Senator Collins Attends Monson Bicentennial Celebration
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Monson, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins joined local community members – including over 100 town residents – in celebrating the Town of Monson’s bicentennial. Senator Collins delivered remarks and presented the town with an American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol in Monson’s honor.
“Monson exemplifies Maine at its best – a small town with a big heart,” said Senator Collins during her remarks. “It is a place where everyone’s a neighbor and every neighbor’s a friend. It is a place that pulls together and, as you have proven today, one that really knows how to throw a party.”
“Monson’s incorporation on Feb. 8, 1822, was but one milestone on a long journey of progress,” Senator Collins continued. “The energy that so many have devoted to this year’s exciting bicentennial celebration is but one example of the spirit that has guided Monson from its founding to today. I congratulate you for 200 years of building and sustaining a wonderful community, and I wish you all the best in the years to come.”
More than a century and a half ago, the author Henry David Thoreau visited Monson during his famous journeys into the Maine Woods, and the town remains a favorite destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Monson is an official Appalachian Trail Community and marks the beginning of the Hundred-Mile Wilderness, one of the wildest and most challenging sections of the Trail as it reaches its terminus at Mount Katahdin. Monson also produced some of the country’s finest slate and quarried the grave marker for President John F. Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery.
Through a remarkable partnership with the Libra Foundation, which has invested more than $10 million in the town, Monson is experiencing a renaissance as a year-round center for the visual and performing arts. Monson Arts is an innovative program that provides residencies for artists and writers, and educational partnerships with area schools. The Libra Foundation upgraded downtown buildings and recently funded a small medical center that will provide primary care, optometry, and dental health services. The Monson Small Business Association and other active volunteers are contributing to the revitalization by creating more opportunities for entrepreneurs to start and grow local businesses and providing new family recreation opportunities.
The Monson Bicentennial Committee is holding events throughout the year to celebrate Monson’s 200th birthday. John Wentworth, the former owner of Moosehead Manufacturing and an active member of this committee, served as the Master of Ceremonies for today’s event.
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