[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 132 (Monday, October 4, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11880-S11881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BENNETT:
  S. 1685. A bill to authorize the Golden Spike/Crossroads of the West 
National Heritage Area; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.


 golden spike/crossrods of the west national heritage area act of 1999

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce legislation 
today which authorizes the creation of the Golden Spike/Crossroads of 
the West National Heritage Area in Ogden, Utah.
  Utah has a rich railroad heritage that stems from the earliest days 
when the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads met at Promontory 
Point, Utah in 1869 and completed the transcontinental railroad. With 
the coming of the railroad, Utah's mining industry boomed and our 
economy grew and the once isolated Desert Kingdom became forever 
connected to the rest of the United States. Diverse peoples and 
cultures would come to or through Utah. Mormon immigrants from Europe, 
Chinese laborers working for the Central Pacific Railroad and Greek 
coal miners on their way to the coal fields in Central Utah. All of 
them would pass through the rail station in Ogden on their way to 
settle the Intermountain West. It truly is a heritage area for us all.
  Fire destroyed the original rail station first built in 1889. In 1924 
the current Union Station Depot was then built and remained the hub of 
transcontinental rail traffic for another 40 years. The current 
building, which is a registered historic site, has been refurbished and 
is an outstanding example of reuse and redevelopment of industrial 
areas. The facilities at Union Station also house some of the finest 
museum collections in the West including the Browning Firearms Museum 
and the Utah State Railroad Museum.
  It is the intent of this legislation to preserve the historical 
nature of the area, increase public awareness and appreciation for the 
pivotal role Ogden played in the settlement of the Intermountain West. 
By general standards, this will be a very small Heritage Area, 
encompassing just a few city blocks around the Union Station building. 
While it may be small, it also has a very colorful history. There were 
no businesses which were more famous, or infamous than those that 
dotted 24th and 25th Streets.
  The legislation would allow Ogden City to operate as the management 
entity for the area, working in closely with the National Park Service. 
The City will be responsible for developing a management plan which 
will present comprehensive recommendations for the conservation and 
management of the area while the National Park Service will work 
closely with the partners to help with interpretation and the 
protection of this valuable cultural and historical resource. Working 
with railroad enthusiasts from all over the country we can develop a 
long-term management plan which will provide better interpretation of 
the historical and cultural opportunities.

[[Page S11881]]

  I hope my colleagues will support me in sponsoring this legislation. 
Congressman Hansen has introduced similar legislation and I look 
forward to working with him and my friends on the Energy Committee to 
hold hearings and eventually move this bill through the Senate.
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