[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 114 (Wednesday, July 10, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF VANCEBORO, MAINE

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, on Saturday, July 20, the people of 
Vanceboro, ME, will gather for a daylong celebration of their town's 
150th birthday. It is with pleasure that I recognize this landmark 
anniversary of a small town with a fascinating history.
  Located at the headwaters of the St. Croix River that forms the 
international border between Maine and New Brunswick, Canada, the story 
of the region begins with the Passamaquoddy Nation, who have made the 
river and the Chiputenticook Lakes Chain their home for thousands of 
years. The reverence the People of the Dawn have for the natural beauty 
of the area continue to define the town today.
  Drawn by the abundant forests and fast-moving waters of the St. 
Croix, the first European settlers harvested timber and established 
sawmills, followed by a leather tannery and a spool and clothespin 
factory. The community they built represents the best of smalltown 
Maine, where friends and neighbors know and care for one another, and 
everyone pitches in to help in times of need.
  The namesake of the town, William Vance, is a remarkable figure in 
Maine history. Known as Old Vance, he fought for freedom in the 
American Revolution. During the War of 1812, he installed his own 
personal cannon on his riverfront property, which he called Mount 
Defiance, to deter any British incursion. When Maine was preparing for 
statehood in 1819, he served on the commission that wrote the Maine 
Constitution, and when our star was added to the American Flag a year 
later, Old Vance served in our first State legislature.
  Vanceboro's location on the St. Croix River and the international 
border has led to some events of historical significance. Selected as 
the border crossing for the European and North American Railway in the 
1860s, President Ulysses S. Grant and Lord Lisgar, Governor General of 
Canada, opened the rail line through Vanceboro with a ceremony at the 
border on October 19, 1871. The town's Civil War veterans manned the 
cannons that welcomed their general on what is still remembered as 
``Vanceboro's Greatest Day.''
  The rail line remained an important shipping route, and on February 
2, 1915, the international railway bridge was bombed by a German Army 
reservist in an unsuccessful attempt to sabotage routes for troops and 
war materials that he suspected might be coming across then-neutral 
U.S. territory to fight the Germans. On April 21, 1917, just 2 weeks 
after our Nation entered the war, a British delegation led by Foreign 
Secretary Arthur Balfour, met with American military and diplomatic 
leaders at the Vanceboro train station to discuss the path forward to 
victory.
  In addition to the town's 150th birthday, July 20 will also mark the 
re-opening of the Vanceboro Historical Society. The Society is a 
remarkable community initiative to tell the story of the region through 
artifact collections, guest speakers, and educational programs. 
Vanceboro's 150th year is a time to honor the great people of the 
community who have made the town such a welcoming place to call home. 
It is a pleasure to offer my congratulations and best wishes on this 
special day.

                          ____________________