On the recordJune 15, 2017
Mr. President, today I wish to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the town of Lebanon, ME. Lebanon was built with a spirit of determination and resiliency that still guides the community today, and this is a time to celebrate the generations of hard-working and caring people who have made it such a wonderful place to live, work, and raise families. The year of Lebanon's incorporation, 1767, was but one milestone in a long journey of progress. For thousands of years, the land of fields, streams, and forests of what is now southwestern Maine was the home of the Abenaki, who called the area ``Towwoh,'' meaning ``a place to grind corn.'' The many archeological treasures unearthed in the region include a large ancient stone mortar used by the Abenaki for that very purpose. In 1733, the Massachusetts General Court granted Towwoh Plantation to 60 colonists, and European settlement began. When the town was incorporated on June 11, 1767, the name Lebanon was chosen in reference to the Biblical land of fertile soil and towering trees. With the Salmon Falls River and Little River providing power, Lebanon soon was home to many lumber, grain, and textile mills. The wealth produced by the land and by hard work and determination was invested in schools and churches to create a true community. Among the many prominent residents of the town over the years was the Reverend Oren Burbank Cheney, who established the Lebanon Academy in 1849.…
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