[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 21000]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              200TH ANNIVERSARY OF NELSON COUNTY, VIRGINIA

 Mr. WEBB. Mr. President, I wish to recognize a county in the 
Commonwealth of Virginia that is celebrating its bicentennial 
anniversary. Throughout this year, Nelson County residents will gather 
to celebrate their county's history and founding.
  Nelson County is nestled in the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge 
Mountains, midway between Charlottesville and Lynchburg. It was settled 
by colonists of English and German descent, as well as by the Scotch-
Irish, whom I proudly recognize as my ancestors. The county was 
officially founded in 1807 and named in honor of Thomas Nelson, Jr., 
third Governor of Virginia. Nelson County is now home to about 14,500 
people.
  For those who call Nelson County home, it is a comfortable place to 
work and live. Nelson County is also a community in the truest sense of 
the word. This was most clearly demonstrated when neighbors came 
together and offered comfort and helping hands after Hurricane Camille 
caused widespread destruction in the county in 1969. Today community 
members can look to each other and remember with pride how they came 
together under hard circumstances to make Nelson County prosper once 
again.
  Nelson County's economy is based on agriculture and natural resource-
based industries such as timber and quarrying. The scenic surroundings 
have also attracted recreational development in recent years, making 
the county an outdoor enthusiast's haven. Outdoor recreation 
opportunities include hiking along the magnificent Appalachian Trail or 
to the top of Crabtree Falls, the highest cascading waterfall east of 
the Mississippi River, as well as canoeing and fishing on the James or 
Tye Rivers and skiing at Wintergreen Resort.
  Many Americans may not be familiar with Nelson County by name, but 
millions have had a glimpse of what life was like in this rural 
community due to the writings of Nelson County native, Earl Hamner, Jr. 
During the Great Depression, Hamner began writing of his experience 
growing up in Nelson County. These writings eventually provided the 
substance for ``The Waltons'' television series.
  The Nelson County Museum of History, which is currently being 
developed, will soon offer visitors opportunities to learn the rich 
heritage and rural culture of Nelson County through events, exhibits, 
and educational programs.
  The rural community of Nelson County has much to remember and much to 
be proud of.
  Mr. President, I ask the Senate to join me in congratulating Nelson 
County and its residents on their first 200 years and in wishing them 
well in the future.

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