[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 189 (Friday, November 30, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1587]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         IN HONOR OF THE CITY OF CHARLOTTE'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY

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                          HON. RICHARD HUDSON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 30, 2018

  Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of 
Charlotte, North Carolina on the 250th anniversary of its founding. I 
am proud to hail from Charlotte, and I want to celebrate the Queen City 
on this momentous occasion.
  As a graduate of A.G. Middle School, Myers Park High School and UNC 
Charlotte, I hold a very special spot in my heart for this amazing 
city. Throughout its history, Charlotte has time and again shown the 
ingenuity and resiliency which allowed it to grow into the prosperous 
hub it is today. And that ingenuity and resiliency comes down to one 
common factor--the people who have called Charlotte home over two and a 
half centuries.
  Take the founding of Charlotte way back in 1768. Mecklenburg County 
and Charlotte Town were named for Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-
Strelitz, wife of English King George III. Despite these overt ties to 
England, the local leaders of Charlotte banded together in 1775 to 
issue the Mecklenburg Resolves, the very first declaration of 
independence from Great Britain by any governing body in Colonial 
America.
  Or take the fact that Charlotte has grown from a regional banking 
center to the second-largest financial center in the country behind 
only New York City. This growth was something many scoffed at until a 
committed group of local visionaries grew a few regional banks into 
Bank of America and Wachovia, two of the largest financial institutions 
in the world.
  The ingenuity and resiliency of Charlotte and its citizens have 
allowed the city to grow into not only the largest city in the 
Carolinas, but also one of the fastest-growing cities in the entire 
country the past 30 years. While Charlotte has boomed, it has also 
retained the Southern charm and quality of life that's made it such a 
wonderful place to live. Folks from across the nation have flocked to 
Charlotte with good reason--as the slogan goes, ``Charlotte's got a 
lot.''
  I'm fiercely proud of my hometown and I can't wait to see what the 
next 250 years have in store for the crown jewel of the Carolinas.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me today in congratulating the City of 
Charlotte on its 250th anniversary.

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