150th Anniversary of Vanceboro, Maine

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, on Saturday, July 20, the people of Vanceboro, ME, will gather for a daylong celebration of their town's 150th birthday. It is with pleasure that I recognize this landmark anniversary of a small town with a fascinating history.

Located at the headwaters of the St. Croix River that forms the international border between Maine and New Brunswick, Canada, the story of the region begins with the Passamaquoddy Nation, who have made the river and the Chiputenticook Lakes Chain their home for thousands of years. The reverence the People of the Dawn have for the natural beauty of the area continue to define the town today.

Drawn by the abundant forests and fast-moving waters of the St. Croix, the first European settlers harvested timber and established sawmills, followed by a leather tannery and a spool and clothespin factory. The community they built represents the best of smalltown Maine, where friends and neighbors know and care for one another, and everyone pitches in to help in times of need.

The namesake of the town, William Vance, is a remarkable figure in Maine history. Known as Old Vance, he fought for freedom in the American Revolution. During the War of 1812, he installed his own personal cannon on his riverfront property, which he called Mount Defiance, to deter any British incursion. When Maine was preparing for statehood in 1819, he served on the commission that wrote the Maine Constitution, and when our star was added to the American Flag a year later, Old Vance served in our first State legislature.

Vanceboro's location on the St. Croix River and the international border has led to some events of historical significance. Selected as the border crossing for the European and North American Railway in the 1860s, President Ulysses S. Grant and Lord Lisgar, Governor General of Canada, opened the rail line through Vanceboro with a ceremony at the border on October 19, 1871. The town's Civil War veterans manned the cannons that welcomed their general on what is still remembered as ``Vanceboro's Greatest Day.''

The rail line remained an important shipping route, and on February 2, 1915, the international railway bridge was bombed by a German Army reservist in an unsuccessful attempt to sabotage routes for troops and war materials that he suspected might be coming across then-neutral U.S. territory to fight the Germans. On April 21, 1917, just 2 weeks after our Nation entered the war, a British delegation led by Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour, met with American military and diplomatic leaders at the Vanceboro train station to discuss the path forward to victory.

In addition to the town's 150th birthday, July 20 will also mark the re-opening of the Vanceboro Historical Society. The Society is a remarkable community initiative to tell the story of the region through artifact collections, guest speakers, and educational programs. Vanceboro's 150th year is a time to honor the great people of the community who have made the town such a welcoming place to call home. It is a pleasure to offer my congratulations and best wishes on this special day.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source