[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15407]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 THE TOWN OF WAWAYANDA SESQUICENTENNIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 1, 1999

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I call to the attention of our colleagues an 
agrarian Town in my District that is rich in heritage and tradition. 
These fine qualities and the town's deep rooted 150 year history will 
be acknowledged on August 7th at the Wawayanda Sesquicentennial 
Celebration.
  Located in Western Orange County, the town of Wawayanda is comprised 
of 22,000 acres or 33.6 square miles of land. This land supports 
Wawayanda's thriving farm production. Seeded in New York's fertile 
``Black Dirt Region'' and surrounded by the Wallkill River and the 
Indigot and Rutgers Creeks, Wawayanda has established itself throughout 
it's 150 year history as one of New York's finest farming towns. 
Wawayanda provides a generous amount of natural resources such as dairy 
products, grain and vegetable crops, lettuce, pumpkins and onions.
  Also being celebrated is the Town's deep rooted heritage. This 
including historic buildings and museums that go back to the early 
1800's. The Dolson family, the Gardner family and the Davis family are 
just a few of the early settlers immortalized in the Town of Wawayanda. 
Wawayanda maintains is storied heritage in the buildings and town areas 
that carry the names of those who originally settled there. Many of 
these people colonized Wawayanda just after the Revolutionary War. The 
first town census in 1855 totaled at 2,069. Today Wawayanda boasts a 
population of 5,518.
  Wawayanda also boasts a great commercial asset in Interstate Route 
84. Route 84 acts as a commercial crossroads, plugging Wawayanda into 
surrounding towns as well as both Pennsylvania to the west and New 
England to the East. Route 84 is an exceptional asset to the economy of 
Wawayanda. It provides a means of farm export and opens other areas of 
New York. This road enables the beautiful Town of Wawayanda to share 
its assets with others. People can travel Route 84 to experience 
Wawayanda's lush landscapes and surrounding waterways. Route 84 opens 
up the beautiful Town of Wawayanda, enabling it to be experienced by 
others.
  Congratulations on this day should be given to those who made the 
Sesquicentennial possible. The efforts of Town Supervisor Thomas De 
Block, his Town Council, and the Sesquicentennial Committee should all 
be commended. If not for these people's pride and dedication to their 
town the celebration of this Town's history would not have been 
possible. Their efforts are indicative of the pride and tradition that 
makes this Town so special.
  Accordingly, I invite my colleagues on August 7, 1999, to recognize 
the Town of Wawayanda in New York State for its 150 years of rich 
tradition and excellence in America.

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