[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 176 (Friday, November 2, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1491]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, MISSOURI

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                            HON. JASON SMITH

                              of missouri

                  in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 2, 2018

  Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jefferson 
County, Missouri, created on December 8, 1818 by an ``Act of the 
Territory,'' uniting portions of St. Louis and Ste. Genevieve Counties. 
It was named for our nation's third president, Thomas Jefferson, the 
father of the Louisiana Purchase which included the land that became 
Missouri. Jefferson County's earliest settlers were French and they 
settled along the area's many waterways that include the Mississippi 
River, the Meramec River and the Big River.
  Jefferson County is home to sites where archeologists say mastodons 
roamed 12,000 years ago. Lead shot made in the county was used in the 
War of 1812 and there are 10 sites in Jefferson County on the National 
Register of Historic Places. Historical societies in local cities are 
dedicated to preserving their history with a county museum established 
in Festus as part of the 200th birthday celebration.
  With its rich history and promise of progress, Jefferson County is a 
treasure that continues to be a vital part of Missouri's economy and 
future growth. I am proud to congratulate Jefferson County on its 
bicentennial today before the United States House of Representatives.

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