[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 3278-3279]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING THE CITY OF PIEDMONT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 6, 2007

  Mrs. LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the City of Piedmont 
on the occasion of its Centennial Celebration.
  Prior to its incorporation as a city in 1907, Piedmont was comprised 
of lands owned by individuals such as Don Luis Peralta, Walter Blair 
and James Gamble. During the late 1800s, Mr. Blair bought 600 acres of 
land from the Peraltas. He built a dairy on Highland Avenue, a quarry, 
a hotel and an amusement park known as Blair Park.
  In 1877 James Gamble, the president of Western Union Telegraph, 
bought 350 acres from Mr. Blair. He built a house on Hillside Avenue 
and planned to sell the rest of the land so others could build houses 
as well. He called his business the Piedmont Land Company, which he 
felt was appropriate for the new community due to the fact that 
Piedmont means ``foot of the mountain'' in Italian.
  In the 1880s there were only seven houses where the City of Piedmont 
is now. During the same time Piedmont had its first and only factory, 
the Ladies Silk Culture Society. Over 100 women worked spinning thread 
from the cocoons of silk worms that grew on the mulberry trees, but 
ultimately there weren't enough trees and the factory closed in 1895.

[[Page 3279]]

  While major landowners were building large houses in the middle of 
Piedmont during the early 20th century, many artists and writers lived 
in smaller houses they built themselves on Scenic Avenue. Jack London, 
Xavier Martinez and George Sterling all lived in the hills of Piedmont 
during the early 1900s.
  On April 18, 1906, the infamous San Francisco earthquake rocked the 
Bay Area, sending thousands of city residents across the Bay into the 
surrounding communities. Many of those who fled the destruction in San 
Francisco at that time came to Oakland, Berkeley and Piedmont, which 
grew 10 times larger in one year as a result.
  On January 7, 1907, Hugh Craig and James Ballentine filed papers with 
the State of California to incorporate the City of Piedmont. An 
election was held on January 26, 1907 and 118 men who owned land in 
Piedmont voted to become a city. Some residents were displeased with 
this result, however, and another election was held in September of the 
same year; the result held and Piedmont became a city by a mere 10 
votes. Vamey Gaskill became the first mayor of Piedmont, but only 
served for three months. In May of 1907 Hugh Craig became the second 
mayor of the city and is considered by many to be the ``father'' of 
Piedmont. Piedmont City Hall was built in 1908.
  Over the past century, the City of Piedmont has developed a 
governmental organization that provides its citizens with an 
exceptionally high level of municipal and educational services by 
partnering an exceptional staff with a tradition of generous community 
volunteerism. The residents of Piedmont have a history of service and 
leadership that extends from local to international endeavors. Their 
work contributes immeasurably to the quality of life here in 
California's 9th Congressional District and beyond, and it is my 
pleasure to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of Piedmont's 
residents on the occasion of its Centennial Celebration.

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