[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 27, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO THE CHARLES W. MORGAN WHALESHIP

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB SIMMONS

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 27, 2006

  Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to represent 
Connecticut's Second District, which is home to many historical sites, 
including Mystic Seaport, which is known as the Museum of America and 
the Sea.
  Since the 1600s, the Mystic region has been a center of shipbuilding. 
The Golden Age of America's maritime enterprises was between 1784 and 
1919. During those years more than 600 ships were constructed along the 
Mystic River. One of those ships was the Charles W. Morgan and I rise 
today to commend Mystic Seaport and those citizens who came forward 
years ago to ``purchase shares'' of that wonderful old ship so it could 
be preserved and restored for public display.
  From 1841 to 1921 the Charles W. Morgan traveled the seas in pursuit 
of profit. Certain voyages lasted four years and her adventures took 
her and her crews to the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans. After 37 
voyages the ship had earned her shareholders more than $1 million.
  In 1941, Mystic Seaport acquired this proud ship and by he 1970s it 
was clear that restoration was required to protect it from the 
corrosion of time and the elements. As was the case during its voyages, 
private citizens again came forward to buy shares into the ship and 
today the investment in the Charles W. Morgan has once again paid great 
dividends. On July 15, Mystic Seaport will celebrate the history and 
survival of this magnificent vessel, which is the last surviving wooden 
whaleship in America.
  On July 15, descendants of the ship's crew members and those who 
participated in the ship's refurbishment will gather at the seaport to 
celebrate the Morgan and its wonderful history. This is a milestone in 
our maritime history and for my district. The restoration of the ship 
will continue and its history will continue to be shared. The next 
generation will have the opportunity to visit this living museum which 
tells tales of adventure and of America's relationship with the sea.
  Man faces the future armed with the past. That is why it is essential 
that we honor our history and preserve it. History is who we are, what 
we are and why we are. The Charles W. Morgan is an important artifact 
of American history. I thank all those who worked to ensure that it 
would be preserved as a reminder of America's greatness, of our 
historic determination to embrace challenges and our indomitable spirit 
to explore and to dream.