[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 8765-8767]
[From the U.S. 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.
  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.

[[Page 8766]]

  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.
  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,

[[Page 8767]]

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.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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