July 16, 2002
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the
opportunity to present the Department’s views on this bill to acquire the McLoughlin House in Oregon City,
Oregon, and to administer the site as a
unit of the National Park System.
We do not support this legislation unless
the bill is amended to authorize that the McLoughlin
House National Historic Site to be added to Fort Vancouver National Historic
Site in Vancouver, Washington,
instead of authorizing it as a separate unit of the National Park System. We
have studied the McLoughlin House and found that it
meets the suitability and feasibility criteria for addition to the National
Park System. We feel it could be managed more efficiently as part of an
existing park unit. Since 1948 the McLoughlin House
Memorial Association has had an agreement with the National Park Service so
that the both the McLoughlin House National Historic
Site and Fort Vancouver National Historic Site would work cooperatively
together. We believe that the most effective management of the McLoughlin House would result by the National Park Service
continuing this cooperative working relationship at both sites. The one-time
acquisition cost of the McLoughlin House is
approximately $445,000. The cost of maintaining and operating the McLoughlin House as a unit of the Fort Vancouver National
Historic Site is approximately $285,000 per year. The Department feels that the
addition of the McLoughlin House to Fort Vancouver
National Historic Site would result in greater cost-efficiencies than its
designation as a separate unit.
In the General Management Plan revision
for Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, the National Park Service studied
potential boundary adjustment alternatives, including one that adds the McLoughlin House. This alternative meets the National Park
Service’s criteria for suitability and feasibility as a unit of the National
Park System. The plan revision goes on to say that adding the McLoughlin House National Historic Site to Fort Vancouver
National Historic Site is
“a value to the
American people and provides for NPS operations and interpretation.”
The McLoughlin
House is located in Oregon City, Oregon
along the dramatic Willamette River
Falls and southeast of downtown Portland.
It is a short drive from Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, north of Portland,
in the state of Washington and
along the Columbia River.
Recognized for its national significance,
the McLoughlin House National Historic Site,
designated in 1941, was the first national historic site designated in the
western United States.
The site has been operated as an affiliated area of the National Park System by
the McLoughlin Memorial Association, which has owned
and operated the site since 1909. The site received assistance from the
National Park Service when Fort Vancouver National Historic Site was
established in 1948. In the last few years, the National Park Service has
provided staff and funds for critical needs of the house, the collection, and
the grounds.
John McLoughlin
is recognized as the “Father of Oregon.” He came west and established the Hudson’s
Bay Company’s regional headquarters and depot of Fort
Vancouver on the north side of the Columbia
River in what is now the State of Washington.
Through his leadership, he maintained peace between Great
Britain, which claimed the territory,
settlers from the United States
who were part of the country’s westward expansion, and the native tribes in the
region. Despite the policies of the Hudson’s
Bay Company, John McLoughlin foresaw the area’s
future, and offered aid and supplies to the American settlers many of who were
sick, starving, and ill equipped to begin a new life.
McLoughlin built
his home across the Columbia River, in Oregon
City, where he continued to assist
those in need. This house, because of McLoughlin’s
tremendous generosity, became known as the “House of Many Beds.” After becoming
an American citizen, John McLoughlin became Mayor of
Oregon City and increased his selfless acts of philanthropy throughout the
region. His is the history of the west, as Jamestown
is the history of the east.
The McLoughlin
House has retained its historic integrity as one of the earliest examples of
its architectural style in the Pacific Northwest, and
serves as a focal point for education and tourism. The site provides a location
where school children to learn first-hand about the early history of the area.
The McLoughlin House provides a bookend to the story
of the settling of the west that is told at Fort Vancouver National Historic
Site.
As a unit of Fort Vancouver National
Historic Site, we envision sustaining the strong relationship with the McLoughlin Memorial Association as well as enhancing the
interpretive, educational, and maintenance responsibilities that visitors demand and a century and a half old house needs. It
is a testament to the association and the citizens of Oregon
City that the house retains its
integrity and special association with the former Oregon
Territory. During a local election held
in 2001, a ballot measure asked voters to allow Oregon
City to grant a property interest
to the National Park Service. This measure was approved by over 80% of the
voters.
The Department remains committed to the
President’s Initiative to reduce the maintenance backlog of the National Park
Service. While the Department recognizes that this legislation may divert funds
from this effort, the acquisition of the McLoughlin
House and its administration as a part of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
is important to the viability of this nationally significant resource.
We would be pleased to work with the
committee on revising the bill’s language to make it consistent with this
testimony. This concludes my testimony. I am glad to answer any questions that
you or members of the Committee may have.