[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16043]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    IN RECOGNITION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CITY OF FLAT ROCK

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                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 9, 2015

  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of Flat 
Rock, Michigan on its 50th anniversary of incorporation. The City of 
Flat Rock embodies so much of what makes Michigan and the 12th 
Congressional District great; it is a privilege to represent the city 
and its people.
  Flat Rock began as a Wyandot Native American settlement, and later 
was designated as a reservation for the Wyandot, functioning in that 
way until 1830. In 1818, Solomon Sibley purchased 330 acres of land in 
the area, and in 1824 the Vreeland family purchased nearly 800 acres, 
including the 330 acres belonging to Mr. Sibley. The land was plotted 
as the villages of Vreelandt and Smooth Rock. In 1838, the village of 
Flat Rock was platted and recorded by the Gibraltar and Flat Rock Land 
Company, who purchased a large portion of the land. At that time, the 
company was attempting to build a canal to connect Lake Erie with Lake 
Michigan. While that effort did not succeed, it was a larger indication 
of the fact that many people from the east coast, and especially New 
York state, were traveling to the fertile farmlands in what is now 
Southeast Michigan. The area was officially incorporated as a village 
in 1923 and later as a city in 1965, the occasion which we celebrate 
today.
  In the 20th century, the village and city of Flat Rock has enjoyed 
tremendous growth through thoughtful and capable leadership, including 
the work of the current Mayor, City Council, and staff. The City's 
booming growth in the past ten years has significantly increased 
property values and population, a trend that is expected to continue 
for the foreseeable future. Henry Ford recognized the special nature of 
Flat Rock and established the Ford Motor Company Lamp Factory on the 
banks of the Huron River in 1925. This relationship with Ford Motor 
Company has been a successful one, and today, Flat Rock is the proud 
home of the Flat Rock Assembly Plant which produces the iconic Ford 
Mustang and the Ford Fusion. The City of Flat Rock has captured the 
best aspects of industry and production, while at the same time, 
maintaining a unique identity with a small town feel.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the 
50th anniversary of the City of Flat Rock and to wish the city many 
more years of success.

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