[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9711]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF BALLY BOROUGH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM GERLACH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 21, 2012

  Mr. GERLACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Bally Borough, 
Berks County, Pennsylvania on its 100th anniversary.
  While the Borough of Bally was incorporated in 1912, it has a rich 
history that stretches back to before the American Revolution when 
present-day Bally was known as Goshenhoppen in Philadelphia County. The 
original settlers enjoyed generally peaceable relations with the 
Indians and worked hard to ensure the survival of their frontier 
settlement.
  After 1855, the town was re-named Churchville, Washington Township, 
due to the prominence of the Catholic and Mennonite churches that had 
been in the area since the 18th century. After the death of Father 
Bally, the Catholic priest in the village, a post office was 
established in Churchville in 1883 and named for the revered priest. 
The name of the village was eventually changed to correspond with that 
of the post office and, in 1912, was incorporated as the Borough of 
Bally.
  Over the years, Bally has grown from a few families in a small 
frontier town to a vibrant borough of over 1,090 people and 430 
households. In times of war, the citizens of Bally have always heeded 
their country's call, and are commemorated by the war memorial 
dedicated to their service. The Borough of Bally has been home to many 
industrial concerns including the Great American Knitting Mill, Bally 
Case and Cooler, Bally Pants Factory, Bally Ribbon Mills, and Bally 
Block Company. Throughout its rich history, Bally Borough and its 
citizens have made great contributions to the quality of the economic 
and social life of Berks County and the region.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in congratulating 
Bally Borough and its storied history on the occasion of its 100th 
anniversary and to extend best wishes for the Borough's continued 
longevity.

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