[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 24 (Thursday, February 7, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S1127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF LIMESTONE, MAINE

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, on February 26, the town of Limestone, 
ME, will mark the 150th anniversary of its incorporation. As one who 
was born and raised in the neighboring city of Caribou, it is a great 
pleasure to celebrate the generations of industrious and caring people 
who have made Limestone such a wonderful place to live, work, and raise 
families.
  The story of Limestone begins long before its incorporation in 1869. 
For thousands of years, Aroostook County has been the home of the 
Micmac and Maliseet; the name Aroostook comes from the Native American 
word for ``beautiful river.'' French explorers, led by Samuel de 
Champlain, first visited the area in 1604.
  For decades after the American Revolution, Maine's northernmost 
region was the site of a protracted and tense border dispute between 
our new Nation and British Canada. As negotiations to end what is now 
called the Bloodless Aroostook War neared completion in the early 
1840s, families and entrepreneurs settled in the area.
  Among them was General Mark Trafton, a veteran of the War of 1812, 
who was drawn to the region by the great deposits of limestone, vast 
stands of timber, and fertile soil. Soon a thriving settlement 
developed, and the prosperity derived from quarries, sawmills, and 
farms was invested in schools and churches to make a true community.
  Later in the 19th century, the people of Limestone joined their 
neighboring towns in connecting their remote region to the world with 
their own hands. Town by town, they built roads and railroads with 
pick, shovel, and wheelbarrow. These transportation networks, combined 
with the region's rich soil, made Aroostook County an agricultural 
powerhouse, and the potato industry remains an essential part of the 
Maine economy.
  People were drawn to Limestone in search of liberty and opportunity, 
and they have always worked and sacrificed to extend those blessings to 
others. Veterans' monuments throughout the area stand in honor of the 
many heroes who gave their lives so that all could be free.
  During the Cold War, Loring Air Force Base was established in 
Limestone, due to its proximity to northern Europe, and it became a 
crucial forward post in America's defense. The closure of the base in 
1994 was a difficult challenge for the people of Limestone, who 
responded with the qualities that wrote their history: strength, 
determination, and a strong work ethic. With the transformation of the 
former base into the Loring Commerce Centre, Maine's largest industrial 
park, they are building new jobs and opportunities.
  Limestone's support for our Armed Forces continues at the Defense 
Finance and Accounting Service facility at the Loring Commerce Centre, 
where hundreds of hard-working and dedicated employees have established 
a reputation for excellence. The Loring Job Corps Center, also at the 
former air base, has helped thousands of young people gain the skills 
to succeed in the workplace and to further their educations. In 
addition, part of the air base was converted into the Aroostook 
National Wildlife Refuge, a protected area of forests and wetlands, and 
home to moose, lynx, waterfowl, and rare plant species.
  The Maine School of Science and Mathematics, MSSM, a public 
residential magnet high school, was established in 1995 and is ranked 
as the best high school in Maine and among the best in the country. The 
MSSM Key Club, a joint effort between the school and the local Kiwanis, 
carries out many community service and charitable projects throughout 
the year.
  The spirit of Limestone is evident in the energy that so many will 
devote to this exciting yearlong sesquicentennial celebration. The 
celebration of Limestone's 150th anniversary is not merely about the 
passing of time. It is about the people who for generations have pulled 
together, cared for one another, and built a great community. Thanks to 
those who came before, Limestone, ME, has a wonderful history. Thanks 
to those there today, it has a bright future.

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