[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 164 (Thursday, November 18, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H12842-H12844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 FALLEN TIMBERS BATTLEFIELD AND FORT MIAMIS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE ACT 
                                OF 1999

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Resources be discharged from further consideration of the Senate 
bill (S. 548) to establish the Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort 
Miamis National Historical Site in the State of Ohio, and ask for its 
immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to 
object, I do so for the purposes of yielding to the gentleman so he may 
explain the bill.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield to the gentleman from Utah.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding. Mr. 
Speaker, S. 548 introduced by Senator Mike DeWine from Ohio and the 
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), who have worked so diligently on 
this bill, authorizes the establishment of the Fallen Timbers 
Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historical Site in Ohio.
  The historical site shall be established as an affiliated area of the 
national park system and shall be administered in a manner consistent 
with the National Park Service.
  The Metropolitan Park District of the Toledo area would be 
established as the management entity and is responsible for developing 
a management plan for the site. The Secretary of the Interior will 
provide both financial and technical assistance to implement the 
management plan and develop programs to preserve and interpret the 
historical, cultural, natural, recreational and scenic resources of the 
site.
  The National Park Service completed a special resource study in 
October of 1998 of the site, which is already designated as a national 
historic landmark, and recommended affiliate status.
  The bill has support from the National Park Service and the minority, 
and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield to the gentlewoman from 
Ohio, who has worked so very, very hard on this legislation.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to, as we close out this first 
session of the 106th Congress, and we close out this century, extend my 
deepest appreciation on behalf of the people of Ohio and, by 
affiliation, the people of Michigan, Indiana and Illinois to the 
chairman, the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen), who could not have been 
more diligent in working with us, and the ranking member, the gentleman 
from California (Mr. George Miller), to permit the people of our region 
of the United States to tell the full story of our history, the battle 
that occurred on this site and the assumption of the northwest 
territory and the opening of our entire region of the Nation to 
settlement.
  I cannot thank the gentlemen enough on behalf of the people of the 
Buckeye State and our adjoining sister States for making this possible, 
before this century ends.
  Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today is a matter of great 
significance to the American Midwest and to the 9th District of Ohio in 
particular. The bill under consideration today, Senator DeWine's S. 
548, is the companion to legislation I have introduced in the House, 
H.R. 868. I wish to thank Senator DeWine for taking the lead on this 
measure in the Senate.
  Some authorities place the Battle of Fallen Timbers among the three 
most important battles in the formation of the United States, alongside 
the battles of Yorktown and Gettysburg. We should note that the Battle 
of Fallen Timbers did secure and open a large territory--now embracing 
parts of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois--for new settlements in 
our fledgling nation.
  Another, contemporary battle should also be recognized here today. 
That is the struggle for national recognition of the Battle of Fallen 
Timbers as a keystone in the Maumee Valley and the Midwest.
  In 1991, I was able to secure authorization in the Interior 
Appropriations bill for the National Park Service to assess the Maumee 
River Heritage Corridor for historically significant sites. The first 
site assessed was the Fallen Timbers battlefield.
  We will hear later this morning from two people who have served in 
that more recent battle, Dr. G. Michael Pratt from Heidelberg College 
and Jean Ward, Director of Metroparks of the Toledo Area. Dr. Pratt 
heads the Center for Historic and Military Archeology. He led the 
archaeological study that definitively located the Fallen Timbers 
Battlefield site. Jean Ward has served the Toledo area as director of 
its park system for more than 30 years. Toledo Metroparks manages over 
7,000 acres of parkland and historic sites in Lucas County.


                      The Battle of Fallen Timbers

  In 1794, the line of control between British forces and their Native 
American allies and the forces of the United States lay across the 
``Foot of the Rapids'' on the Maumee River. On August 20, 1794, General 
Anthony Wayne led his legion down the Maumee River valley from near 
what is now Waterville, Ohio. Coming to an area where a recent storm 
had toppled much of the forest, Wayne's leading elements were engaged 
by about 1,100 warriors from a confederacy of Ohio and Great Lakes 
tribes. The U.S. soldiers fell back to their main lines and a pitched 
battle surged back and forth over the ``fallen timbers.'' Finally, a 
concerted charge by the entire legion drove the Native Americans back 
to within sight of Fort Miamis to the northeast, and their resistance 
dissipated.
  The Native American coalition included members of the Wyandot, Miami, 
Ottawa, Delaware, Mingo, Shawnee, Potawatomi, and

[[Page H12843]]

