[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 23, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5176-S5177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  175TH ANNIVERSARY OF YARMOUTH, MAINE

  Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, the incorporation of the town of 
Yarmouth, ME, on August 8, 1849, was but one significant moment for one 
of the oldest communities in New England. On this 175th anniversary, it 
is a pleasure to commemorate a long and fascinating history that 
exemplifies the determination, resiliency, and ingenuity that defines 
our State.
  For thousands of years, the area was the homeland of the Abenaki 
people, who thrived where the fast-flowing river they called 
Westcustogo meets the sea. In 1636, just 16 years after the Pilgrims 
landed at Plymouth, William Royall, a cooper in the employ of the 
Massachusetts Bay Colony Company, was provided a small land grant in 
the area. The farm he established gave birth to a new settlement on the 
frontier.
  Drawn by the abundant natural resources, the small village grew and 
became part of North Yarmouth, the eighth town incorporated by 
Massachusetts in the Province of Maine. The river, now called the Royal 
River in honor of the first settler, powered sawmills and grain mills, 
and the

[[Page S5177]]

shorefront became a leading center of Colonial and early American 
shipbuilding. It is estimated that more than 300 vessels were launched 
by Yarmouth's shipyards during the Age of Sail.
  With its population exceeding 2,000 people, maritime-oriented 
Yarmouth separated from farming-oriented North Yarmouth on August 8, 
1849, and became a separate town. Industrial activities expanded into 
tanneries, brickyards, ironworks, and paper-making.
  Today, Yarmouth is a vibrant community with arts and music centers, a 
lovely library, outstanding schools, and beautifully preserved historic 
buildings. The active Yarmouth Historical Society has one of the finest 
and most comprehensive collection in Maine and the annual Wellcome 
Prize essay and film competition encourages high school students to 
learn about their community's past. One of the town's most prominent 
and treasured artifacts on display at the Yarmouth History Center is 
the Flaming Arrow Weathervane that topped the ``Old Ledge'' Meeting 
House built in 1730.
  Yarmouth's 175th anniversary is a time to celebrate the people who 
pulled together, cared for one another, and built a great community. 
Thanks to those who came before, Yarmouth, ME, has a wonderful history. 
Thanks to those there today, it has a bright future.

                          ____________________