[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 130 (Thursday, September 19, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1647-E1648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TRIBUTE TO THE VILLAGE OF SAG HARBOR ON ITS 150TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL P. FORBES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 19, 1996

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Village 
of Sag Harbor, an historic seaside village on the South Fork of Long 
Island that is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
  It is my great hope that my colleagues in the U.S. House of 
Representatives will join me in honoring this bucolic maritime port 
with a heritage as long and rich as America's. Settled in 1707, Sag 
Harbor and its residents have borne witness to nearly every significant 
event in this Nation's history. Strategically situated on Long Island's 
South Fork, with an ideal harbor that was home to a fleet of whaling 
ships in the 1800's, this village has pioneered many developments and 
milestones that have made America great.
  During its 3 centuries, this colonial-era village has been first 
among its peers in many ways. Our Nation's first President, George 
Washington, designated Sag Harbor as the first port of entry in New 
York State, because at the time this east end port was busier than even 
the New York City harbor. In 1803, Sag Harbor was the first New York 
village to establish a volunteer fire department and in 1859 it was 
first on Long Island with gas street lights.
  On March 26, 1846, the State of New York approved the act of 
incorporation and the first meeting of the Incorporated Village of Sag 
Harbor was held on May 11. The original village board included Samuel 
A. Seely, Lemuel W. Reeves, and John Hildreth, who was elected 
president of the board of trustees.
  From 1760 to 1850, during the height of the whaling industry, Sag 
Harbor was second only

[[Page E1648]]

to New York City as a whaling port. When whaling declined in the latter 
half of the 1800's, Sag Harbor rode the industrial revolution to become 
a manufacturing center. Industries such as the Bulova Watchcase 
Factory, E.W. Bliss Torpedo Co., Agwam Aircraft, and Gruman located in 
Sag Harbor.
  Whenever America called its citizens to serve, Sag Harbor residents 
were always first to answer that call. In 1777, Sag Harbor was the 
scene of one of the Revolutionary War's pivotal battles, when colonial 
troops captured the British garrison stationed there, opened the 
blockaded port and provided the fledgling Republic with an important 
supply line. More than 300 fathers and sons answered the Union's call 
during the Civil War, a contribution to the national effort that was 
repeated in World Wars I and II through Operation Desert Storm.
  Now this bustling maritime port, nestled within the rich farmland of 
the Hamptons, is a destination for thousands of tourists and summer 
residents who enjoy the beautiful beaches and local sites. Its harbor 
is still busy, the whaling ships replaced by pleasure boats. Its 
bustling main street is packed with shops and restaurants, galleries 
and historic buildings that attract visitors from throughout the 
Northeast. This charming seaside village has again adapted to the 
changing times, building a prosperous year-round tourism industry.
  This Saturday, September 21, the Village of Sag Harbor will celebrate 
its 150th anniversary with its HistoricFest Weekend and parade. I'd 
like to ask my colleagues to join me in saluting Sag Harbor and its 
residents on this special occasion. Congratulations.

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