[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 119 (Wednesday, September 11, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S6374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                        NEWINGTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE

 Ms. AYOTTE. Mr. President, today I wish to join with the 
people of Newington, NH, as they celebrate the town's 300th 
anniversary.
  Located in Rockingham County, Newington is surrounded on three sides 
by water--the Piscataqua River to the northeast, Little Bay to the 
northwest and Great Bay to the west. Due to its close proximity to 
water, agriculture became the way of life in the early years of this 
town.
  The town was originally part of Dover and was known as Bloody Point, 
so named because of the battle between men from Dover and Portsmouth 
who were vying for more land. In 1640 Thomas Trickery established the 
Bloody Point Ferry, which crossed the Piscataqua to Hilton's Point and 
was the only connection between Dover and Portsmouth. Because of the 
difficulty in getting to the church in Dover, early settlers 
established a meetinghouse at Bloody Point in 1712. In 1713 local 
residents held a meeting to hire a minister, and on May 12, 1714, 
Governor Dudley granted the request and renamed the parish from Bloody 
Point to Newington. This meetinghouse is still owned by the town and is 
considered the oldest meetinghouse in New Hampshire. In addition to 
this historic landmark, residents set land aside to create a town 
forest in 1710. This forest is the oldest surviving town forest in the 
United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic 
Places.
  The number of farms grew during the late 1800s thanks in part to the 
construction of the railroad bridge to Dover point in 1873. The 
railroad provided the ability to transport perishable commodities, such 
as apples and dairy, to new markets. Today the population has grown to 
include over 750 residents, whose patriotism and commitment is 
reflected in part by their record of service in defense of our Nation.
  Over the past several decades, Newington has seen a dramatic change 
from an agricultural community to an industrial and commercial hub. In 
the 1950s, the Federal Government acquired land to build Pease Air 
Force Base, over half of which is located in the town of Newington. 
Although this base closed, the area has been redeveloped into what is 
now the Pease International Tradeport. Even with these recent changes, 
the town of Newington has maintained its quaint and historic character.
  Whether it is the popular Newington Mall, the historic town forest or 
the Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the citizens of Newington have 
contributed much to the life and heritage of New Hampshire during the 
town's first 300 years. On this day, we honor the 300th anniversary of 
Newington, salute its citizens, and recognize their accomplishments, 
their love of country, and their spirit of independence.

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