[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 108 (Wednesday, July 6, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S4820]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TOWN OF MOSCOW, MAINE

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today I wish to commemorate the 200th 
anniversary of the town of Moscow, ME. Lying at the foothills of 
Maine's Western Mountains and on the banks of the mighty Kennebec 
River, Moscow was built with a spirit of determination and resilience 
that still guides the community today. This bicentennial is a time to 
celebrate the generations of hard-working and caring people who have 
made it such a wonderful place to live, work, and raise families.
  Moscow is a small town with a big history. In the fall of 1775, 
Colonel Benedict Arnold--before he became a traitor--led the newly 
formed Continental Army through the region on the ill-fated but valiant 
attempt to capture Quebec. While the first major military initiative of 
the Revolutionary War failed, it demonstrated the American resolve that 
would eventually bring independence. One of the oldest graves in 
Moscow's Union Cemetery is that of Joseph Kirk, one of the regiment's 
men, and Baker Cemetery is the final resting place of David Decker, a 
member of the Boston Tea Party.
  After independence was won, settlement began when two great 
patriots--the financier William Bingham and General Henry Knox--joined 
together in the famous Bingham Purchase, the acquisition of 2 million 
acres of Maine wilderness. Shortly afterward, the first sawmill was 
built, the timber industry thrived, and the population boomed.
  When the town was officially incorporated on January 30, 1816, the 
citizens chose the name of their new community with care, finally 
selecting Moscow to honor the people of the Russian city who repelled 
Napoleon's invasion in 1812 with great courage and sacrifice.
  The first settlers were drawn by fertile soil, vast forests, and 
fast-moving waters, which they turned into productive farms and busy 
mills. The wealth produced by the land and, by hard work and 
determination, was invested in schools and churches to create a true 
community.
  The industriousness of Moscow is demonstrated by two remarkable feats 
of engineering. In 1904, construction began on the Gulf Stream Trestle 
across Austin Stream to extend the Somerset Railroad in order to grow 
the logging and outdoor recreation industries. Seven hundred feet long 
and 125 feet high, the trestle was one of the largest structures to 
span a river in New England.
  Although the trestle has been removed, the Wyman Dam remains one of 
the town's most outstanding features, supplying power to a large part 
of central Maine. Replacing a natural course of rapids 140 feet high on 
the Kennebec River, the construction of the dam began in 1928, and the 
dam was in operation just 2 years later. This massive project required 
a labor force of 2,400 workers, whose families had to be housed, so a 
settlement of nearly 300 homes was built, along with a school for the 
children. In addition to electricity, the project created beautiful 
Wyman Lake, one of Maine's largest lakes and a favorite recreation 
destination.
  Moscow has always been a town of involved citizens, working hard and 
working together. The planning and volunteerism that have gone into 
this yearlong bicentennial celebration confirm that this spirit grows 
only stronger. Thanks to those who came before, Moscow has a wonderful 
history. Thanks to those who are there today, it has a bright future.

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