[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 129 (Friday, August 9, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E811]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COMMEMORATING THE 275TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHESTERFIELD COUNTY

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                       HON. JENNIFER L. McCLELLAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 9, 2024

  Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 275th 
anniversary of the founding of my hometown, Chesterfield County.
  On May 8, 1607, Christopher Newport and a party of Englishmen 
exploring what became known as the James and Appomattox Rivers 
encountered a village inhabited by the Appamatuck Tribe. Shortly 
thereafter, the English explorers settled approximately 30 miles 
downstream on Jehat they named Jamestown Island. Three years later, Sir 
Thomas Dale led a group of colonists from Jamestown to found the Citie 
of Henricus on the James River as the second permanent English 
settlement in the New World.
  Chesterfield County continued to set milestones in American history. 
In 1614, Bermuda Hundred in Chesterfield became the first incorporated 
town in America. By 1619, the area witnessed the establishment of the 
first iron furnace in the New World at Falling Creek. In 1622, the 
county was also home to the first American hospital, Mount Malady, near 
Dutch Gap.
  In 1634, colonists brought the first Africans to Bermuda Hundred in 
Chesterfield County. In 1882, the Virginia General Assembly chartered 
the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, the nation's first fully 
state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for African 
Americans. Today, the institution is now the esteemed HBCU, Virginia 
State University.
  In 1709, Chesterfield made another significant contribution by 
producing the first commercially mined coal in America. The county's 
infrastructure also saw pioneering developments, such as Virginia's 
first paved road, the Midlothian Turnpike, in 1807, and the state's 
first railroad, the Midlothian to Manchester Railroad, in 1831.
  Chesterfield County celebrated its 250th year in 1999 and has since 
continued to grow and flourish. In response to the evolving needs of 
its residents, the county established several new departments after its 
250th anniversary, including the Community Engagement and Resources 
Department, Adult Drug Court, Juvenile Drug Court, Constituent 
Services, Community Enhancement, and Sports Tourism.
  In 2013, the residents of Chesterfield County demonstrated their 
commitment to the community through the approval of a bond referendum, 
which resulted in significant school facility improvements and the 
replacement of the county's emergency communications system. The 2022 
bond referendum followed, financing projects for schools, public 
safety, libraries, and parks and recreation.
  Since its 250th anniversary, Chesterfield County has completed 
numerous transportation and pedestrian projects, greatly enhancing the 
lives of its residents and those in neighboring localities.
  These projects include the widening of Route 10, the construction of 
the Interstate 295/Meadowville Interchange, and the expansion of Route 
288 into a four-lane highway from Powhite Parkway to the Powhatan 
County Line. Other improvements include the widening of Chippenham 
Parkway from Hull Street to Route 1, securing $31 million for 
Chesterfield's 8.5 miles of the Fall Line Trail, and obtaining $80 
million for regional projects as part of the Central Virginia 
Transportation Authority.
  I'm honored to represent Chesterfield County in Congress and commend 
it on 275 years of growth and development. I am proud of its rich 
history and look forward to its bright future as it approaches its 
tricentennial.

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