[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 173 (Thursday, November 8, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2365]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF OREGON, OHIO

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                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 8, 2007

  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a community in 
my District, that of Oregon, Ohio. Formally incorporated following 
elections in November of 1957, Oregon celebrates its 50th anniversary 
in 2007.
  Oregon, located on the Western Bay of Lake Erie, was once part of 
Northwest Ohio's Great Black Swamp. Cultivated for its trees and rich 
earth, its first government--Oregon Township--was formed in 1838. It is 
bounded by the City of Toledo to the West, Lake Erie to the North, Wood 
County to the South, and Jerusalem Township to the East.
  Through the 1800s and 1900s, water and rail systems developed in the 
region. Northwest Ohio is a cornerstone of water, rail, and surface 
transportation, and Oregon is at its hub. As a result of its location, 
its two largest employers built and remain in Oregon: Sun Oil and BP 
refineries. Oregon continued to grow as an industrial center of the 
region, with several chemical plants and energy generating facilities. 
Industrialization brought residential and commercial growth, and Oregon 
thrives.
  Throughout its earlier years of growth, its Western neighbor Toledo 
tried to annex Oregon Township. Annexation attempts failed, but so, 
too, did early attempts to incorporate Oregon on its own. In 1957 after 
another annexation attempt, the residents of Oregon voted 
overwhelmingly to incorporate as the City of Oregon.
  Oregon's own residents coined the slogan ``City of Opportunity'' in 
1958 shortly after adopting the City Charter. Indeed Oregon lives up to 
its slogan. The City is home to Maumee Bay State Park--a jewel on our 
Western Lake Erie shoreline--as well as Pearson Metropark, South Shore 
Park, and Coontz Recreational Complex. Oregon is home to one of Ohio's 
largest festivals, the German American Festival, as well as its own 
Oregon Fest. The community is an urban mix of business, industrial, 
residential, recreational, educational and municipal ventures.
  The City of Oregon is a vibrant community full of pride. Oregonians 
celebrate their past while moving toward the future. It is a City on 
the move. While recognizing the achievements of its first 50 years, 
Oregon is poised for the next 50. Onward!

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