DUNSEITH (AP) - Among the hundreds of people who came to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the International Peace Garden were a few people who also attended the garden's dedication in 1932.

"It was dusty, dirty and a lot windy," said Warren Book, who now lives in Arizona. "It was a barren land."

Glenn Swanson, of Bottineau, also said the garden's look was much different when he was a child, especially since there were few trees.

"It's wonderful that it's improving every year," he said.

The 2,300-acre garden on the U.S.-Canadian border north of Dunseith is a symbol of peace between the two countries.

It now has thousands of flowers and is home to numerous attractions, including a memorial built from steel girders from the World Trade Center, which was destroyed by terrorists.

The garden celebrated its 75th anniversary on Saturday.

Chief Executive Officer Doug Hevenor called the celebration a "large breath of fresh air," after battling nature to replant the gardens in the wake of heavy rain last month.

Last week, Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., introduced a special resolution in the U.S. Senate recognizing the anniversary.

"By honoring the Peace Garden today, we celebrate decades of peace, friendship and cooperation between the United States and Canada," Conrad said.

The resolution also urges support for long-overdue repairs that began this summer and for a $32 million expansion project that includes an international conflict resolution center.