[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 3, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE BOROUGH OF KUTZTOWN'S BICENTENNIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CHARLES W. DENT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 3, 2015

  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to rise today and congratulate 
my constituents residing in the Borough of Kutztown on the occasion of 
their Bicentennial.
   Kutztown, located in Berks County, Pennsylvania, was incorporated as 
a borough on April 7, 1815. Kutztown is the second oldest municipality 
in Berks County, after only the City of Reading.
   Kutztown's roots can be traced to the purchase of 130 acres of land 
made by Mr. George Kutz on June 16, 1755. In 1779 Mr. Kutz laid out 
plans to turn his acreage into a town and began selling lots.
   Like many communities founded during the 18th and 19th centuries, 
Kutztown was ideally situated along a key road, in this case, the 
Easton Road. The area served as a convenient lodging place for those 
making the then two-day trip between Allentown and Reading.
   Settled largely by people from the Palatinate region of Germany, an 
area bordering the Rhine River, Kutztown enjoyed growth and prosperity. 
The Borough's vibrant Germanic heritage remains an important part of 
the community and is on full display during the Kutztown Folk Festival.
   Over the years the Borough fostered numerous industries. The Borough 
gave rise to the Kutztown Iron Company, a brickyard, bottling 
companies, and even competing cigar companies.
   In 1866 the Borough saw the founding of the Keystone Normal School, 
the forerunner of Kutztown University. Today the University has an 
enrollment of nearly 9,500 students.
   Situated in the East Penn Valley, nestled between the Blue and South 
Mountains, the Borough of Kutztown and its people continue to thrive. 
Kutztown is an outstanding American town. Kutztown remains a great 
place to work, raise a family, to earn an education and to enjoy the 
beauty of the surrounding countryside.
   Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House and my colleagues, I 
congratulate the people of Kutztown on the occasion of the Borough's 
Bicentennial. God bless them and may they know continued prosperity.

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