Nick Rahall: “few places possess both the scenic beauty and historical significance of Harpers Ferry. Enactment of this legislation is…”

“few places possess both the scenic beauty and historical significance of Harpers Ferry. Enactment of this legislation is critical because it will enhance both the scenic and historic resources of this unique place. Like my home State of West Virginia itself, the pivotal location of Harpers Ferry has allowed it to serve as the backdrop for many of the most significant events in American History. As a result, some of the icons of American freedom and discovery--George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Merriweather Lewis, John Brown, ``Stonewall'' Jackson, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas--have walked the ground that now makes up this Park. From the earliest settlement of this great Nation, through the founding of the railroad, John Brown's raid, the Civil War, reconstruction, the industrial revolution and integration, Harpers Ferry has been the stage on which many of the most significant chapters in American history have unfolded. As for the scenic beauty of the place, none could describe it better than a visitor did in 1783 when he wrote that, ``The passage of the Potomac through the Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in nature.'' That awestruck visitor was, of course, Thomas Jefferson.”