[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 118 (Monday, July 15, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4816-S4817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      BICENTENNIAL OF HART COUNTY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, earlier this year, Hart County in my 
home State began a yearlong celebration of its bicentennial 
anniversary. This southcentral county is the proud home to an abundance 
of Kentucky history and culture. As they mark this impressive 
milestone, the people of Hart County, KY, are also ready to lead our 
Commonwealth toward its bright future.
  The county was established in 1819 and named for a brave Kentuckian,

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Captain Nathaniel Gray Smith Hart. A brother-in-law of Henry Clay and a 
Lexington lawyer, Hart bravely served the young Nation in the War of 
1812, when he was captured and killed at the Battle of the River Raisin 
in the Michigan Territory.
  Its local history is deeply intertwined with the geography. Early 
settlers planted roots near present-day Horse Cave because of the 
fertile soil. Like many Kentucky communities, the economic success of 
burley tobacco drove the local economy, putting food on family tables 
and shoes on children's feet. The Green River opened access routes for 
commerce throughout the country, and the establishment of the Mammoth 
Cave National Park, the world's longest known cave system, has made 
Hart County a destination for tourism.
  The strategic construction of Louisville & Nashville Railroad through 
both Horse Cave and the county seat of Munfordville in 1859 brought new 
waves of economic growth. However, at the outbreak of the American 
Civil War, the railroad's location also made it a target. Segments of 
the track were attacked by both Union and Confederate troops, and the 
county was the site of three battles. It is also the home of two Civil 
War generals, Thomas J. Wood fighting for the Union and future Kentucky 
Governor Simon Bolivar Buckner for the Confederacy. Each September, the 
community remembers its place in this chapter of American history 
during the Hart County Civil War Days.
  Through the years, Hart County has continued to prosper. The building 
of I-65 through the county has bolstered the area's growth and opened 
new opportunities for tourism and economic activity. Local leaders are 
especially proud of the recent expansion of Sister Schubert's famous 
bakery and the opening of the Green River College and Career Academy. 
The county's best days are still ahead.
  With a rich heritage and a promising future, Hart County certainly 
has a lot to celebrate. Along with the families and leaders of the 
county like Judge Executive Joe Choate, it is my privilege to mark this 
great occasion. I ask my Senate colleagues to join me in celebrating 
200 years of historic achievement in Hart County.

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