[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 27, 2004

  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 250th Anniversary 
of Hampshire County, West Virginia, which I proudly represent here in 
Congress. The Virginia General Assembly authorized the creation of 
Hampshire County effective May 1, 1754, removing the South Branch, 
Patterson Creek, New Creek, and Capon River valleys from Frederick 
County, Virginia. It was named after the English county of the same 
name.
  Hampshire County was established to provide an accessible local 
government for citizens on the north side of Cape Capon and Warm Spring 
Mountain and to more effectively deal with the conflicts stemming from 
the onset of the French-Indian war.
  The history of Hampshire County extends longer than that of the 
United States or the State of West Virginia. The county has undergone 
several border changes over the years; at one time it included all of 
present day Mineral, Hardy, and Grant counties, along with portions of 
Morgan and Pendleton counties, an area extending 2,800 square miles. 
Today, the county has an area of just over 640 square miles, but 
continues to grow in population. The county's population grew by 22.5 
percent between 1990 and 2000, and currently 20,798 people call 
Hampshire County home.
  I am honored to represent Capon Bridge, Mill Creek, Romney, and the 
other communities of Hampshire County here in Congress. I congratulate 
Hampshire County on its 250th anniversary and wish the county all the 
best for the next 250 years.

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