[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 20, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S47]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  50TH ANNIVERSARY OF POWNAL, VERMONT

 Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, the State of Vermont will 
celebrate the year 2010 by marking the 250th anniversary of the 
historic town of Pownal, VT.
  In celebrating Pownal, we celebrate a town that has done much more 
than merely survive the centuries. This bucolic little hamlet 
represents the strength and progress of our great State through the 
years.
  Since its original charter in 1760, Pownal was built on a rich 
history that dates back to the divisive years of the revolution. During 
its earliest days many Pownal residents were stirred to join the Green 
Mountain Boys to fight for our independence. The fervor demonstrated by 
the original residents of this town set its course as the bedrock of 
loyalty and excellence in the State of Vermont.
  Today we cherish the historic Mooar-Wright House which is the oldest 
house in both Pownal and the Green Mountain State. We commend the 
town's early emphasis on education, with two former U.S. Presidents 
serving as teachers in north Pownal. Over the centuries this town was a 
pocket of industrial accomplishment in Vermont. Some of the State's 
largest cotton and woolen mills were housed in Pownal and later 
replaced by lime quarries. They helped carry Vermont through years of 
industrial development and growth. These auspicious achievements, 
however, also served as a reminder of our capacity for change because 
the industrial mills in Pownal were singled out for child labor. This 
documented injustice symbolized the past and put the town on the 
national map in 1916 when it was depicted on a United States postage 
stamp to commemorate the passage of the first child labor laws. The 
heart of the town became its national image in 1946 when the United 
Nations Bulletin featured a photo of the Pownal Center as ``a picture 
of peace.'' Throughout the years this town was both the root of 
tradition and the spark of progress: a balance that few places or 
populations can claim.
  Today, Pownal has developed into a town of more than three thousand. 
The buildings have grown and the industries have changed, but the 
ideals remain the same. On its 250th anniversary, Pownal continues to 
encapsulate the beauty and independence of our State. I thank the 
residents of Pownal for their contributions to our State's rich and 
unique history.
  Mr. President, it is indeed an honor to represent the State of 
Vermont and the Town of Pownal and to promote its many 
successes.

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