[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 149 (Thursday, October 15, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2543]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 A TRIBUTE IN RECOGNITION OF THE CITY OF COMMERCE'S 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

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                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 15, 2009

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City 
of Commerce and ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating its 
residents on the city's 50th Birthday. I am proud to represent this 
unique city--aptly characterized by its motto, the ``Model City''--as 
part of my 34th Congressional District of California.
  While we honor the city's 50 years of official incorporation, the 
exciting story of the founding and growth of one of Southern 
California's leading industrial cities dates back to 1810 when a humble 
Spanish soldier acquired a Spanish land grant that included the 
present-day City of Commerce.
  The city's industrial roots began to take hold from 1871 to 1912 when 
the land's then-owner, Arcadia Bandini, leased the property to the 
railroads and other developers--a move that would make the landowner 
one of the wealthiest women in California.
  One of the first industrial manufacturing plants established in the 
area was a brickyard, the 350 acre Simons Company Plant No. 3. The 
bricks were used to construct Royce Hall at UCLA, Disney Studios in 
Burbank and to rebuild San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake.
  During the Roaring 20s, Commerce grew from a region of rural farms 
crisscrossed with a few roads and rail lines into a rail and 
transportation center and a promising location for heavy industry close 
to Downtown Los Angeles. During the following decades, Goodyear Tire 
and Rubber Company, B.F. Goodrich, U.S. Rubber, the East Los Angeles 
Rail Station, Chrysler Corporation, Ford and U.S. Steel located 
manufacturing plants in Commerce and solidified the city's reputation 
as an industrial center.
  Commerce remained both a rural and industrial area until the late 
1950s when the construction of the Long Beach and Santa Ana freeways 
ushered in a post-war era of rapid suburbanization. As the community 
grew, residents determined to avoid higher property taxes and improve 
city services established the Citizens Committee for Incorporation with 
the help of local business leaders. On January 28, 1960, the community 
was granted a certificate of incorporation and became the 67th city in 
Los Angeles County.
  Fifty years later, the City of Commerce is still flourishing. It is a 
diverse community of more than 13,000 people and 1,700 businesses.
  To keep up with the changing times, the city successfully brought 
about the diversification and transformation of the city's industrial 
base throughout the 1970s and 80s. Today, the city maintains much of 
its manufacturing and goods-distribution base while successfully 
converting former industrial land to lucrative commercial uses like the 
Citadel outlet mall, which occupies the site of the U.S. Rubber tire 
factory.
  The city, however, retains its small town appeal by providing an 
unmatched range of programs and services. The city operates an award-
winning library system, four city parks, a fare-free public transit 
service and a camp in the San Bernardino Mountains.
  Through the city's commitment to providing recreational opportunities 
to area youth, the city takes pride in producing numerous state and 
national champions, including two members of the 2008 Olympic Silver 
Medal United States Women's Water Polo Team and one member of the 
United States Boxing Olympic Team.
  Commerce also remains committed to improving the environment and 
reducing emissions from trains, trucks and stationary sources of air 
pollution and is in the process of building a Liquid Natural Gas/
Compressed Natural Gas fueling station for eco-friendly vehicles.
  The City of Commerce will mark its 50th Birthday in 2010 with a 
series of community events throughout the year, including its annual 
Cake Cutting, July 4th Celebration, Miss Commerce Pageant, and Summer 
Safety Fair.
  I am honored to recognize this historic milestone in this city's rich 
history.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating 
Commerce's first 50 years as this vibrant community continues to live 
by its motto the ``Model City'' and work toward a prosperous future.

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