[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 111 (Thursday, September 5, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


RECOGNIZING TULARE COUNTY AND THE CITY OF VISALIA, CALIFORNIA ON THEIR 
                           150TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. WILLIAM M. THOMAS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 5, 2002

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize and salute 
the City of Visalia and the County of Tulare, California as they 
celebrate their 150th anniversary on September 7.
  Tulare County and Visalia will celebrate the area's rich history and 
its current status as one of the nation's top two agricultural-
producing counties, with crops valued at $3.5 billion in 2001. While it 
was the California gold rush that brought the first permanent settlers 
to the area that is now Visalia in 1852, it has been agriculture that 
has sustained the city and Tulare County for 150 years. Today, Tulare 
County is America's leading dairy county, and is among the nation's 
leaders in dozens of other crops, including beef, tree fruit, 
vegetables, nuts, and olives.
  Tulare County is also home to some of the nation's most breathtaking 
scenery, including the highest mountain peaks in the Sierra Nevada 
range, rising more than 14,000 feet, the majestic Giant Sequoias, and 
the rich San Joaquin Valley floor. Visitors to Tulare County are often 
left with the indelible image of the mountains rising above the lush, 
green valley.
  The City of Visalia holds special memories for my family; my wife, 
Sharon Hamilton Thomas, was born and raised in Tulare County. She 
graduated from Redwood High School and attended the College of the 
Sequoias in Visalia. Sharon's parents, Mike and Georgia Hamilton, were 
active members of the community.
  While Visalia's economy has its foundation in agriculture, and is the 
county's trade center for the products grown there, Visalia has, in 
recent years, broadened its economic base to include other enterprises, 
including food processing, printing, and manufacturing.
  Mr. Speaker, I join the elected leaders, past and present, of Visalia 
and Tulare County, and the nearly 400,000 people who live there now, in 
congratulating the past 150 years, and wishing it well on the next 150.

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