[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14904]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOROUGH OF HUMMELSTOWN

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                            HON. TIM HOLDEN

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 21, 2012

  Mr. HOLDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of myself and my 
colleague, Representative Charlie Dent, to honor the 250th anniversary 
of the Borough of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, and to recognize the many 
contributions its residents have made to our great Commonwealth.
  The Borough of Hummelstown was originally founded as Frederickstown 
by Frederick and Rosina Hummel, who in 1762 purchased a plot of land in 
beautiful Dauphin County to call home. The Hummels divided the tract 
into numerous building lots and sold each to German settlers looking to 
start new lives in the region. Originally serviced by the Berks-Dauphin 
Turnpike, commerce through the borough was greatly enhanced by the 
opening of the Union Canal in 1827, which connected the Susquehanna 
River to the Schuylkill River outside Philadelphia. The Lebanon Valley 
Railroad later made the community even more attractive to businesses 
when it arrived in 1858. Hummelstown was soon booming with jobs in 
stone cutting and shipyard work. With the borough growing and the 
nation expanding, the Hummelstown Brownstone Company (HBC) quickly 
became the leading employer of local residents from the late 19th 
Century to the early 20th Century. HBC owned and operated several 
quarries that produced Hummelstown brownstone, which at the time was 
one of the most popular building materials in the United States.
  Today, Hummelstown is the very picture of the quaint American suburb. 
With a lively downtown area and genuine small town atmosphere, 
Hummelstown is home to many Pennsylvanians who commute to jobs in 
nearby Harrisburg and Hershey.
  To celebrate the 250th anniversary of its founding, Hummelstown's 
various civic groups, businesses, churches, and other organizations 
have worked together to organize a busy week of events. These 
festivities included a parade, community breakfast and picnic, 
fireworks display, movie night, and family friendly events for 
children. Heritage Day, walking tours, and other activities showcased 
the rich history of Frederick Hummel's town and illustrated its bright 
future as an ideal location for families and businesses.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand alongside my friend, Representative 
Charlie Dent, to honor Hummelstown on the occasion of its 250th 
anniversary. I would also like to congratulate the borough's residents 
on a highly successful anniversary celebration.

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