[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11840]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO THE TOWN OF SANDISFIELD ON THE OCCASION OF THE 250TH 
                      ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDING

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN W. OLVER

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 19, 2012

  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, on March 6, 1762, Sir Francis Bernard, 
colonial Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, approved the 
incorporation of the town of Sandisfield. The town was named for Samuel 
Sandys, the First Lord of Trade from 1761 to 1763. Beginning around 
1750, settlers from Connecticut Colony, drawn in by the abundance of 
land, arrived in what had been called ``Housatonic Plantation Number 
Three.''
  Today, Sandisfield boasts 53 square miles of land, the largest in 
Berkshire County, covered with flourishing forests and countless 
brooks, streams, and ponds. Sandisfield's natural beauty, highlighted 
in the Sandisfield State Forest, Knox Trail, and York Lake, provides 
many opportunities to explore hidden trails, undisturbed woods, and 
shimmering lakes.
  Sandisfield's golden age, filled with the buzz and vibrancy of 
sawmills, tanneries, and numerous dairy farms, is not forgotten today; 
more than one hundred buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries 
remain. Three are included on the National Register of Historic Places, 
including the Baptist Meeting House from 1842. The building now houses 
the Sandisfield Arts Center, which exemplifies the centrality of 
community, so important to many cities and towns in western 
Massachusetts.
  On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the town of Sandisfield, 
Massachusetts, I congratulate its citizens and praise their civic 
dedication and perseverance throughout the town's history. It has been 
an honor to represent this great community, and I wish the people of 
Sandisfield a healthy and prosperous future.

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