[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 58 (Wednesday, May 1, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S4563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE 350TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CITY OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today in honor of a very 
special event in the State of Connecticut this year. On Monday, May 6, 
1996, the town of New London will celebrate its 350th anniversary, 
marking a milestone of historic significance to both the State and our 
Nation.
  And what a history New London has. The one-room schoolhouse in which 
patriot Nathan Hale taught prior to his hanging by the British as a 
Revolutionary War spy stands in Union Plaza as a testament to the New 
England grit with which the city has prospered for centuries.
  Founded in 1646 by John Winthrop Jr., New London is situated in the 
area the Pequot Indians called ``Nameaug,'' or ``good fishing place.'' 
Indeed, after Winthrop negotiated with the Pequots, the new colony's 
locale, New London, grew rapidly into a prosperous fishing and 
seafaring city on the west side of the Thames River.
  Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the port of New London 
bustled with trading vessels carrying merchants and their goods between 
the other colonies, Europe, and the Caribbean. With the barter of 
lumber and horses for sugar, molasses, and rum, as well active trade of 
other goods and plentiful fishing reserves, the local economy 
flourished. The whaling industry soon took hold, and by the mid 1800's 
whaling was the local economy's mainstay. While that industry died 
quickly after whales became scarce, New London's whaling heritage is 
still visible throughout town. New London later grew into a 
manufacturing center, with silk mills and machine shops, and became a 
major banking, industry, and transportation hub with easy railroad and 
ferry access up and down the East Coast.
  New London's coastline location has not only been economically 
important, but also strategically key. In 1776 during the Revolutionary 
War, the first colonial naval expedition sailed from New London, and 
local privateers beat the British at sea during the war. Although the 
town was burned in retaliation, New London was rebuilt and the area 
became a vital test and training ground for America's maritime forces. 
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy has been based in New London since 1910, 
and the city contributes much to nuclear submarine and Naval technology 
research and development via the many defense contractors based in the 
area.
  Today, Mr. President, New London remains a busy eastern seaport city 
that is home to a vibrant business community, several colleges, an arts 
center, and vacation resorts. And the same New England grit that 
brought New London through the darkest days of the Revolutionary War 
survives.
  For 350 years, the city of New London has contributed to the 
economic, military, and cultural progress of the United States of 
America. Its history precedes the founding of our Nation. Few American 
cities can lay claim to such a rich heritage, and as the motto for the 
celebration indicates, this is a time for New London to rejoice in 
``Pride in the Past--Progress in the Future.'' I am proud to join the 
citizens of New London and all Connecticut's citizens in celebrating 
this special birthday.

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