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Recognizing the City of Monessen, Pennsylvania Upon the 100th Anniversary of its Designation As A City

Floor Speech

Date: Sept. 17, 2021
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the city of Monessen, Pennsylvania, on the 100th anniversary of its designation as a city.

The land that would ultimately encompass Monessen was surveyed in 1897 by H. Dallas McCabe. Along with Colonel James M. Schoonmaker and colleagues, McCabe initially sought to expand the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie railway to reach coalfields further south. Industrialist William H. Donner approached the group and decided to bring his American Tin Plate Company to Monessen, forever changing its trajectory.

The construction of the first mill spurred further settlement by businesses and families from around the world. On September 3, 1898, the community was officially founded, and the name ``Monessen'' was chosen because the community would be a ``New World Essen on the Monongahela,'' combining ``Mon'' for the Monongahela River and ``Essen'' for an industrial city in Germany.

Perfectly situated with access to the city of Pittsburgh, the Mon Valley's waterways, and the immense coal reserves of southwestern Pennsylvania, Monessen grew exponentially. By the early 20th century, it was an industrial hub, hosting the Pittsburgh Steel Works and the American Steel Hoop Company, among others.

On September 16, 1921, Monessen was officially designated a city under the leadership of Mayor Carl Woodward. At its peak, Monessen was home to more than 20,000 residents.

By the mid-20th century, Monessen had become a center of the budding American middle-class. So much so that it attracted the attention of organized labor leaders and prominent American politicians. President Harry S. Truman visited Monessen in 1956. President John F. Kennedy travelled there in 1962.

Madam Speaker, today Monessen is home to 7,600 men, women, and children. I am proud to represent this uniquely American city, and I have no doubt it will continue to make its mark on our Nation.

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