[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 164 (Thursday, October 17, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1299]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNITION OF WOOD COUNTY, OHIO'S 200TH ANNIVERSARY

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                          HON. ROBERT E. LATTA

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 17, 2019

  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Bicentennial 
of Wood County, Ohio. This Crossroad of America was established by the 
Ohio State Legislature on February 12, 1820. Wood County has historical 
ties to the earliest days of Ohio history, gaining its name from 
Colonel Eleazer D. Wood, the planning engineer of Fort Meigs in 1813.
  Wood County was once home to the Great Black Swamp. This made 
settlement of the area extremely difficult, but the pioneering spirit 
of early residents produced an extensive system of ditches which 
drained the swamp and revealed the rich farmland beneath. There are 
still more than 3,000 miles of drainage ditches keeping the county dry 
to this day.
  The oil and natural gas industries were the first to enter Wood 
County in the late 1800s. This caused a large spike in population as 
people migrated to the county in hopes of obtaining riches. Wood County 
currently covers nearly 620 square miles of land and water which 
provides evidence of the rural traditions and history of the area, 
while fostering agricultural ingenuity, manufacturing developments, and 
educational success.
  The celebration of the 200th Anniversary of Wood County is a 
meaningful reminder of the hard work, grit, and pioneering attitude 
upon which Wood County, Ohio and the United States of America were 
founded. Congratulations to Wood County in celebration of its 
Bicentennial Year.

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