[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 100 (Thursday, July 7, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1253-E1254]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNITION OF THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TOWN OF GREAT BARRINGTON, 
                             MASSACHUSETTS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN W. OLVER

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 7, 2011

  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 250th 
anniversary of the founding of the town of Great Barrington, 
Massachusetts, including the village of Housatonic. The town was 
incorporated by the colonial Governor of the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts, Sir Francis Bernard, on June 30, 1761. Nestled in the 
Berkshire Hills, Great Barrington features natural resources such as 
Monument Mountain, Lake Mansfield, and the scenic Housatonic River. It 
is the town that saw the first open resistance to British rule in 1774, 
Henry Knox's cannon caravan passing through to Fort Ticonderoga in 
1776, and provided a distinguished roster of military personnel to 
every major conflict in which America has participated.
  Great Barrington has also been the home of poet and journalist 
William Cullen Bryant, inventor William Stanley--who first lit the 
streets of Great Barrington--and inventor Marcus Rogers. Elizabeth 
Freeman, who successfully sued for her freedom from slavery in 1781, 
Laura Ingersoll Secord, the Canadian heroine of the War of 1812, Anson 
Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas and James Weldon 
Johnson, the co-writer of the Negro National Anthem all resided in 
Great Barrington. W.E.B. Dubois, distinguished writer, editor, 
sociologist and activist, graduated from Searles High School in Great 
Barrington as valedictorian before embarking upon a lifetime of 
achievement that included the founding of the Niagara Movement, the 
precursor to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored 
Persons. The citizens of Great Barrington stand as an example of what 
hard work and resolve can accomplish.

[[Page E1254]]

  The town of Great Barrington is also the center of many historical, 
commercial and cultural resources, including the Mason Library in Great 
Barrington and Ramsdell Library in Housatonic, the Mahaiwe Performing 
Arts Center, the Captain Truman Wheeler House, the Dwight-Henderson 
House, and the famed Newsboy Statue. With its scenic natural resources, 
Great Barrington has become the summer vacation destination of 
thousands and continues to be a vibrant and charming community.
  On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the town of Great 
Barrington, Massachusetts, I congratulate its citizens and praise their 
dedication and perseverance throughout the town's history. I look 
forward with enthusiastic support as we continue to work together for a 
prosperous future.

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