Honoring Children's Aid Society of Clearfield, Johnsonburg Borough , and Tioga in Fifth District of Pennsylvania

Floor Speech

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to mark a number of very important anniversaries and celebrations within my congressional district.

First, today I rise to honor the compassionate work that goes on in the nearly 100-year-old Children's Aid Society house in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. On this coming August 6, the society will be celebrating its 120th anniversary, marking over a century of dedication and service.

Originally founded as a child welfare agency, which served to place orphan children into suitable homes, the Society eventually grew into a successful children's home. Several auxiliaries were established, from DuBois to Winburne, and they proved instrumental in fundraising, investigating homes, maintaining contact with the children placed in homes.

As the years passed, the Society also expanded within Clearfield and became involved in many programs, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Health and Human Services Council.

This organization has received consistent praise and monetary support from the public and has battled through many financial and procedural issues. Their endurance through time and their far-reaching services attest to the authenticity of their work.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Children's Aid Society on their success and wish them the best in the future. Here's to another 120 years of successful service.

Mr. Speaker, this also, this August, marks the 200th anniversary of the Johnsonburg borough in Elk County, and we will be celebrating this milestone in August.

Founded in 1810, its major industry was paper, with a mill still operating in the area. Originally owned by Curtis Publishing Company, which published the Saturday Evening Post, it was thought to be the largest coated paper mill in the world.

Once called Quay, Johnsonburg is the oldest settlement in Elk County. Considered a booming town along the Clarion River, former President Ulysses S. Grant used to come there to fish and visit the other retired Civil War generals.

As befits a 200th anniversary, the community will hold a grand celebration, including a parade and ceremonies at the Johnsonburg Fire Department, which is celebrating its own 100th anniversary.

There will be a social, fireworks display, a pancake breakfast, and a Fire Department Anniversary Dance. From carnival games to an Elvis impersonation, the 3 days of activities August 27 through 29 promises to hold something for everyone.

I am proud of this community in my district and wish it continued success and prosperity for the next 200 years.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, the tiny community of Tioga celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. It's located in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, near the border of New York State.

When it was founded, the community was a dense and overpowering wilderness of towering pines and hemlocks with deep undergrowth and teeming wildlife. The early inhabitants were tribes of Seneca Indians, who viewed it as prime hunting and fishing grounds.

It took a brave family, Jesse Losey and his wife, to travel from New Jersey and become the first settlers in the area. Later, Benajah Ives acquired the Losey land and built a house and inn at the southern part of Tioga Borough, now located beneath the Tioga Dam. There is even a story that Thomas Berry won Ives' Inn in a poker game, and it was at Berry's Inn that the first local elections were held in Tioga County in 1804.

It was 1860 when Tioga Borough was separated from Tioga Township and recognized as a separate political division. It is that date that is celebrated this year. The residents are proud of their town and their history, and I wish them sincere congratulations on this historic occasion.

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