatment, 
  1.14  ranging from minor scrapes and bumps to severe burns and other 
  1.15  life-threatening injuries; and 
  1.16     WHEREAS, 11,300 families, representing 52,000 individuals, 
  1.17  were displaced in one afternoon, and 4,000 homes, 6,000 barns, 
  1.18  40 schools, and many churches and other buildings were 
  1.19  destroyed; and 
  1.20     WHEREAS, there were 31 towns or communities affected by the 
  1.21  disaster, including Cloquet, Kettle River, Lawler, Moose Lake, 
  1.22  and even some areas of Duluth; and 
  1.23     WHEREAS, property damage at the time of the disaster 
  1.24  amounted to $45 million, a loss which today would equal over 
  2.1   $500 million; and 
  2.2      WHEREAS, it is estimated that there are 1.5 million 
  2.3   descendants of the fire's survivors living throughout the United 
  2.4   States; and 
  2.5      WHEREAS, the Moose Lake Area Historical Society is planning 
  2.6   a series of activities commemorating this great tragedy, with 
  2.7   activities culminating on the weekend of October 11-12, 2003, 
  2.8   the actual anniversary of the disaster; NOW, THEREFORE, 
  2.9      BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State 
  2.10  of Minnesota that it honors those who lost their lives in the 
  2.11  Fires of 1918, as well as the sturdy, brave, hardy survivors who 
  2.12  struggled and got through this tragic event and helped the area 
  2.13  rebuild and prosper. 
  2.14     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the House of 
  2.15  Representatives is directed to prepare an enrolled copy of this 
  2.16  resolution, to be authenticated by his signature and that of the 
  2.17  Speaker, and transmit it to the Moose Lake Area Historical 
  2.18  Society.