[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 15 (Friday, January 24, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E66]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN RECOGNITION OF THE 180TH ANNIVERSARY OF SUMPTER TOWNSHIP

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                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 24, 2020

  Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 180th 
anniversary of Sumpter Township.
  Sumpter Township can trace its origins back to the revolutionary war 
era. As one of the original bounty land act areas off the Erie Canal, 
Sumpter's first settlers were revolutionary war soldiers looking for 
large land tracks and farm land out west. On April 6, 1840, the 
Township of Sumpter--named after revolutionary war General Thomas 
Sumter--was officially formed, home to a total of 228 residents. In the 
years that followed, Sumpter Township became a busy town with shopping 
districts, a town hall, the first producing oil well in Wayne County, 
and its own school district.
  Since its humble beginnings in the mid-nineteenth century, Sumpter 
Township has grown and transformed significantly. Today, Sumpter 
Township is a diverse community of 9,549 residents drawing from a 
variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Even 180 years later, 
Sumpter Township continues to be an important component of our Michigan 
community. Its woodlands, wetlands, prairies, parks, and abundant 
wildlife are natural treasures for all Michiganders to value and enjoy, 
and its welcoming, neighborly, and tight-knit community serves as a 
model that others should strive to emulate.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 
180th anniversary of Sumpter Township. As one of Michigan's earliest 
communities, it is my wish that Sumpter Township continues to be a 
pleasant place for people to live, work, and enjoy the vast beauty 
Michigan has to offer. Congratulations on this historic milestone, and 
best of luck in the years ahead.

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