[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 94 (Monday, June 9, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CELEBRATING FRANKLIN COUNTY, NEW YORK'S BICENTENNIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN M. McHUGH

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 9, 2008

  Mr. McHUGH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to extend my sincere 
congratulations to the fine people of Franklin County, New York, as 
they celebrate the county's bicentennial. I am proud to represent them 
and to have the opportunity to take a moment to reflect upon the 
county's characteristics and rich history, which includes the War of 
1812 and the Underground Railroad.
  Franklin County was formed on March 11, 1808, from Clinton County, 
when it became apparent that travel to Plattsburgh to conduct legal 
business was too burdensome. Franklin County, which encompasses 
1,631.49 square miles, was named after Benjamin Franklin. Its neighbors 
are Quebec, Canada to the north, Clinton County to the east, Essex and 
Hamilton Counties to the south, and St. Lawrence County to the west. 
Franklin County's nearly 51,000 residents live in 19 townships: Bangor, 
Bellmont, Bombay, Brandon, Brighton, Burke, Chateaugay, Constable, 
Dickinson, Duane, Fort Covington, Franklin, Harrietstown, Malone, 
Moira, Santa Clara, Tupper Lake, Waverly, and Westville. In addition to 
the County seat, Malone, Franklin County is home to five other 
villages: Brushton, Burke, Chateaugay, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake.
  Potash production was the earliest industry in the county; other 
early industries included agriculture, iron ore mining, logging, mills, 
sanitariums, and tourism. Today, agriculture continues to play a vital 
part in the county's economy; in 2002, Franklin County's 530 farms 
produced agricultural products with a market value of about $48 million 
including dairy, cattle and calves, vegetables, aquaculture, and 
nursery and greenhouse. Likewise, the world class Trudeau Institute, 
which was originally founded in 1884 as a tuberculosis sanitarium, is 
still making breakthrough discoveries to improve human health as the 
incredible Adirondack Mountains continue to draw tourists who enjoy 
bird-watching, camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking, hunting, and other 
outdoor activities.
  Franklin County's residents are known to be generous, independent, 
proud, resourceful, and resilient. Perhaps its most notable native son 
is William Almon Wheeler, who was born in Malone on June 30, 1819, and 
was elected as our nation's Vice President in 1876 after serving as 
District Attorney, State Assemblyman, State Senator, and U.S. 
Representative. Other noteworthy former residents include Tom Browning, 
who pitched a perfect game and won a World Series game for the 
Cincinnati Reds, and Almanzo Wilder, whose boyhood on a Burke farm 
later became known to the world through Farmer Boy, which was written 
by his wife, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Again, it is a great honor to have 
the opportunity to join with the residents of Franklin County, New 
York, as they celebrate their bicentennial.

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