[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 124 (Friday, September 14, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1529]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     RECOGNIZING THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOROUGH OF WOMELSDORF

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                            HON. JIM GERLACH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 14, 2012

  Mr. GERLACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Borough of 
Womelsdorf, Berks County, Pennsylvania on its 250th anniversary.
   Founded by five German farmers, Mssrs. Weiser, Brown, Fidler, 
Schaeffer and Kobel during the 1720s, the area that would become the 
Borough of Womelsdorf has enjoyed a rich and storied history. One of 
these original settlers, Conrad Weiser, came to America in 1709 when 
his father, Johann Conrad Weiser, migrated from the German principality 
of Wurttenberg to England before settling on the New York frontier. In 
1729, Conrad Weiser brought his wife and children to the Tulpehocken 
region, settling on 200 acres near the present town of Womelsdorf. In 
1749, ``Tulpehocken Eisenhammer'' was the first industry founded when 
John George Nickoll and Michael Miller built a forge to produce ``barr 
iron'' at a location less than two miles north of Womelsdorf. This 
establishment was later known as ``Charming Forge.'' In 1760, John 
Womelsdorf received in conveyance the land that would become the 
present day Borough of Womelsdorf and, in 1762, sold the first lots in 
the town he had established.
   While the Borough of Womelsdorf has changed a great deal throughout 
its history, it still retains much of the charm from its historic past. 
Pre-Revolutionary buildings continue to stand in close proximity to 
modern structures. Today, the Borough of Womelsdorf and its citizens 
continue to make valuable contributions to the quality of the economic 
and social life of Berks County while preserving the history of its 
past.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in 
congratulating the Borough of Womelsdorf and its remarkable history on 
the occasion of its 250th anniversary and to extend best wishes for the 
Borough's continued prosperity and longevity.

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