[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 79 (Monday, June 9, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5428-S5429]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE TO THE TOWN OF CHARLESTOWN, NH, AS THEY CELEBRATE THE 250TH 
              ANNIVERSARY OF THE 3-DAY SIEGE ON FORT NO. 4

 Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to pay 
tribute to the town of Charlestown, NH, as they celebrate the 250th 
anniversary of the 3-day siege on the fort at township No. 4. The 
residents of this Connecticut River community will begin celebrating 
this historic occasion July 25 and continue with a number of 
festivities including a battle reenactment, blueberry festival, parade, 
and several church suppers.
  Two hundred fifty years ago, the Connecticut River Valley had only a 
few settlers scattered along the banks of the river. Township No. 4 
would eventually become Charlestown, NH, the northwestern-most English-
speaking village in New England. The settlers of this agricultural 
community were isolated, but still a vital link with towns to the south 
as they strove to build a strong community on the river banks. To the 
west and north of the settlement lay only lush mountains and forests, 
inhabited by moose, bears, native Americans, and a few French trappers.
  The people of Township No. 4 were trapped in a hostile environment 
when King George's war began. The pioneers decided to defend themselves 
by connecting the five existing houses together, and later added a 
sixth. The inhabitants of the fort at No. 4, which included a small 
militia of 30 volunteers, fought day and night to protect their homes 
and refused to surrender to an enemy force claiming to be 700 strong. 
During the 3-day siege their defenses were never breached.
  Two hundred fifty years later, an authentic reconstruction of the 
original 1744 fortified settlement sits on the site of the Siege of 
'47. The fort at No. 4 is one of the only living history museums in New 
England dedicated to preserving the 1740's and 1750's. The museum 
captures the spirit of those pioneers who cleared the rough landscape 
and made way for homes and farms in northern New England. The residents 
of Charlestown have kept a piece of history for all of the children of 
New Hampshire and the Nation to see, capturing the rich significance of 
the settlements along the Connecticut River Valley.
  Charlestown's residents today serve to better their community in the 
true New Hampshire spirit. They serve in professional, 
semiprofessional, and service occupations and are still willing to 
dedicate their time and talents on behalf of their neighbors.
  I congratulate all of the residents of Charlestown, NH, on this 
historic event as they continue in the tradition of

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their ancestors to make the lives of their community a better place to 
live. I am honored to represent all of them in the U.S. Senate.

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