[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 283-284]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  250TH ANNIVERSARY OF POWNAL, VERMONT

 Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, the State of Vermont will 
celebrate the year 2010 by marking the 250th anniversary of the 
historic town of Pownal, VT.
  In celebrating Pownal, we celebrate a town that has done much more 
than merely survive the centuries. This bucolic little hamlet 
represents the strength and progress of our great State through the 
years.
  Since its original charter in 1760, Pownal was built on a rich 
history that dates back to the divisive years of the revolution. During 
its earliest days many Pownal residents were stirred to join the Green 
Mountain Boys to fight for our independence. The fervor demonstrated by 
the original residents of this town set its course as the bedrock of 
loyalty and excellence in the State of Vermont.
  Today we cherish the historic Mooar-Wright House which is the oldest 
house in both Pownal and the Green Mountain State. We commend the 
town's early emphasis on education, with two

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former U.S. Presidents serving as teachers in north Pownal. Over the 
centuries this town was a pocket of industrial accomplishment in 
Vermont. Some of the State's largest cotton and woolen mills were 
housed in Pownal and later replaced by lime quarries. They helped carry 
Vermont through years of industrial development and growth. These 
auspicious achievements, however, also served as a reminder of our 
capacity for change because the industrial mills in Pownal were singled 
out for child labor. This documented injustice symbolized the past and 
put the town on the national map in 1916 when it was depicted on a 
United States postage stamp to commemorate the passage of the first 
child labor laws. The heart of the town became its national image in 
1946 when the United Nations Bulletin featured a photo of the Pownal 
Center as ``a picture of peace.'' Throughout the years this town was 
both the root of tradition and the spark of progress: a balance that 
few places or populations can claim.
  Today, Pownal has developed into a town of more than three thousand. 
The buildings have grown and the industries have changed, but the 
ideals remain the same. On its 250th anniversary, Pownal continues to 
encapsulate the beauty and independence of our State. I thank the 
residents of Pownal for their contributions to our State's rich and 
unique history.
  Mr. President, it is indeed an honor to represent the State of 
Vermont and the Town of Pownal and to promote its many 
successes.

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