[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 27053]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING BOB LARGESS AND THE FOOTSTEPS IN HISTORY PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 10, 2007

  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize and pay tribute to 
Mr. Robert Largess who has completed a historic 4-day stage coach 
journey from the scenic shores of the Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island 
to beautiful Kelley Square in my hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts.
  Mr. Largess has driven an 1800's style horse-drawn stagecoach along 
the Blackstone River Valley National Corridor to commemorate the third 
annual Footsteps in History Program. This program is a week-long 
celebration of the cultural and historic heritage of the Blackstone 
Valley. Footsteps in History was created by the Blackstone Valley 
Tourism Council, the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National 
Heritage Corridor, and the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce.
  Long before the railroad and canal boats came to the Blackstone 
Valley, people used stagecoaches to make the journey between Providence 
and Worcester. His 4-day journey will be the first such trip in about 
180 years and aims to raise public awareness about the Blackstone 
Valley and its place in history. Mr. Largess's ride has also served to 
educate our children and our community about the important role that 
the Blackstone River and the Blackstone Canal have played in the 
industrialization of the United States. He will end his journey at the 
starting point of the Canal and he has been at the center of a 
communitywide effort to restore the section of the canal that is now 
buried under the streets of Worcester.
  Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I honor the work of Mr. 
Largess and members of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council for the 
work they do to help bring alive the rich history of the Blackstone 
Valley.

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