[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 140 (Tuesday, August 29, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E802]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING THE 125 YEARS OF MONESSEN

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                         HON. GUY RESCHENTHALER

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 29, 2023

  Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the city of 
Monessen, Pennsylvania, in celebration of its 125th anniversary.
  Prior to its founding, the area consisted of 8 farms. However, Civil 
War veteran James M. Schoonmaker and other great Americans, saw the 
promise of an industrial city on the Monongahela River. Thus, 
Schoonmaker convinced famed industrialist William Donner to set up a 
tin plate mill within the new community. Thanks to the American Tin 
Plate Company's success, the community grew rapidly, and the borough of 
Monessen became incorporated on September 3, 1898.
  Throughout the early 20th century, Monessen's community played active 
roles in the suffrage and labor movements, events surrounding 
Prohibition, and in the industrial efforts powering American operations 
in World War I and World War II. In 1921, the city also had a multitude 
of nationalities and mirrored the ethnicities of the Pittsburgh region, 
serving as a microcosm of America as a whole. At its peak, the city's 
population reached over 20,000 residents. Today, the town is still an 
important part of the southwestern Pennsylvania community. Its 
residents exemplify the values of hard work, dedication to one's 
community, and good citizenship.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania's 14th 
Congressional District, I congratulate the City of Monessen on its 
125th anniversary and applaud their determination to build a better 
community for themselves and their children. I am confident that 
Monessen's people will strive for and achieve an even more successful 
next 125 years.

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