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[Page S1127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
150TH ANNIVERSARY OF LIMESTONE, MAINE
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, on February 26, the town of Limestone,
ME, will mark the 150th anniversary of its incorporation. As one who
was born and raised in the neighboring city of Caribou, it is a great
pleasure to celebrate the generations of industrious and caring people
who have made Limestone such a wonderful place to live, work, and raise
families.
The story of Limestone begins long before its incorporation in 1869.
For thousands of years, Aroostook County has been the home of the
Micmac and Maliseet; the name Aroostook comes from the Native American
word for ``beautiful river.'' French explorers, led by Samuel de
Champlain, first visited the area in 1604.
For decades after the American Revolution, Maine's northernmost
region was the site of a protracted and tense border dispute between
our new Nation and British Canada. As negotiations to end what is now
called the Bloodless Aroostook War neared completion in the early
1840s, families and entrepreneurs settled in the area.
Among them was General Mark Trafton, a veteran of the War of 1812,
who was drawn to the region by the great deposits of limestone, vast
stands of timber, and fertile soil. Soon a thriving settlement
developed, and the prosperity derived from quarries, sawmills, and
farms was invested in schools and churches to make a true community.
Later in the 19th century, the people of Limestone joined their
neighboring towns in connecting their remote region to the world with
their own hands. Town by town, they built roads and railroads with
pick, shovel, and wheelbarrow. These transportation networks, combined
with the region's rich soil, made Aroostook County an agricultural
powerhouse, and the potato industry remains an essential part of the
Maine economy.
People were drawn to Limestone in search of liberty and opportunity,
and they have always worked and sacrificed to extend those blessings to
others. Veterans' monuments throughout the area stand in honor of the
many heroes who gave their lives so that all could be free.
During the Cold War, Loring Air Force Base was established in
Limestone, due to its proximity to northern Europe, and it became a
crucial forward post in America's defense. The closure of the base in
1994 was a difficult challenge for the people of Limestone, who
responded with the qualities that wrote their history: strength,
determination, and a strong work ethic. With the transformation of the
former base into the Loring Commerce Centre, Maine's largest industrial
park, they are building new jobs and opportunities.
Limestone's support for our Armed Forces continues at the Defense
Finance and Accounting Service facility at the Loring Commerce Centre,
where hundreds of hard-working and dedicated employees have established
a reputation for excellence. The Loring Job Corps Center, also at the
former air base, has helped thousands of young people gain the skills
to succeed in the workplace and to further their educations. In
addition, part of the air base was converted into the Aroostook
National Wildlife Refuge, a protected area of forests and wetlands, and
home to moose, lynx, waterfowl, and rare plant species.
The Maine School of Science and Mathematics, MSSM, a public
residential magnet high school, was established in 1995 and is ranked
as the best high school in Maine and among the best in the country. The
MSSM Key Club, a joint effort between the school and the local Kiwanis,
carries out many community service and charitable projects throughout
the year.
The spirit of Limestone is evident in the energy that so many will
devote to this exciting yearlong sesquicentennial celebration. The
celebration of Limestone's 150th anniversary is not merely about the
passing of time. It is about the people who for generations have pulled
together, cared for one another, and built a great community. Thanks to
those who came before, Limestone, ME, has a wonderful history. Thanks
to those there today, it has a bright future.
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