[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 129 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1635]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN RECOGNITION OF THE 300TH ANNIVERSARY OF PEMBROKE, MASSACHUSETTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 21, 2012

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 300th 
anniversary of Pembroke, Massachusetts, a scenic and vibrant town in 
southeastern Massachusetts.
  Native American tribes had wintered along the North River in modern 
day Pembroke and had called the region home for many generations by the 
time the area saw its first European settlers. These settlers, 
Englishmen Robert Barker and Dolor Davis, established their homes in 
the area of Herring Brook in 1650. The town of Pembroke was later 
incorporated in the year 1712.
  This small town is known for its plentiful timber, water, and fish. 
In fact, the herring found in the town's ponds, streams and marshes 
were prized so much that in 1741 Pembroke began regulating the fishing 
of its waters. Herring are celebrated in Pembroke every year at the 
town's annual ``Grande Old Fish Fry.'' It is also home to rich 
woodland, providing timber for both residential and industrial use, and 
is especially known for its shipbuilding.
  The five shipyards off the shores of the North River produced over 
one thousand ships between 1678 and 1871, including the Beaver, one of 
the ships used in the Boston Tea Party. Other notable ships that came 
out of these historic shipyards were the Columbia, the Bedford and the 
Maria. The Columbia, for which Columbia River is named, was the first 
ship to sail around the Cape of Good Hope. The Bedford was the first 
ship to sail into British waters with the American flag proudly hoisted 
upon its jack staff, while the Maria is depicted on the Pembroke town 
seal.
  Throughout its storied history, the town of Pembroke has also been 
home to other industries such as agriculture and manufacturing. In the 
early 1900s, cranberry growers and poultry farmers became well 
established in the town. There were also rubber works, shoe box 
manufacturing companies and crate constructing companies located in 
Pembroke throughout the early 20th century.
  Today, however, this South Shore town has grown into to a bustling 
suburban community that still maintains its rural charm, continuing to 
attract vacationers to its picturesque landscape.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the town of Pembroke 
and the entire Pembroke community on the celebration of their 300th 
anniversary. May this beautiful Massachusetts town flourish for many 
years to come.

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