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[Pages S3406-S3407]
From the Congressional Record Online through the 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
[[Page S3407]]
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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