[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 131 (Tuesday, September 23, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H8459-H8460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      COLTSVILLE STUDY ACT OF 2003

  Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 233) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 
a study of Coltsville in the State of Connecticut for potential 
inclusion in the National Park System.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 233

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Coltsville Study Act of 
     2003''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) Hartford, Connecticut, home to Colt Manufacturing 
     Company (referred to in this Act as ``Colt''), played a major 
     role in the Industrial Revolution;
       (2) Samuel Colt, founder of Colt, and his wife, Elizabeth 
     Colt, inspired Coltsville, a community in the State of 
     Connecticut that flourished during the Industrial Revolution 
     and included Victorian mansions, an open green area, 
     botanical gardens, and a deer park;
       (3) the residence of Samuel and Elizabeth Colt in Hartford, 
     Connecticut, known as ``Armsmear'', is a national historic 
     landmark, and the distinctive Colt factory is a prominent 
     feature of the Hartford, Connecticut, skyline;
       (4) the Colt legacy is not only about firearms, but also 
     about industrial innovation and the development of technology 
     that would change the way of life in the United States, 
     including--
       (A) the development of telegraph technology; and
       (B) advancements in jet engine technology by Francis Pratt 
     and Amos Whitney, who served as apprentices at Colt;
       (5) Coltsville--
       (A) set the standard for excellence during the Industrial 
     Revolution; and
       (B) continues to prove significant--
       (i) as a place in which people of the United States can 
     learn about that important period in history; and
       (ii) by reason of the close proximity of Coltsville to the 
     Mark Twain House, Trinity College, Old North Cemetery, and 
     many historic homesteads and architecturally renowned 
     buildings;
       (6) in 1998, the National Park Service conducted a special 
     resource reconnaissance study of the Connecticut River Valley 
     to evaluate the significance of precision manufacturing 
     sites; and
       (7) the report on the study stated that--
       (A) no other region of the United States contains an equal 
     concentration of resources relating to the precision 
     manufacturing theme that began with firearms production;
       (B) properties relating to precision manufacturing 
     encompass more than merely factories; and
       (C) further study, which should be undertaken, may 
     recommend inclusion of churches and other social 
     institutions.

     SEC. 3. STUDY.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date on 
     which funds are made available to carry out this Act, the 
     Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this Act as the 
     ``Secretary'') shall complete a study of the site in the 
     State of Connecticut commonly known as ``Coltsville'' to 
     evaluate--
       (1) the national significance of the site and surrounding 
     area;
       (2) the suitability and feasibility of designating the site 
     and surrounding area as a unit of the National Park System; 
     and
       (3) the importance of the site to the history of precision 
     manufacturing.
       (b) Applicable Law.--The study required under subsection 
     (a) shall be conducted in accordance with Public Law 91-383 
     (16 U.S.C. 1a-1 et seq.).

     SEC. 4. REPORT.

       Not later than 30 days after the date on which the study 
     under section 3(a) is completed, the Secretary shall submit 
     to the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives 
     and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
     Senate a report that describes--
       (1) the findings of the study; and
       (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Renzi) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. 
Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi).
  Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 233, introduced by Senator Dodd of Connecticut and 
passed by the Senate earlier this year, would authorize the Secretary 
of Interior to conduct a suitability and feasibility study of the 
Coltsville site, an area within the city of Hartford, Connecticut, for 
the potential inclusion in the National Park System.
  The Coltsville site, founded by Samuel Colt, flourished during the 
industrial revolution, spurring innovation in not only the production 
of firearms, but also with the development of technology. S. 233 is 
supported by the administration, as well as the majority and minority 
of the subcommittee. I urge my colleagues to support S. 233.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 233 is a Senate companion legislation to a bill, H.R. 
437, introduced by the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), which 
would authorize a study of the Coltsville historic district in 
Connecticut. This district is located in the city of Hartford. The 
site, which is associated with the historically significant Colt 
Manufacturing Company, contains a notable number of historic resources 
that provide an important glimpse into the history of American industry 
and precision manufacturing.
  At the April 8 subcommittee hearing on the House bill, the National 
Park Service and public witnesses testified in favor of the study. The 
legislation also has the support of the entire Connecticut delegation.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the work of the House sponsor, the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), on this measure. He has been a 
strong and effective advocate of the Coltsville community and the city 
of Hartford. It is our hope and intention that the study will provide 
Congress and the community with information on how to appropriately 
preserve and interpret the historic resources of the Coltsville 
community.
  Mr. Speaker, I support the legislation and urge its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), the sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) for her kind words. I would also 
like to thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) for his remarks. I 
thank as well the gentleman from California (Chairman Pombo) and the 
ranking member, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), for 
their consideration of this legislation, and the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Radanovich) for his help in assisting bringing this 
important legislation to the floor.
  I would be remiss not to mention, as the gentlewoman did, the 
involvement of the entire Connecticut delegation, with special thanks 
to United States Senators Dodd and Lieberman, the gentlewoman from 
Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. 
Johnson), the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays), and the gentleman 
from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons) for their tireless efforts as well.
  A hearing was conducted on this back in April with the National Park 
Service testifying in favor of this study going forward. We have also, 
as was noted by the gentlewoman, received

[[Page H8460]]

numerous support from State and local public officials, the State's 
oldest continuous published newspaper, and many civic groups, 
neighborhood groups, the Connecticut Historical Society and others who 
support this wholeheartedly.
  The historical significance is paramount. This actually was the seat 
of the industrial revolution. Connecticut has long been known as being 
an arsenal for democracy dating back to our Revolution, and Samuel Colt 
is known most famously for the Colt 45 and the gun that won the West. 
What is not known in history is the effort of Elizabeth Colt.
  Samuel Colt died at a very young age, and it was Elizabeth Colt who 
for 42 years managed this business and made it the most successful 
precision manufacturing business in the world at the time. It was the 
business to which Henry Ford came to study. It was the business in 
which both Pratt and Whitney were interns, and later were the pioneers 
of manufacturing Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines. It was here that 
people came to look at precision manufacturing; but Elizabeth Colt, who 
would have been among the Fortune top 10 at the time, did not even have 
the right to vote.
  The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) has talked frequently 
about how she was able to break through the glass ceiling and become 
the first to make history. Well not only did Elizabeth Colt make 
history, she also made a difference, as I know our leader will as well. 
In doing so, Elizabeth Colt was able to focus on housing concerns in 
the region, she was able to focus on the need to bring in assurances to 
help out workers in the workplace, and so she became a study not only 
in terms of precision manufacturing, but how to build a community 
around an industrial base.
  It is for this reason and at the dawn of our industrial revolution, 
and the fact that this was the first American overseas factory, that 
this community enterprise of State government and the private sector is 
worthy of this study and, as indicated, was unanimously passed by both 
the Senate and by the respective committee and subcommittee in this 
body. I urge its support today, and thank all of those for their kind 
words and help in bringing this to fruition. It is an outstanding 
achievement for the city of Hartford and the citizens of Coltsville, 
and a great step forward for America in recognizing the genius of 
Samuel Colt and the long-overdue recognition of Elizabeth Colt.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for the rich 
history and the articulation he shared with us today. It is truly a 
fitting tribute to the Colt family.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the Senate bill, S. 233.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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