[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 109 (Thursday, June 22, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2217-S2218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               400TH ANNIVERSARY OF DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the city of Dover, 
NH, on the 400th anniversary of its first settlement.
  In 1623, brothers Edward and William Hilton, two fishmongers from 
London, sailed up the Piscataqua River and set up their Cochecho 
Plantation near Pomeroy Cove. The name of the settlement changed in the 
early years, first to Bristol, then to Dover, then to Northam, then 
back to Dover. But the settlers remained, which leads many historians 
to contend that Dover is the oldest continuously settled city or town 
in New Hampshire. It is also among the oldest cities in all of the 
United States.
  The city of Dover's nickname, The Garrison City, has its roots in 
these early years. Its settlers took advantage of the area's abundant 
forestlands to fell trees for use in heavily fortified houses called 
``garrisons.'' Made with sturdy logs and slits in the walls for rifles 
and muskets, these structures provided protection and a sense of 
security in cases of emergency or attack. Most of Dover's garrisons 
were destroyed in the late 1600s, but modern day residents and visitors 
can see for themselves the intact Damm Garrison at the local Woodman 
Museum. It is a symbol of the common threads of resilience, grit, and 
solidarity that are woven into the long and proud history of Dover.
  The city of Dover has hosted many thriving industries over the past 
four centuries, including agriculture and shipbuilding in the 1700s and 
brickmaking in the 1800s. Yet anyone who takes a short stroll down 
Central Avenue can see the remnants of an industry that catapulted 
Dover to national prominence in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Textile 
manufacturers used the currents of the Cochecho River to power a 
sprawling mill complex that at one time employed over 2,000 workers. 
The Cocheco Manufacturing Company, its name the product of a clerical 
misspelling on incorporation documents, was one of the leading national 
producers of printed cotton and generated millions of yards of textiles 
annually. In 1828, it was the site of the first all-women strike in the 
United States when hundreds of ``mill girls'' marched off the job and 
through city streets in protest of meager wages. The nearby Sawyer 
Woolen Mills on the Bellamy

[[Page S2218]]

River also grew into the largest manufacturer of woolens in all of New 
Hampshire. Like many textile manufacturing giants of the Northeast, 
these enterprises closed their operations in the mid-1900s. Their 
expansive brick buildings sat dormant for years; however, city leaders 
have worked tirelessly in recent decades to repurpose them for modern 
use. They are now home to the Children's Museum of New Hampshire, 
restaurants, barbershops, toy stores, candy stores, small businesses, 
and apartments. They are once again the focal point of a vibrant 
downtown.
  Throughout these many changes, challenges, and opportunities, Dover 
residents have remained determined to write their own distinct chapters 
in our American story. Many notable Granite Staters have called Dover 
home, including several Olympic athletes like swimmer Jenny Thompson 
and the first woman to be accepted into the bar and run for Governor of 
New Hampshire, Marilla Ricker. Many more are responsible for creating 
and sustaining a community that embodies the quintessential small town 
in New Hampshire, one bound together by nature, history, and--most 
important--its people.
  My husband is a native of Dover, and we raised our family in the 
neighboring town of Madbury. We have always felt so welcomed by the 
city and its residents, and we look forward to joining our friends and 
neighbors in celebration of the Garrison City's 400th anniversary. I 
congratulate the city of Dover on this important milestone and wish the 
community all the best in its future endeavors.

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