[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 26, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E289]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CELEBRATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOROUGH OF MOUNT PENN

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                            HON. JIM GERLACH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 25, 2003

  Mr. GERLACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Borough of Mount 
Penn, Pennsylvania during its 100th anniversary celebration. Mount 
Penn, known as the ``Friendly Borough,'' truly lives up to its moniker.
  The area lying at the foot of Mount Penn was settled in 1748; it was 
originally named Dengler's, after one of its most prominent citizens. 
With busy Philadelphia Pike running through town, Dengler's quickly 
became a popular suburb of nearby Reading. Some of the first businesses 
were carriage and wagon works to help speed travelers along the 55-mile 
trip between Reading and Philadelphia.
  In 1902, residents of the village petitioned the courts to create 
their own borough. On January 7, 1903, the petition was granted and the 
500-citizen Mount Penn Borough was born. As time went on, trolley lines 
and paved roads running to all points around Mount Penn brought more 
visitors and settlers to the borough.
  Today, Mount Penn has grown to around 242 acres and 3,000 residents--
many of whom are third- and fourth-generation ``Mountaineers.'' The 
Borough contains a thriving business district, including Leinbach's 
Hardware, which at 82 years old is the longest continually operated 
business in the borough.
  Although the Borough has kept up with the times, it still retains the 
small-town feel that made it so appealing to travelers many years ago. 
In a day and age when many people do not even know their neighbors, 
Mount Penn is a shining example of what a community can be. I 
congratulate Mount Penn Borough on its one hundredth anniversary and 
call upon my colleagues to do the same.

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