[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 38 (Thursday, March 6, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S1363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        AROOSTOOK COUNTY, MAINE

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, this year marks the 175th anniversary of 
the incorporation of Aroostook County, ME. As one who was born and 
raised in that wonderful place, I wish to celebrate its fascinating 
past, energetic present, and bright future.
  If the story of Aroostook County could be summed up in one thought, 
it would be this: We are the largest county east of the Mississippi 
River, yet we are all neighbors. From the frontier to the front lines 
of innovation, the people of ``The County,'' as it is known throughout 
Maine, have always worked hard and worked together.
  The story of Aroostook County begins long before its incorporation in 
1839. For thousands of years, it has been the home of the Micmac and 
Maliseet; the name Aroostook comes from the Native American word for 
``beautiful river.''
  French explorers, led by Samuel de Champlain, first visited the area 
in 1604. The settlements that followed laid the foundation for the 
vibrant Acadian culture that is so important in Maine, New Brunswick, 
Nova Scotia, and as far away as Louisiana. Under French, and later, 
English rule, Aroostook's rich natural resources drew hardy lumberjacks 
and trappers to the area.
  For decades after the American Revolution, Maine's northernmost 
region was the site of a protracted and tense border dispute between 
our new Nation and British Canada. As negotiations, led by the great 
American statesman Daniel Webster, to end what is now called the 
Bloodless Aroostook War neared completion, families and entrepreneurs 
settled in the area, and Aroostook County was incorporated. Among those 
early settlers was my ancestor, Samuel W. Collins, who built a lumber 
mill in Caribou in 1844 that was the beginning of our fifth-generation 
family business still in operation today.
  People were drawn to Aroostook County in search of liberty and 
opportunity, and they have always worked and sacrificed to extend those 
blessings to others. In the years before emancipation, Aroostook County 
was the last stop on the Underground Railroad that took slaves to 
freedom. The Friends Quaker Church in Fort Fairfield stands today as a 
powerful memorial to that time of courage and compassion. Civil War 
monuments in villages throughout Aroostook County stand in honor of the 
many heroes who gave their lives so that all could be free.
  Throughout the 19th century, the people of Aroostook County connected 
their remote region to the world with their own hands. Town by town, 
they built roads and railroads with pick, shovel, and wheelbarrow. 
These transportation networks, combined with the region's rich soil, 
made Aroostook County an agricultural powerhouse. The potato industry 
remains an essential part of the Maine economy.
  During World War II, Presque Isle and Houlton both had U.S. Army 
bases. Houlton had a prisoner-of-war camp for German soldiers. Presque 
Isle's base was used to launch P-38s, C-47s, and B-17s to the European 
theater. During the cold war, Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, due 
its proximity to Northern Europe, became a crucial forward post in 
America's defense.
  The closure of Loring Air Force base in 1994 was a difficult 
challenge. But the people of Aroostook County responded with the 
qualities that wrote their history: strength, a strong work ethic, and 
determination. They are building a new economy with new jobs and 
opportunities. Back then, biathlon was little-known, yet today 
Aroostook County is a world-class center for winter sports and Olympic 
training and the home to an Olympian in the biathlon.
  Aroostook's hospitals have become national models for expert and 
compassionate care in rural regions, particularly for our veterans. 
Educational institutions and industry have joined together to lead the 
way in the development of renewable energy sources. The closed bases in 
Houlton and Presque Isle, and Loring Air Force Base have evolved into 
hubs of commerce and industry.
  Through the years, Aroostook County has gone by many names--the Crown 
of Maine, the Garden County, the Last Frontier of the East, and, of 
course, The County. A more recent addition is the motto of the 
University of Maine at Presque Isle--``North of Ordinary'' is the 
perfect way to describe a place that is truly extraordinary.

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