[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 112 (Friday, August 1, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1586]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRAVERSE CITY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY

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                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 31, 1997

  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent the ``Cherry Capital 
of the World'' in the First Congressional District of Michigan. 
Celebrated for its sheltering harbors, its temperate climate, its 
beautiful countryside, and, of course, its cherries, Traverse City, MI, 
is celebrating its 150th birthday.
  As in many other Great Lakes cities, logging and sawmill operations 
were the first industries of Traverse City, and, like other Midwest 
lumber towns, a major fire was part of the city's history.
  Rebounding from every adversity, the city has grown to become the 
heart of one of the best resort and retirement areas on the Great 
Lakes.
  Traverse City as a settled community traces its origin to the arrival 
of Horace Boardman and other settlers from Chicago on board the 
schooner Lady of the Lake in 1847. Mr. Boardman built a sawmill, which 
was purchased by Hannah, Lay and Co. in 1851. Hannah and Lay would go 
on to open the community's first big general store in 1883, and Perry 
Hannah would serve as the first village manager of Traverse City.
  Some milestones in the city's history were outlined recently in its 
daily newspaper, the Traverse City Record-Eagle. This list is like a 
series of snapshots of a growing community in a growing nation, from 
the arrival of the first railroad in 1872 to the opening of the first 
airport in 1929, from the first log schoolhouse in 1853 to the opening 
of Northwestern Michigan College in 1951.
  What these milestones cannot convey is the warmth of the people and 
the amenable climate of the area, moderated by the waters of Lake 
Michigan. Winters, which are here less bitter than in much of the 
northern United States, have allowed cherry trees and apple trees to 
thrive. Around 1920 Traverse City was named cherry capital of the 
world, and the community's first cherry festival was held. The event 
continues to this day.
  A close look at Traverse City on its 150th anniversary reveals that 
its engine of economic growth is now fueled by tourism and the regular 
return of many summer vacationers, who are drawn to the beauty and 
temperate climate of the area. We see the growth of medical services, 
light manufacturing, and general commerce, cementing the community's 
role as the center of activity for northwestern lower Michigan.
  We see a community which has evolved from humble beginnings to become 
one of the best places in the country to live and work.
  Mr. Speaker, we salute Traverse City on its sesquicentennial 
anniversary.

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