[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4506]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL HISTORIC OREGON TRAIL INTERPRETIVE 
                                 CENTER

 Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, today I wish to congratulate the 
National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker, OR, on its 
25th anniversary and to recognize the cultural and historical 
importance of this special place. Twenty-five years ago, volunteers, 
philanthropists, and community leaders came together with the Bureau of 
Land Management to make this dream a reality, and today I want to honor 
them for their dedication to their community and the State of Oregon.
  Since 1992, the Interpretive Center has brought to life the story of 
the Oregon Trail. Through life-size displays, historical artifacts, and 
live performances by historical interpreters, visitors to the center 
are transported back in time to the first days of Baker City. What 
started as a small goldmining town grew through the years as more 
emigrants arrived. These pioneers had fought through challenging 
conditions and traveled thousands of miles to reach Oregon, but had 
they not persevered, the growth of this State could never have taken 
place. We owe it to those who blazed the trail before us to listen to 
their story, and we owe it to ourselves to take their lessons of 
perseverance, innovation, and community spirit to heart.
  It is no coincidence that the community that came together to make 
the Interpretive Center possible, shares the characteristics of their 
ancestors. In the 1970s, Baker City was struggling to keep up with a 
changing economy. It took the innovative vision of modern-day pioneers, 
who recognized the cultural importance of this place, to bring its rich 
history back to life. Joining forces with the Bureau of Land 
Management, community leaders worked together to create the 
Interpretive Center and jumpstarted Baker City's growing tourism 
industry.
  Over 25 years, this community has continued to contribute to the 
sustained success of the Interpretive Center. From the hard-working 
caretakers of the center's 4 miles of interpretive trails, to the 
philanthropy of individuals like the late Leo Adler who help sustain 
the center financially, the people of Baker City demonstrate every day 
the same spirit as the pioneers they honor. In this way, the story of 
the Interpretive Center mirrors the very story it tells.
  It stands today as a living testament to the value of learning from 
our past. Therefore, I wish today to not only celebrate this milestone, 
but to encourage us all to reflect on the example set by both the 
pioneers of the Oregon Trail and those who continue to blaze new trails 
for their communities every day.

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