[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 56 (Tuesday, April 8, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H2875-H2877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
McLOUGHLIN HOUSE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE ACT
Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 733) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
acquire the McLoughlin House National Historic Site in Oregon City,
Oregon, and to administer the site as a unit of the National Park
System, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 733
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; DEFINITIONS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``McLoughlin
House National Historic Site Act''.
(b) Definitions.--For the purposes of this Act, the
following definitions apply:
(1) Association.--The term ``Association'' means the
McLoughlin Memorial Association, an organization described in
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and
exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.
(2) City.--The term ``City'' means Oregon City, Oregon.
(3) Historic site.--The term ``Historic Site'' means the
McLoughlin House National Historic Site which is described in
the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Interior's Order of
June 27, 1941, and generally depicted on the map entitled
``McLoughlin House National Historic Site'', numbered 007/
80,000, and dated 12/01/01, and includes the McLoughlin
House, the Barclay House, and other associated real property,
improvements, and personal property.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On June 27, 1941, Acting Assistant Secretary of the
Interior W.C. Mendenhall, by means of the authority granted
the Secretary under section 2 of the Historic Sites Act of
August 21, 1935, established the McLoughlin Home National
Historic Site, located in the City.
(2) Since January 16, 1945, the site has been known as
McLoughlin House National Historic Site.
(3) The Historic Site includes the McLoughlin House and
Barclay House, which are owned and managed by the
Association.
(4) The Historic Site is located in a Charter Park on
Oregon City Block 40, which is owned by the City.
(5) A cooperative agreement was made in 1941 among the
Association, the City, and the United States, providing for
the preservation and use of the McLoughlin House as a
national historic site.
(6) The Association has had an exemplary and longstanding
role in the stewardship of the Historic Site but is unable to
continue that role.
(7) The Historic Site has been an affiliated area of the
National Park System and is worthy of recognition as part of
the National Park System.
SEC. 3. MCLOUGHLIN HOUSE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.
(a) Acquisition.--The Secretary is authorized to acquire
the Historic Site, from willing sellers only, by donation,
purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange,
except that lands or interests in lands owned by the City may
be acquired by donation only.
(b) Boundaries; Administration.--Upon acquisition of the
Historic Site, the acquired property shall be included within
the boundaries of, and be administered as part of, the Fort
Vancouver National Historic Site in accordance with all
applicable laws and regulations of the National Park System.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands
(Mrs. Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest).
Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 733, introduced by the gentlewoman from Oregon
(Ms. Hooley) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the
McLoughlin House National Historic Site in Oregon City, Oregon, and to
administer it as part of the existing Fort Vancouver National Historic
Site, which has already been established as a unit of the National Park
System.
I would like to say after reading some of the information before us
here this morning that I want to thank the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms.
Hooley) for bringing this to the floor's attention and that the
``father of Oregon,'' as it is stated here, Dr. John McLoughlin from
the Hudson Bay Company, provided many weary travelers with the goods
and the resources and the comfort that they needed as they traversed
this great continent.
H.R. 733, introduced by Congresswoman Darlene Hooley, authorizes the
Secretary of the Interior to acquire the McLoughlin House National
Historic Site in Oregon City, Oregon, and to administer it as part of
the existing Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, which has already
been established as a Unit of the National Park System. The McLoughlin
House, an Affiliated Area of the National Park System, has long been
the beneficiary of a close working relationship between the managing
entity, the McLoughlin Memorial Association, and its partner, the
National Park Service. The McLoughlin Memorial Association is no longer
in a position to be able to support and manage the National Historic
Site. Consequently, this bill will enable the National Park Service to
essentially exchange roles with the association to preserve this
important historical treasure, while continuing to use the association
as a resource. At the same time, the bill does not create a new park
unit, but rather allows the House to be administered as part of an
existing unit.
The McLoughlin House National Historic Site is named for Dr. John
McLoughlin, the ``Father of Oregon'' who established the famous British
Hudson Bay Company in Vancouver, Washington in 1825. Dr. McLoughlin
supplied American pioneers with the goods they needed to settle and
survive at their new home in Oregon.
