[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 144 (Thursday, October 6, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 6, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
           TRIBUTE TO WOODBRIDGE, NJ ON ITS 325TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______


                            HON. BOB FRANKS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 1994

  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to 
Woodbridge, NJ, on its 325th anniversary. Woodbridge has much to 
celebrate as its citizens consider the remarkable history of the oldest 
original township in New Jersey.
  The township of Woodbridge, named in honor of Rev. John Woodbridge of 
Newbury, MA, was settled in 1664. With a charter granted by King 
Charles of England, the first residents of Woodbridge briefly coexisted 
with the native inhabitants of the area, the Lenni Lenape Indians. And 
by using New England towns as a model, Woodbridge was laid out with a 
church, community facilities, and common open space forming the town 
center, surrounded by cultivated fields.
  The colonial history of Woodbridge is especially rich. In 1751, 
Woodbridge established the first permanent printing house in New 
Jersey. During the American Revolution, widespread destruction occurred 
in Woodbridge as a result of 29 skirmishes. And on the seventh 
anniversary of our Nation's independence, Woodbridge planted the seeds 
of another freedom movement by hosting the first antislavery meeting 
ever held in the United States, on July 4, 1783.
  Of course, no true colonial history would be complete without an 
instance of ``George Washington slept here.'' Indeed, President-elect 
Washington spent a night at the Cross Keys Tavern in Woodbridge only 1 
week before his inauguration in 1789.
  Woodbridge offers much more than history; its people have always 
presented their township as a model of growth and prosperity for both 
the State and the Nation. Its modern civic government and strong 
corporate growth have resulted in Woodbridge earning the prestigious 
All-American City Award and being recognized for distinguished 
achievement in the National Cleanest Town Contest.
  Woodbridge's diversity is a great source of pride to its residents 
and to the State. As the seventh largest municipality in the State, 
Woodbridge is made up of many small communities, each with a 
distinctive character: Avenel, Colonia, Fords, Hopelawn, Iselin, 
Keasbey, Port Reading, Sewaren, and Woodbridge proper. Furthermore, 
Woodbridge has been able to strike an admirable balance of industry and 
manufacturing with residential neighborhoods and parks.
  Woodbridge is also a major transportation hub. the Garden State 
Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike intersect in Woodbridge, and the 
Metropark train station in Iselin provides high speed rail service from 
Boston to Washington. Furthermore, the now standard highway cloverleaf 
design was first built in Woodbridge at the junction of Route 1 and 
Route 9.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent the citizens of Woodbridge in 
the House of Representatives. I urge my colleagues to join me in 
commending Woodbridge, NJ on its 325th anniversary.

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