From Houlton to Houlton
Written by Johanne Thomas
They may be separated by an ocean and almost 3,000 miles, but Houlton in Rugby and Houlton in Maine, USA, are set to renew their strong transatlantic ties.
Developer, Urban&Civic, recently visited Houlton in Maine, as part of a commitment to build closer relations between that town and Houlton in Rugby.
The historic link between the two Houltons is based on them being the transmission and receiving stations for the first ever transatlantic telephone call in 1927. That call was sent from Rugby Radio Station to American Telephone and Telegraph’s receiving station in Houlton, Maine. To commemorate the importance of that connection, the development located on the eastern edge of Rugby, which is being developed by Urban&Civic to create 6,200 homes, was recently named Houlton.
James Scott, director of planning and communications at Urban&Civic, who was part of the visit to Houlton, said: “The town gave us a very warm welcome. When we explained how the new Houlton will be developed everyone was excited about the future links that could be established between the two Houltons, which celebrate their historic connections. “We hope this visit will be the first of many transatlantic crossings and look forward to one day welcoming our friends from old Houlton and showing them around the new Houlton.”
Nancy Ketch, community development director for Houlton in Maine, added: “It was a pleasure to be able to host this visit and learn about the plans for ‘new Houlton’. We share a role in a significant historical development in the world’s technology. We hope to continue this connection well into the future and share many new experiences as Houlton in Rugby is developed.”
