[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 111 (Friday, June 25, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE COMMUNITY OF BEACON FALLS, CONNECTICUT ON THE CELEBRATION 
                 OF THEIR SESQUICENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 25, 2021

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I am very proud to rise today to extend 
my heartfelt congratulations to the Beacon Falls community as they 
gather to celebrate the Town's 150th Anniversary--a remarkable 
milestone for this very small community of just over six thousand 
residents. Though small in number the community is mighty in spirit--
working together every day to meet the changing needs of its residents 
while preserving the unique, quintessentially New England, rural 
character of the Town.
  Just under ten square miles and bisected by the Naugatuck River, 
Beacon Fall was incorporated in 1871 on lands from its neighboring 
towns of Bethany, Naugatuck, Oxford, and Seymour. It quickly became a 
center of agriculture, warehouse storage, and manufacturing. Beacon 
Falls was the birthplace of the friction matches, first made in 1834 by 
Thomas Sanford, who later sold his ``recipe'' for $10.00. The Diamond 
Match Company ultimately acquired the formula, The Beacon Falls Rubber 
Shoe Company was a sprawling complex along Main Street that employed 
many residents and was even responsible for the construction of an 
entire neighborhood, providing housing for its workers. The Homer D. 
Bronson Company also set up shop in town in the early 1900s and was a 
manufacturer of hinges used in industry and homes throughout the world.
  These two firms promoted economic wellbeing for Beacon Falls' 
residents for years, both ultimately closing their doors in the late 
1980s. While their departure left the town in a precarious position, it 
was not long before the community rallied, fighting to bring new 
economic engines to the town. Over the course of the last several 
decades, a variety of retail, manufacturing, warehousing, construction, 
and service businesses revitalized the town, and the community has 
continued to flourish. Today, from the American Legion Post 25 to the 
Beacon Hose Volunteer Fire Company and from the Friends of Beacon Falls 
Library to its community center, the residents of this small town are 
more like family than neighbors. The come together in times of 
celebration and need--proud of their history and the unique fabric that 
has been woven into this special community.
  It has been an honor for me to serve as Beacon Falls' U.S. 
Representative over the last twenty-years and I am proud to have this 
opportunity to extend my heartfelt congratulations to every member of 
this special community as they celebrate their 150th Anniversary.

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