[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 107 (Tuesday, July 5, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1032-E1033]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              POPE COUNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN SHIMKUS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 5, 2016

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because I wish to acknowledge 
the residents of Pope County celebrating their Bicentennial 
Anniversary.
  Pope County was established on January 10, 1816, when it received its 
name from Nathaniel Pope, then Secretary of the Illinois Territory. In 
1818 when Illinois entered the Union as a free state, the population of 
Pope County mostly reflected the emigration of Europeans to America 
that occurred in the 19th century.
  Pope County has since been the home to many notable citizens 
including: American

[[Page E1033]]

Civil War General James L. Alcorn, Military Governor of South Korea 
(preceding the Korean War) John R. Hodge, and American Civil War 
General Green B. Raum.
  Pope County is also home to the Shawnee National Forest, which covers 
one third of the county, and provides residents and tourists with 
lakes, creeks, caves, rock formations, valleys, and wooded hills that 
are excellent for hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, 
and to just get away.
  Pope County hosts many yearly events, including the 9-day Trail Ride, 
the River-to-River Relay, and the Deer Festival.
  The residents of Pope County began celebrating their county's 
bicentennial on January 10, 2016, and will hold a multitude of 
festivities throughout the rest of the year.
  I congratulate the residents of Pope County on the 200th anniversary 
of the county's founding, and I extend my best wishes for many more.

                          ____________________