[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7614]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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           50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DOSSIN GREAT LAKES MUSEUM

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I am delighted to recognize the 
Dossin Great Lakes Museum as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. This 
institution has graced the shores of Belle Isle, MI, since 1960, when 
the Dossin family generously helped to transform the deteriorating 
Maritime Museum into an enduring tribute to the Great Lakes. For 50 
years, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum has offered visitors from across 
the state and beyond the opportunity to explore and experience 
firsthand much of our State's 300-year maritime narrative.
  Michigan's rich history is inextricably linked to the Great Lakes. In 
fact, Michigan's name is derived from the Ojibwa word for ``large 
water,'' a root that speaks to the lakes' defining influence on our 
State's evolution. The lakes are integral to Michigan's social, 
cultural, and economic character. Native American tribes established 
trade routes through these inland seas, which European settlers, led by 
the French, relied on to develop a thriving fur trade beginning in the 
late 1600s. During the War of 1812, American and British soldiers 
fought to wrest control over these precious waterways. Today, the Great 
Lakes are a superhighway across which giant freighters glide. Some of 
these great ships have become the stuff of maritime legend, such as the 
famous Edmund Fitzgerald, whose tragic tale has captured the 
imagination of Michiganians for generations.
  The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is a lens through which visitors can 
study and appreciate the tremendous importance of the Great Lakes. Its 
permanent exhibits include the enormous bow anchor of the Edmund 
Fitzgerald, the pilot house of the S.S. William Clay Ford, and one of 
the largest known collections of scale model ships in the world. 
Located on Belle Isle in the middle of the Detroit River, facing the 
Canadian shore, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum devotes many of its 
resources to explaining Detroit's prominent role in the rich 
international history of the Great Lakes. The museum's dedicated staff 
are committed to providing visitors with an exciting and educational 
experience, and to ensuring that residents of Michigan and visitors to 
our State continue to learn about the rich heritage of the Lakes.
  For 50 years, this Detroit landmark has served an important role in 
illustrating Michigan's enduring ties to the Great Lakes. It offers the 
prospect of adventure and knowledge for those who walk through its 
doors, and its exhibits tell stories that transport visitors through 
three centuries of maritime history. I know my colleagues join me in 
congratulating all those affiliated with the Dossin Great Lakes Museum 
on its 50th anniversary and in wishing them the best for another 50 
years of navigating the course of our history.

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