Fort Ontario Study Act

Floor Speech

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This bill authorizes the National Park Service to conduct a special resource study of Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York. Fort Ontario was a military installation that was used during the French and Indian War, which was later used to house refugees who fled the Nazi Holocaust during World War II.

Refugees were allowed into the United States as guests of President Franklin Roosevelt's. Many Americans remember our Nation's role in World War II through events like the Invasion of Normandy or the Battle of Iwo Jima, which have been re-imagined in film and memorialized in stone, but the story of Fort Ontario is also an important component of our historical legacy. Providing refuge from persecution says as much about our national character as the bravery and sacrifice of the millions of Americans who were deployed overseas. The site has been managed as a New York State Historic Site since 1949 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970.

The special resource study authorized by this bill will look into the best available options for the continued preservation and management of Fort Ontario, including the possibility of turning it into a unit of the National Park System. Fort Ontario has had many uses throughout our Nation's history, and it has had a particularly relevant place in the story of Jewish Americans. As we work to ensure that our public lands tell the story of all Americans, Fort Ontario and its unique story will be a fitting addition.

I thank Representative Katko, the sponsor of this bill, for bringing the story of Fort Ontario to our attention.
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