The House passed the same language in this bill during the 107th
Congress as part of a larger package. The bill still enjoys the same
broad support that it did last Congress and I urge my colleagues to
support it.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend
her remarks.)
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, the McLoughlin House National
Historic Site in Oregon honors the achievements of John McLoughlin,
commonly referred to as the ``Father of Oregon.'' The site has been
preserved and managed by the McLoughlin Memorial Association since its
designation as a national historic site in 1941. Unfortunately, the
association is no longer in a position to be the primary management
entity for this nationally very significant site and is therefore
seeking Federal acquisition of the site. Once acquired, the site will
be managed as part of the nearby Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.
The gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley) has worked tirelessly on
behalf of this legislation and is to be commended for her diligence and
perseverance. The McLoughlin House site might have well begun to suffer
serious deterioration had she not stepped in to preserve this important
historic resource.
Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley).
Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for
yielding me this time.
I thank my colleague from Maryland for his kind words.
I rise today in appreciation of my colleagues who made bringing this
bill to the floor possible.
Standing 6 foot 4 inches tall, Dr. John McLoughlin cast a giant of a
shadow on the early development of the Oregon frontier. For 21 years
his powerful voice was the only influence of law and order over an
empire 2\1/2\ times the size of Texas. He had absolute control, and he
maintained it peacefully and profitably with a balance of justice. With
an overwhelming sense of compassion and generosity beyond reproach, it
is little wonder that he was regarded by native Americans as a ``Great
White Eagle.'' John McLoughlin did indeed walk tall and cast the
greatest shadow that ever fell so humbly on the changing face of
Oregon.
[[Page H2876]]
Born in 1784 near Quebec, Canada, McLoughlin began his medical
apprenticeship at age 14. In 1803 at the ripe old age of 19, he was
granted his license to practice surgery and pharmacy. Soon after, Dr.
McLoughlin was appointed medical officer for the North West Company,
fierce competitor of Hudson's Bay Company in the fur trade. He
continued there until 1821, until his acquisition by Hudson, for whom
he continued working.
In 1824 Dr. McLoughlin was sent to Fort George, now Astoria, Oregon,
near the mouth of the Columbia River. Charged with establishing
administrative headquarters and supply depot for the expanding fur
company, he was also tasked with creating a mercantile arm of the
British Government with the goal of monopolizing the fur trade and
maintaining peace among the numerous Indian tribes.
Upon arrival, he found the existing facility to be run down, the
farmland to be poor, and the location that was in general unsuitable
for his responsibilities. To remedy these deficiencies, he moved the
site northwest and built a new settlement in Belle Vue Point, in what
is now Washington State, and named it Fort Vancouver. The new fort was
an imposing presence. It contained all the necessities for settlement
with a school library, pharmacy, chapel, warehouses, smithy, and the
largest manufacturing facility west of the Rockies. To the rear of the
fort were fields of grain, vegetables, and an orchard for fresh fruits.
Dr. McLoughlin maintained friendly relationship with the local
Indians, and in 1829 when a visiting ship brought a terrible fever that
spread like wildfire, he spent countless hours tending the ill, trying
to ease their suffering as much as he could. Despite his best efforts,
the fever devastated the tribes and killed more than 30,000 people over
the next 4 years.
Meanwhile, though, Fort Vancouver flourished under the guidance of
Dr. McLoughlin. Even though he had no military forces, he was able to
maintain peace and order through his personality and hard work. He was
a figure larger than life.
{time} 1300
His good relationship with the local Indians kept the peace on that
front, and it was not until his departure that any unrest developed
from that quarter.
As a reward for his enlightened stewardship, he was knighted by
Buckingham Palace by Queen Victoria in 1841. During the 1840s, the
British came to the realization that preventing American settlers from
homesteading in Oregon was all but impossible, but they tried their
best to discourage settlers from beginning the trip. Tall tales of
fierce Indians, unproductive land, and terrible weather conditions were
spread far and wide.
