[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12515]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           175TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOROUGH OF HOLLIDAYSBURG

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. BILL SHUSTER

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 29, 2011

  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to rise today to 
recognize the Borough of Hollidaysburg upon the 175th anniversary of 
its founding. I, along with close to 6,000 of my constituents am proud 
to call Hollidaysburg home and I am pleased to have the opportunity to 
call attention to the borough and its history in the House today.
  Hollidaysburg, like so many other boroughs in Pennsylvania, has a 
rich history that stretches back before the founding of our nation to 
the French and Indian War. Hollidaysburg was first settled in the early 
1700's by brothers Adam and William Holliday after their purchase of 
1,000 acres of land along the Juniata River from the decendents of 
William Penn.
  As with many small settlements of the time, the community forged from 
the wilderness by the Holliday family remained small throughout the 
Revolutionary War and the first few years of America's founding. 
However, as America began to expand and look west, the population began 
to grow as important transportation projects like the Huntingdon, 
Cambria, and Indiana Turnpike were completed.
  In 1832, Hollidaysburg underwent a second population boom when the 
Pennsylvania Main Line Canal opened, giving merchants in the area a way 
to move their products to Philadelphia and other eastern markets. Two 
years later, the Allegheny Portage Railroad solidified Hollidaysburg as 
a center for trade by linking the canal to a railroad connecting 
Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Later, at the dawn of the Twentieth 
Century, the Pennsylvania Railroad established a large switching yard 
at Hollidaysburg; further solidifying the borough's important role as a 
link in America's growing railroad infrastructure.
  This rapid development in transportation around Hollidaysburg enabled 
the borough to officially charter itself in 1836. Within a few years, 
the population surged again, to a record number of 2,000 inhabitants by 
1840. The borough's growth in such a short time enabled it to become 
the seat of Blair County and remains a center of commerce and local 
government to this day. I might add to that list, innovation since 
Hollidaysburg is the home of the renowned and ageless toy, the Slinky.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the borough of Hollidaysburg for 175 
years of history, growth and success. Hollidaysburg continues to boast 
a vibrant community in a beautiful area of Pennsylvania and I invite 
the American people to help celebrate its anniversary by visiting the 
borough to experience all it has to offer first hand.

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