[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 25 (Friday, February 15, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING THE ONONDAGA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION ON THE OCCASION OF 
                         ITS 150TH ANNIVERSARY

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                         HON. DANIEL B. MAFFEI

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 15, 2013

  Mr. MAFFEI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Onondaga 
Historical Association (OHA) on the occasion of its 150th Anniversary. 
I join the community in celebrating OHA on this historic occasion.
   We are grateful to have a museum and research center that reminds us 
that we have inherited a special place to live because of the people 
and events that have come before us. Onondaga County New York's rich 
history is intertwined with many key periods in our country's history, 
including the building of the Erie Canal, women's suffrage, 
emancipation, the history of Central New York's Native Americans, the 
Haudenosaunee, also referred to as the Iroquois Confederacy. OHA's 
recent jubilee celebration was built around the 150th anniversary of 
the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, the same year the 
association began.
   OHA's mission is to inspire people's understanding that the history 
we share as a community is the foundation for our future together. Its 
purpose is to encourage a diverse audience from the neighborhoods of 
Syracuse and the communities of Onondaga County to explore, appreciate 
and utilize their past. OHA offers engaging exhibits and programs, 
pursues partnerships with other cultural organizations and community 
groups, and develops and cares for a definitive collection related to 
local history. In addition, OHA operates a museum and research center 
in Syracuse, New York.
   We take comfort that OHA will continue to document our history in 
Onondaga County and that its work will serve as a guide to future 
generations. Simply stated, OHA is our bridge to the past, present and 
future of Onondaga County. We are a stronger community because of the 
exceptional work of the OHA's staff, Board, and community supporters.
   Once again, I congratulate OHA and all the individuals who have 
helped to preserve this extraordinary organization over the past 150 
years.

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