Though it violated Hudson's Bay company policy, McLoughlin
sympathized with the overwhelmed and often unprepared settlers. He
extended credit so they could purchase supplies, clothing and seed for
planting, offered food to those who were hungry, cared for those who
took ill. This personal decision by Dr. McLoughlin and the compassion
he showed to these settlers proved critical to establishing American
settlers and solidified U.S. claims to the territory.
By 1845, Dr. McLoughlin's disgust for Hudson's policy toward American
settlers was so great he was unable to stay with the company. After his
resignation, he purchased the company's land claim at Willamette Falls
in Oregon City and built a residence for his family, the McLoughlin
House, and took up residence in 1846.
McLoughlin remained a public figure through his retirement and became
a U.S. citizen in 1849. He donated land for the jail, for a female
seminary, and in 1851 was elected mayor of Oregon City. He died in his
home 6 years later.
In 1941, the McLoughlin House was designated a national historic
site, the first one in the West; and in 1957 Dr. John McLoughlin was
named Father of Oregon by the State legislature.
Clearly, Fort Vancouver and the McLoughlin House have a long and
storied history together. The intent of my legislation is to see that
this history is continued by expanding the boundaries of Fort Vancouver
National Historic Site to include the McLoughlin House National
Historic Site.
Currently, the McLoughlin House is maintained and managed by a
nonprofit group. For nearly 100 years, the association has done
admirable work to preserve and maintain this historic treasure.
However, over the past several years, the association has been unable
to raise the funds required to provide the needed maintenance and
upkeep of the property that is now in jeopardy of falling into
disrepair.
The McLoughlin House National Historic Act would do what should have
been done 60 years ago, include these properties as part of the
National Park System, rather than creating a new unit of the National
Park System. This legislation simply adds this historic treasure to the
existing Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, which is already
administered by the park system.
I believe this addition will preserve in perpetuity the cultural,
educational, and historical benefits of this historic site for future
generations. I am proud of the wide-ranging support for this
legislation, from the city, county, the citizens, the congressional
delegation. The citizens in Oregon City approved a ballot measure by 80
percent to allow this to go into the National Park System.
Again, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to making
this legislation possible, and I feel certain this legislation will
move swiftly through the Senate and to President Bush's desk.
Again, I thank all my colleagues for their time and effort.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume
to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird).
Mr. BAIRD. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished ranking member
for yielding me time, and my dear friend, the gentlewoman from Oregon
(Ms. Hooley).
As the proud Representative of America's Vancouver, as our Mayor
Royce Pollard likes to describe it, I am privileged to represent Fort
Vancouver itself.
As the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley) explained, the chief
factor of Fort Vancouver in its early years was none other than John
McLoughlin. He distinguished himself in numerable ways. His help to the
American settlers of this region was invaluable, and many, many people
described his hospitality.
Narcissa Whitman, the wife of frontier evangelist Marcus Whitman,
whose statue resides in this very building, described Vancouver at the
time as the ``New York of the Pacific Ocean.'' Now, mind you, it was a
pretty small New York. It was a stockade-type fort. But for those who
had traveled that long journey across the Oregon Trail, it was a beacon
of friendship, of health care, of food and of protection. Without John
McLoughlin, that would not have been possible.
I am proud to represent Vancouver, I am proud to represent Fort
Vancouver, as we call it, ``Vancouver, not B.C.; Washington, not D.C.''
Madam Speaker, I commend the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley) for
her initiative, and our ranking member and the Chair of the committee
for their initiative in preserving this valued historical site. I urge
its passage, and I urge people to come visit the birthplace of American
history in the Pacific Northwest, Fort Vancouver, Washington.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 733. I thank my
friend, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen), on
the other side and the staff on both sides of the aisle, and certainly
the two Members that spoke here this morning.
I urge passage of this important piece of legislation.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 733.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
[[Page H2877]]
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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