[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 137 (Friday, September 25, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2369-E2370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      A TRIBUTE TO CARMICHAEL, CALIFORNIA ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY

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                         HON. DANIEL E. LUNGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 25, 2009

  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
pay tribute to Carmichael, California, in honor of its 100th 
anniversary on September 26, 2009.
  In 1909, Daniel Webster Carmichael bought 6\1/2\ square miles of land 
in a part of unpopulated Sacramento County--land that would grow to 
over 10 square miles and be known as Carmichael. It is said that he 
initially bought this remote mass of territory for $30 per acre, with 
the intent to populate the area by selling 10-acre lots to American 
families moving west. Drawn by the lure of building citrus orchard 
fortunes, these divisions quickly sold. Three hundred families lived in 
Carmichael by 1927, and the population hit 2,000 by the time of the 
Great Depression.
  In the ensuing decades, wheat, barley, alfalfa, peaches, and almonds 
were being grown interspersed with horse and poultry farms. Farmers 
have found success in good times and have battled through the tough 
ones, and have increasingly been sharing the community with an 
expanding suburban area. Once a collection of open properties, 
Carmichael now quarters businesses and families in addition to the 
traditional farm and occasional horse property.
  Carmichael continues to be attractive to people from all walks of 
life because of its peaceful, family oriented community lifestyle--
setting Carmichael in stark contrast to the more populous areas of 
Sacramento County. Although very close to a major metropolitan area, 
Carmichael boasts roaming wildlife such as deer, coyote, and wild 
turkey. The American River flowing through Carmichael accentuates the 
serenity and beauty of the region. Although many of the original 10-
acre lots have been subdivided over the years, some still remain as a 
reminder of its rural and agricultural past.
  Over the past 100 years, Carmichael has also been home to other 
advancements. Governor Ronald Reagan built a State mansion on 
California Avenue. Mark Spitz and Debbie Meyer based their successful 
Olympic training in the local country club. Also, Carmichael is proud 
to have the world's largest geranium club, and the ``Fourth of July 
Elks Parade'' is the longest enduring Independence Day procession in 
Northern California.
  Let me also say that one of the most admirable traits I find in 
Carmichael is the humble yet rich tradition and history it embraces.
  Now, as Carmichael has grown to a population of 72,000, Carmichael 
continues its legacy as a home to traditional American life.

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