[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 163 (Tuesday, September 21, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1000]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN RECOGNITION OF AVOCA BOROUGH ON ITS SESQUICENTENNIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 21, 2021

  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Avoca Borough, 
Pennsylvania as its residents celebrate its 150th anniversary of 
incorporation.
  On May 24, 1871, Avoca Borough, then known as Pleasant Valley, was 
officially incorporated after splitting from the nearby Pittston 
Township. Governed by three councilmen, Pleasant Valley was a booming 
community with four railroads, four churches, a board of trade, a 
school, and a fire company.
  In 1889, residents wanted to move the Marr Post Office to a more 
central location in the community. With another borough in the 
Commonwealth already claiming the name Pleasant Valley, the United 
States Postal Service rejected their request, but the citizens were 
undeterred. They requested a name change to Avoca through the Luzerne 
County Court after the Avoca Hose Company. The court granted their 
request, and the name was officially changed.
  The twentieth century saw growth and prosperity for Avoca, and as the 
population grew, so did the needs of the community. In 1905, a group of 
Avoca's most enterprising citizens met to discuss the need for a town 
bank, and on April 1, 1907, the First National Bank of Avoca opened on 
Main Street. In the early 1920s, schools were struggling to accommodate 
the number of students due to a steadily increasing population. In 
1925, the Avoca School Board finalized plans for a four-year high 
school building, which was completed in time for the 1926 school year.
  Avoca has always been home to patriotic Americans who valiantly 
served their country and sought to give back to their community. In 
1931, a group of ex-service members organized the American Legion 
McPhillips-WiddaI Post, and in 1946, Avoca veterans formed the Veterans 
of Foreign Wars Post 8335. Both organizations supported civic and 
athletic programs in Avoca.
  Like many communities in the area, coal mining was the primary driver 
of the local economy. Many residents supported their families with 
careers in the mines, but the industry proved to be unsustainable. As 
the coal mining industry began to decline in the 1940s, the Wilkes-
Barre-Scranton Airport was constructed, which would become a 
flourishing regional hub for travel throughout the Northeast. Through 
the 1950s, the anthracite coal mining industry continued its decline, 
forcing Avoca residents to relocate for more viable employment.
  Today, Avoca remains a tight-knit community with thriving local 
businesses and a true small-town atmosphere. I am honored to join with 
Mayor Bob Mullen, Parade Grand Marshals Chris Van Luvender and Bob 
Matthews, Anniversary Committee President Kelly O'Brien, and all the 
residents of Avoca in celebrating the Borough's 150th anniversary. May 
the Borough continue to see growth and prosperity over the next 150 
years.

                          ____________________