Chippewa tribes as well as a few Canadian militia.
  The battle was a clear victory for the United States, a policy 
failure for the British, and a disaster for the Native American 
Confederacy. The resultant Treaty of Greenville in 1795 gained the City 
of Detroit, then the largest city on the Great Lakes and secured much 
of the Northwest Territory for the growing United States.
  I am holding here a typical U.S. Department of Defense sketch of the 
Battle of Fallen Timbers that has been widely displayed in Army 
installations across our nation for decades.
  In addition to the battlefield, the Historic Site would include the 
nearby site of Fort Miamis, which played a role not only in the Wayne 
campaign but also in the War of 1812. In the spring  of 1813, British 
forces landed troops and artillery on the site of the deteriorated Fort 
Miamis on the lower Maumee River. Together with Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, 
the British twice attacked the American garrison at Fort Meigs--another 
military outpost along the Maumee River--and twice were repulsed. These 
U.S. victories at Fort Meigs frustrated British attempts to regain the 
Northwest Territory and were a prelude to the victory of Commodore 
Perry's Battle of Lake Erie victory later in 1813, a large mural of 
which hangs just outside the House chamber.


                     the battle for fallen timbers

  The people of northwest Ohio have long held a strong interest in the 
history of our region and, in particular, in the battle that won the 
territory for the United States. In the mid-1930's, a 9-acre site on 
the banks of the Maumee River then thought to be the location of the 
Battle of Fallen Timbers was dedicated and a statue commemorating the 
battle erected. As interest in preserving both our local history and 
natural areas grew earlier this decade, I was able to secure the 
authorization for a resource study of the Fallen Timbers area by the 
National Park Service as part of a possible Maumee River Valley 
Heritage Corridor that lies between Toledo, Ohio, and Fort Wayne, 
Indiana. It remains one of the most scenic and bucolic stretches in the 
Midwest.
  Beginning in 1995, an archaeological investigation led by Dr. Pratt 
set out to identify the exact location of the battle. Dr. Pratt's 
excellent work has proven conclusively that the battle actually took 
place some distance from the existing Fallen Timbers Monument. 
Development is beginning to encroach on the battlefield site, but a 
significant portion of the core battlefield is still in agricultural 
use and owned by the City of Toledo.
  It is that site, along with the Monument site and the Fort Miamis 
site, that this legislation would establish as a National Historic Site 
and an interpretive locus for the entire heritage corridor.
  Most impressive, however, has been the outpouring of grassroots 
interest in the Battle of Fallen Timbers and the preservation of its 
sites. Our office has received hundreds of letters supporting 
preservation of these sites including this batch of drawings of Fort 
Miamis sent by the students at the Fort Miami School in Maumee, Ohio. 
Local press coverage has been extensive.
  We should particularly note the efforts of Marianne Duvendack and the 
Fallen Timbers Battlefield Commission. The Commission has produced a 
flyer describing the battle and its historic significance. It has also 
produced an excellent video presentation in support of preservation.
  Another person whose efforts must not be forgotten is the former 
Mayor of the City of Maumee, Steve Pauken. His tireless efforts 
contributed as much as anyone's to saving Fallen Timbers.
  Others that have contributed financial, individual, and 
organizational resources to the effort include the Ohio Historical 
Society, the City of Maumee, the City of Toledo, the Maumee Valley 
Heritage Corridor, Heidelberg College, Toledo Metroparks, and the 
Toledo Blade and its editorial staff, particularly Ralph Johnson.
  The Fallen Timbers Battlefield was listed as number two on the 1996 
list of the ten most endangered National Historic Landmarks in a report 
by the National Park Service. It was included in the 1959 National 
Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings as one of 22 sites representing 
the national historic theme ``The Advance of the Frontier, 1763-1830.'' 
It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 as ``the 
culminating event which demonstrated the tenacity of the American 
people in their efforts of western expansion through the struggle for 
dominance in the Old Northwest Territory.''
  The National Park Service Resource Study concluded that the Fallen 
Timbers Battlefield site would be ``eligible, suitable, and feasible 
for recognition as an affiliated area of the National Park System if 
the 185-acre core battlefield can be acquired for preservation 
purposes.'' The House should know that we have the commitments of the 
State of Ohio, the City of Toledo, and the City of Maumee to see this 
project through to completion.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of our colleagues to support this bill which 
helps complete the appreciation of our nation's early history.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my 
reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                 S. 548

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Fallen Timbers Battlefield 
     and Fort Miamis National Historic Site Act of 1999''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       As used in this Act:
       (a) Definitions.--
       (1) The term ``historic site'' means the Fallen Timbers 
     Battlefield and Monument and Fort Miamis National Historic 
     Site established by section 4 of this Act.
       (2) The term ``management plan'' means the general 
     management plan developed pursuant to section 5(d).
       (3) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
     Interior.
       (4) The term ``management entity'' means the Metropolitan 
     Park District of the Toledo Area.
       (5) The term ``technical assistance'' means any guidance, 
     advice, or other aid, other than financial assistance, 
     provided by the Secretary.

     SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) The 185-acre Fallen Timbers Battlefield is the site of 
     the 1794 battle between General Anthony Wayne and a 
     confederation of Native American tribes led by Little Turtle 
     and Blue Jacket.
       (2) Fort Miamis was occupied by General Wayne's legion from 
     1796 to 1798.
       (3) In the spring of 1813, British troops, led by General 
     Henry Proctor, landed at Fort Miamis and attacked the fort 
     twice, without success.
       (4) Fort Miamis and Fallen Timbers Battlefield are in Lucas 
     County, Ohio, in the city of Maumee.
       (5) The 9-acre Fallen Timbers Battlefield Monument is 
     listed as a National Historic Landmark.
       (6) Fort Miamis is listed in the National Register of 
     Historic Places as a historic site.
       (7) In 1959, the Fallen Timbers Battlefield was included in 
     the National Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings as 1 of 
     22 sites representing the ``Advance of the Frontier, 1763-
     1830''.
       (8) In 1960, the Fallen Timbers Battlefield was designated 
     as a National Historic Landmark.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
       (1) to recognize and preserve the 185-acre Fallen Timbers 
     Battlefield site;
       (2) to recognize and preserve the Fort Miamis site;
       (3) to formalize the linkage of the Fallen Timbers 
     Battlefield and Monument to Fort Miamis;
       (4) to preserve and interpret United States military 
     history and Native American culture during the period from 
     1794 through 1813;
       (5) to provide assistance to the State of Ohio, political 
     subdivisions of the State, and nonprofit organizations in the 
     State to implement the management plan and develop programs 
     that will preserve and interpret the historical, cultural, 
     natural, recreational and scenic resources of the historic 
     site; and
       (6) to authorize the Secretary to provide technical 
     assistance to the State of Ohio, political subdivisions of 
     the State, and nonprofit organizations in the State, 
     including the Ohio Historical Society, the city of Maumee, 
     the Maumee Valley Heritage Corridor, the Fallen Timbers 
     Battlefield Commission, Heidelberg College, the city of 
     Toledo, and the Metropark District of the Toledo Area, to 
     implement the management plan.

     SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FALLEN TIMBERS BATTLEFIELD AND 
                   FORT MIAMIS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.

       (a) In General.--There is established, as an affiliated 
     area of the National Park System, the Fallen Timbers 
     Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site in the 
     State of Ohio.
       (b) Description.--The historic site is comprised of the 
     following as generally depicted on the map entitled Fallen 
     Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historical Site-
     proposed, number NHS-FTFM, and dated May 1999:
       (1) The Fallen Timbers site, comprised generally of the 
     following:
       (A) The Fallen Timbers Battlefield site, consisting of an 
     approximately 185-acre parcel located north of U.S. 24, west 
     of U.S. 23/I-475, south of the Norfolk and Western Railroad 
     line, and east of Jerome Road.
       (B) The approximately 9-acre Fallen Timbers Battlefield 
     Monument, located south of U.S. 24; and
       (2) The Fort Miamis Park site.
       (c) Map.--The map shall be on file and available for public 
     inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park 
     Service.

[[Page H12844]]

     SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION OF HISTORIC SITES.

       (a) Applicability of National Park System Laws.--The 
     historic site shall be administered in a manner consistent 
     with this Act and all laws generally applicable to units of 
     the National Park System, including the Act of August 25, 
     1916 (16 U.S.C. 1, 2-4; commonly known as the National Park 
     Service Organic Act), and the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 
     U.S.C. 461 et seq.; commonly known as the Historic Sites, 
     Buildings, and Antiquities Act).
       (b) Cooperative Agreement.--The Secretary may enter into a 
     cooperative agreement with the management entity to provide 
     technical assistance to ensure the marking, research, 
     interpretation, education and preservation of the Fallen 
     Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site.
       (c) Reimbursement.--Any payment made by the Secretary 
     pursuant to this section shall be subject to an agreement 
     that conversion, use, or disposal of the project so assisted 
     for purposes contrary to the purposes of this section as 
     determined by the Secretary, shall result in a right of the 
     United States to reimbursement of all funds made available to 
     such project or the proportion of the increased value of the 
     project attributable to such funds as determined at the time 
     of such conversion, use, or disposal, whichever is greater.
       (d) General Management Plan.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
     management entity and Native American tribes whose ancestors 
     were involved in events at these sites, shall develop a 
     general management plan for the historic site. The plan shall 
     be prepared in accordance with section 12(b) of Public Law 
     91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-1 et seq.; commonly known as the 
     National Park System General Authorities Act).
       (2) Completion.--The plan shall be completed not later than 
     2 years after the date funds are made available.
       (3) Transmittal.--Not later than 30 days after completion 
     of the plan, the Secretary shall provide a copy of the plan 
     to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of 
     Representatives.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

       There is authorized to be appropriated such funds as are 
     necessary to carry out this Act.

  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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