[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 184 (Tuesday, December 4, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO VERNON, CONNECTICUT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 4, 2007

  Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate 
200 years of Vernon, Connecticut's rich history. Beginning in 2008, the 
Vernon community will commence a yearlong second centennial 
celebration, the ``Countdown to 200'', that will reflect on the past 
and welcome the future.
  In the early 18th century, settlement began with families from East 
Windsor cultivating the land and laying groundwork for future 
development and eventual incorporation of Vernon in 1808. Throughout 
the 19th century and diminishing with the end of the World War II, 
textile factories would serve as the main economic lifeblood for the 
region, especially in Rockville, a town that would later be 
incorporated in Vernon. During the Civil War, these mills would produce 
textiles that would clothe Union soldiers.
  While textiles formed the most notable industry in the region, 
agriculture had strong roots since settlement in the early 18th 
century. In 1965, agricultural and industrial communities were linked 
with the consolidation of the city of Rockville and Vernon.
  Vernon has produced a number of notable figures, including Gene 
Pitney, ``The Rockville Rocket'' as well as four-time Super Bowl 
football champion, Bill Romanowski. Charles Ethan Porter, a renowned 
still life painter and former Virginia Governor, Mark Warner, also call 
Vernon their hometown.
  The relics of earlier settlement and production, including the 
keystone arch tunnel on Tunnel Road, the Tower on Fox Hill, and the old 
textile mills, serve as a reminder of the versatility of our quaint New 
England town. Vernon and its residents have faced a number of problems 
that have notoriously afflicted small industrial towns. The Vernon 
community has weathered this adversity, and has and will continue to 
adapt and endure. I ask my colleagues to join with me and my 
constituents in celebrating two centuries of Vernon's history, and 
welcome many more to come.

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