[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 120 (Monday, September 10, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            IN RECOGNITION OF BROOKLYN CENTRE'S BICENTENNIAL

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                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 10, 2012

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 
bicentennial celebration of Brooklyn Centre, a historic neighborhood 
within the City of Cleveland.
  Brooklyn Centre was founded by James Fish of Connecticut in 1812, 
marking the first settlement west of the Cuyahoga River. Just a few 
years later, more than 200 people had begun living in the area. On June 
1, 1818, Brooklyn Township was formally organized. Throughout the next 
several decades immigrants from Germany, Poland and Ireland moved to 
Brooklyn Centre. The area became known for its tanners, shoemakers, and 
other skilled tradesmen. Brooklyn Centre was annexed by the City of 
Cleveland in the latter half of the 19th century, after which it began 
to grow rapidly.
  Less than a century later, following World War II, the residents of 
Brooklyn Centre began focusing on the preservation and revitalization 
of their neighborhood. In 1946, the Southwest Citizens Area Council was 
formed. The Brooklyn Center Community Association, also known as 
Archwood Concerned Citizens, and the Brooklyn Centre Historical Society 
were founded in 1978. In 1981, the Crossroads Development Corporation 
was established. In 1984, the City of Cleveland recognized the historic 
importance and architectural significance of the neighborhood with the 
creation of the Brooklyn Centre Historic District. More recently, 
Friends of Big Creek and the Brooklyn Centre Naturalists have been 
established and the new Jones Home National Historic District was 
designated. In November 2008, Brooklyn Centre became a National 
Wildlife Federation registered Community Wildlife Habitat Site.
  The Brooklyn Centre Bicentennial celebration began on Memorial Day 
with a ceremony at the Brooklyn Centre Burying Grounds, which was 
founded in 1835. The neighborhood will also celebrate with a parade, 
community picnic and historic home tour, among other festivities.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing 200 years 
of history and culture in Cleveland's Brooklyn Centre neighborhood.

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