During his more than 53 years of service for the people of Southeast Michigan, Congressman John Dingell has worked tirelessly to improve to the quality of life for all residents in Michigan’s 15 th Congressional District. As a Congressman, he has consistently fought to strengthen the economy, to ensure that our veterans receive the quality healthcare they need and deserve, to guarantee equal access and diversity in the Michigan school system, and to protect the environment of Southeast Michigan. He helped secure federal funds for important projects in Michigan, such as $350 million to clean up the Rouge River and $50 million for Metro Airport’s capital improvement program. Among the many honors he has received as a the longest serving member of Congress, both the Veterans Medical Center in Detroit and the south access road at Metro Airport bear his name in tribute to his distinguished congressional career.

Proactive Economic Assistance to Constituents

Throughout these difficult economic times the impact of the recession on the communities in Michigan remains the driving force behind Congressman Dingell’s efforts in Washington.  However, as the legislation he champions often addresses long-term solutions as well as immediate relief, the Congressman has put a great deal of energy toward providing on-the-ground assistance to constituents at home in the 15th District.

By bringing together federal, state, and community agencies, Congressman Dingell is able to provide free forums and seminars for constituents to hear valuable advice from experts and counseling from federally-approved groups.  In the past year, the Congressman’s office held two seminars - The Downriver Mortgage, Housing, and Foreclosure Forum and Save Your Savings: A Free Financial Advice and Counseling Forum – both of which were packed to capacity and served hundreds of constituents.  Congressman Dingell also has compiled a guidebook for displaced workers to provide some direction to individuals in need of a roadmap for accessing the myriad of options available, and often hidden, during the most trying of situations.  Congressman Dingell also compiled a guide to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for constituents and local communities that are looking for federal financial assistance.

Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge

Ten years ago Congressman Dingell, working with the late Peter Stroh, charged a group of U.S. and Canadian conservationists with reviewing the state and quality of the Detroit River and Western Lake Erie and to make recommendations for furthering bilateral collaboration in preserving this unique ecological corridor.  Out of that Canadian-U.S. effort emerged the goal to establish the first international wildlife refuge in North America right here in Southeast Michigan.  The Congressman took this idea back with him to Washington and drafted legislation that, in December 2001, became law in the Metroparks to the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.  This interconnectivity is vital for the success of park systems and non-motorized commutes within cities.  Blueways, or waterways managed and mapped specifically for kayakers and canoers, are an innovative idea that run all along the Refuge and the Downriver waterfront.

River Raisin National Battlefield Park

The River Raisin Battlefield is the site of a major engagement of the War of 1812 during the American campaign in the winter of 1813 to retake Fort Detroit from the British.  The American forces managed to repel the British out of the settlement along the River Raisin, then called Frenchtown, in the first battle, only to suffer major losses in the second battle a few days later.  Following the second battle, Native American warriors returned to the settlement the next day, scalped and massacred some sixty-five remaining injured American soldiers and burned the settlement to the ground.  Out of the nearly 1,000 American Regulars and Militia who participated in the battle, only 33 escaped death or capture, wiping out nearly the entire left column of General William Henry Harrison’s Army, who described the massacre as a “national calamity.”

This bloody event, arguably the largest land engagement of the War, gave birth to the emotional rallying cry “Remember the Raisin,” aiding recruitment efforts for Harrison’s spring 1813 campaign and spurred the American forces on to victory at the Battle of the Thames nine months later effectively ending the fighting in the Northwest theatre.  According to Dr. Brian Dunnigan, nationally renowned War of 1812 scholar and Interim Direction of the Clements Library at the University of Michigan:

“The River Raisin battlefield site is highly significant as a reminder of the dual conflict represented by the War of 1812 in the West and its impact on the continued western expansion of the United States and the future of the Native American peoples of the region.  It represents the symbolic culmination of the clash between American frontiersmen and Native Americans in the Old Northwest.  No other site better represents this theme of American history.”

The casualties incurred at the River Raisin rank it among the most disastrous battles for the American Army during the war.  397 Americans were listed as killed or missing in action and 536 listed as prisoners of war.  This price in lives was paid mostly by the state of Kentucky. Approximately 1,200 of the 1,876 Americans killed in battle in the War of 1812 were Kentuckians, representing sixty-four percent of all casualties.  One third of all Kentuckians killed in the War of 1812 died at the River Raisin.

In the late 19th century the paper industry came to Southeast Michigan, and constructed several mills on the River Raisin Battlefield.  For nearly 100 years the paper industry operated on this site until the early 1990’s when the company owning the mill entered bankruptcy and shuttered the plant.  The Monroe Historical Society purchased a token piece of the Battlefield to operate a small museum; however, the bulk of the Battlefield was parceled out and sold to private individuals.  During the past decade, the mills suffered significant vandalism, and a major arson fire destroyed much of the structures leaving behind rubble and a burnt out hulk.

In December 2005, the City of Monroe acquired the core 36 acre parcel of the Battlefield.  The Monroe City Council then adopted a Development Agreement stating that the City will convey title without monetary consideration should the federal government be willing to accept.  To prepare for eventual historical interpretation on the site, the City initiated a $3.5 million restoration effort jointly funded through federal, state and local means.

The remarkable transformation at the River Raisin Battlefield from a decrepit remnant of its industrial heritage to a source of pride for the community has continued and the rehabilitation of the site is largely complete.  The removal of the paper buildings has greatly improved the integrity of the site, and if you go there now you will see grass growing as it did 200 years ago where the paper mill once stood.  Further, despite disruption to isolated areas due to turn of the century industrial development, key features remain intact and ongoing archeological excavations continue to reveal considerable integrity to underground resources.

Any action taken in or around the Battlefield focuses either on the preservation of the resources currently at the site or the rehabilitation of the features we are sure of.  From the start this has been a very unique scholarly endeavor utilizing the expertise of three universities and the local community college.  Far from cosmetic, the effort at the River Raisin Battlefield continues to be scientifically based fundamental rehabilitation in strict accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s standards.

Congressman Dingell introduced legislation in the 110th Congress and subsequently re-introduced the similar legislation in the 111th to designate the River Raisin Battlefield as a full fledged unit of the National Park System.  Led by Congressman Dingell and Senator Carl Levin, Congress passed legislation to designate the site and on March 30, 2009 President Obama signed into law the creation of the River Raisin National Battlefield.  With the enactment of this legislation, the River Raisin Battlefield will finally receive the national recognition it has long deserved which will protect this hallowed ground in perpetuity.  The two Congressional offices, City of Monroe and the Park Service are currently working together to transfer the City’s property over to the federal government for inclusion into the National Park System and they expect to have the Park’s boundary established by the end of this summer.

The Battlefield is the centerpiece of a great concentration of attractions in Monroe.  The Nation’s newest National Park will join the picturesque City of Monroe’s other major attractions, such as the world class Sterling State Park, and the Plum Creek and Eagle Island Marsh Units of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, and it’s all backed up against one of our Great Lakes.  Once this newest National Park is established, we will add another great attraction to Southeast Michigan and entice more tourists to visit this beautiful and interesting state.

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