[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8986]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              PAYING TRIBUTE TO SULLIVAN COUNTY, NEW YORK

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MAURICE D. HINCHEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 26, 2009

  Mr. HINCHEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to 
the County of Sullivan in New York State on the occasion of its 
Bicentennial. I am delighted to add my voice to those recognizing this 
milestone, and I am proud to join the residents of Sullivan County in 
commemorating this significant anniversary.
  Created from neighboring Ulster County on March 27, 1809, Sullivan 
County was named in honor of American Revolutionary War leader, Major 
General John Sullivan. Since that time, Sullivan County's natural 
beauty and abundance have greatly influenced its development. Early 
settlers focused their efforts on tapping the generous natural 
resources of the region and building vibrant timber, bluestone, and 
tanning industries. These early commercial activities were replaced by 
growing agriculture and tourism sectors starting in the mid-Nineteenth 
Century. Sullivan County also served as an important transportation 
corridor and link between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers. 
Transportation projects such as the Newburgh-Cochecton Turnpike, the 
Delaware & Hudson Canal, and the New York & Erie Railroad helped to 
develop the region and fuel the expansion of metropolitan New York 
seventy miles to the County's south.
  The first of Sullivan County's grand hotels was constructed in 1846 
and over the next century, hundreds of additional hotels, camps, 
bungalow colonies, and resorts were constructed. During the peak 
decades of Sullivan County's resort industry, the communities in the 
Catskills surged each summer with an influx of families looking to 
enjoy Sullivan County's tremendous beauty and many offerings. The 
County became increasingly popular as a vacation destination for Jewish 
families, who helped to build up the entertainment and hospitality 
industry that came to define the Catskill region. Sullivan County 
became widely known as part of the Borscht Belt, and its resorts and 
hotels helped to launch the careers of many of this country's most 
beloved comedians and entertainers in the decades following the Second 
World War.
  Sullivan County is renowned for its profound beauty and tremendous 
natural assets, including the picturesque Catskill and Shawangunk 
Mountains and Delaware River Valley. The Delaware River Valley in 
Sullivan County is designated by the National Park Service as part of 
the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River and recognized for its 
incredible recreational, historic and cultural resources. This River 
corridor, located in close proximity to the New York metropolitan area, 
continues to attract many thousands of visitors who are drawn by the 
area's fishing, hunting, boating, golfing, and other activities.
  Tourism remains a vital part of the economy for Sullivan County 
today. As the birthplace of fly-fishing, the County continues to 
attract sportsmen from around the world to the area's famous trout 
streams. The Town of Bethel in Sullivan County, once the site of the 
legendary Woodstock Music Festival in August 1969, now hosts the 
stately Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which attracts nationally 
renowned performers. Sullivan County has worked diligently to build 
upon its historic legacy and its impressive surroundings and revitalize 
its economy with new industries, including green technology and a new 
generation of hospitality businesses.
  Madam Speaker, I am delighted to offer my congratulations and best 
wishes to the residents and businesses of Sullivan County as they 
celebrate this Bicentennial and as they continue to build upon the 
region's rich history to ensure that Sullivan County remains an 
extraordinary place to live and to visit.

                          ____________________