[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 78 (Monday, June 7, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S6592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GRAND EXCURSION OF 1854

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 544, S. Con. 
Res. 5.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent 
resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 5) expressing support 
     for the celebration in 2004 of the 150th anniversary of the 
     Grand Excursion of 1854.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, en bloc, and that any statements relating to the 
bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 5) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                             S. Con. Res. 5

       Whereas reaching the shores of the Mississippi River 
     represented a major milestone for the westward expansion of 
     the system of railroad infrastructure that began on the East 
     Coast in the 1830s;
       Whereas in 1854 the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad became 
     the first railroad to reach the Mississippi River and that 
     achievement was celebrated with a combined railroad and 
     riverboat trip known as the ``Grand Excursion of 1854'';
       Whereas the Grand Excursion of 1854 began in Chicago with a 
     gathering of more than 1,000 dignitaries from professions 
     encompassing the fields of government, education, business, 
     journalism, and the arts, and included most prominently 
     former United States President Millard Fillmore;
       Whereas the excursion party of 1854 traveled from Chicago, 
     Illinois, to Rock Island, Illinois, by train and then 
     proceeded by boat from Rock Island to the present-day twin 
     cities of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and St. Paul, Minnesota;
       Whereas the Grand Excursion of 1854 is credited both with 
     bringing the upper Mississippi Valley into the national 
     spotlight and with solidifying Chicago's role as a major 
     transportation hub;
       Whereas communities located on the 419 mile stretch between 
     Rock Island and Minneapolis are investing more than 
     $5,000,000,000 in recreational, commercial, and environmental 
     improvements to prepare for the celebration of the Grand 
     Excursion in 2004;
       Whereas an educational program in Illinois, Iowa, 
     Wisconsin, and Minnesota will bring the history of the 
     Mississippi River to life for thousands of students from 
     kindergarten through 12th grade and will focus on the 
     recreational, environmental, and commercial importance of the 
     river;
       Whereas the Grand Excursion celebration of 2004 will 
     establish a series of permanent exhibits throughout the upper 
     Mississippi River, recognizing the achievements of the many 
     communities and celebrating the history of the Mississippi 
     River;
       Whereas the Grand Excursion, through its local, regional, 
     national, and international marketing programs and 
     initiatives, will communicate to the world the incredible 
     attributes of the upper Mississippi River and will invite 
     hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region to celebrate;
       Whereas the National Park Service, along with other 
     Federal, State, and local agencies and many other interested 
     groups, is preparing activities to celebrate the 
     sesquicentennial of the Grand Excursion in 2004, to educate 
     local residents and visitors about the attributes of the 
     river, and to commemorate the occasion by establishing future 
     traditions that will improve community connections to the 
     river; and
       Whereas Grand Excursion, Inc. is organizing and 
     coordinating the celebration in 2004 of the 150th anniversary 
     of the Grand Excursion of 1854: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) expresses its support for the work of all the Federal, 
     State, and local entities, and the work of all interested 
     groups that are preparing sesquicentennial activities to 
     celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Grand Excursion of 
     1854;
       (2) expresses its support for the events to be held in 
     observance of the Grand Excursion of 1854 in Chicago, Rock 
     Island, Moline, and Galena, Illinois, in Davenport, Clinton, 
     and Dubuque, Iowa, in Prairie du Chien and La Crosse, 
     Wisconsin, in Wabasha, Winona, Red Wing, Saint Paul, and 
     Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in many other communities during 
     the sesquicentennial observance; and
       (3) calls on the President of the United States, the 
     Secretary of Education, the Secretary of the Interior, the 
     Secretary of Defense, the Assistant Secretary of the Army, 
     the Director of the National Park Service, the Director of 
     the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, other public 
     officials, and the citizens of the United States to support, 
     promote, and participate in the many sesquicentennial 
     activities being planned to commemorate the Grand Excursion 
     of 1854.

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