[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 106 (Thursday, September 9, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1580]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FORD HOUSE VISITOR CENTER 
                               AND MUSEUM

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                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 9, 2004

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition 
of the Ford House Visitor Center and Museum as it celebrates its 150th 
Anniversary.
  In 1851 Jerome Bursley Ford arrived on the Mendocino Coast and 
discovered the lumber resources he needed to help build the City of San 
Francisco. He returned to Mendocino with the equipment and men needed 
to establish the first sawmill in the area. The town of Mendocino, a 
quaint New England style village, grew up around the Mendocino Lumber 
Company. In 1854, Mr. Ford made plans to build a new home from the 
locally milled lumber for his new bride, Martha Hayes. The newlyweds 
arrived following their East coast wedding to inhabit the house on July 
4, 1854.
  The Ford House remained a company home until the lumber company 
closed in 1938. In the early 1970's, a local artist, Emmy Lou Packard, 
initiated a community effort to save the coastal headlands on which the 
house is located, from commercial development. This successful citizen 
action resulted in the California Department of Parks and Recreation 
purchasing the house in 1972 and eventually restoring it to its 1870 
decor.
  In 1984 it opened its doors as the Ford House Visitor Center and 
Museum. The Museum houses artifacts related to the important historical 
contribution of the lumber industry to Mendocino. Artist Len Peterson 
handcrafted a scale model of the village as it was in 1890 and a scale 
wooden loading chute to illustrate how lumber was loaded onto 
schooners. There is a room of early logging history including photos 
and tools. Seasonal exhibits of natural history are also on display.
  Mendocino Area Parks Association, a not for profit organization, 
provides oversight and raises funds for the Ford House. The Center is 
staffed by volunteers who share their knowledge and enthusiasm with 
over 22,000 visitors each year.
  Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate that we recognize Mendocino Ford House 
Visitor Center and Museum on the occasion of its 150th anniversary.

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