The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE COMMUNITY OF BEACON FALLS, CONNECTICUT ON THE CELEBRATION
OF THEIR SESQUICENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY
______
HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO
of connecticut
in the house of representatives
Friday, June 25, 2021
Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I am very proud to rise today to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Beacon Falls community as they gather to celebrate the Town's 150th Anniversary--a remarkable milestone for this very small community of just over six thousand residents. Though small in number the community is mighty in spirit--
working together every day to meet the changing needs of its residents while preserving the unique, quintessentially New England, rural character of the Town.
Just under ten square miles and bisected by the Naugatuck River, Beacon Fall was incorporated in 1871 on lands from its neighboring towns of Bethany, Naugatuck, Oxford, and Seymour. It quickly became a center of agriculture, warehouse storage, and manufacturing. Beacon Falls was the birthplace of the friction matches, first made in 1834 by Thomas Sanford, who later sold his ``recipe'' for $10.00. The Diamond Match Company ultimately acquired the formula, The Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Company was a sprawling complex along Main Street that employed many residents and was even responsible for the construction of an entire neighborhood, providing housing for its workers. The Homer D. Bronson Company also set up shop in town in the early 1900s and was a manufacturer of hinges used in industry and homes throughout the world.
These two firms promoted economic wellbeing for Beacon Falls' residents for years, both ultimately closing their doors in the late 1980s. While their departure left the town in a precarious position, it was not long before the community rallied, fighting to bring new economic engines to the town. Over the course of the last several decades, a variety of retail, manufacturing, warehousing, construction, and service businesses revitalized the town, and the community has continued to flourish. Today, from the American Legion Post 25 to the Beacon Hose Volunteer Fire Company and from the Friends of Beacon Falls Library to its community center, the residents of this small town are more like family than neighbors. The come together in times of celebration and need--proud of their history and the unique fabric that has been woven into this special community.
It has been an honor for me to serve as Beacon Falls' U.S. Representative over the last twenty-years and I am proud to have this opportunity to extend my heartfelt congratulations to every member of this special community as they celebrate their 150th Anniversary.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 111
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