[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 77 (Monday, June 13, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S6401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE TOWN OF KENNEBEC, SOUTH DAKOTA

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I wish today to honor and publicly 
recognize the 100th anniversary of the founding of the town of 
Kennebec, SD. Kennebec has a strong sense of past and anticipates a 
bright future.
  Since 1924, Kennebec has been the county seat for Lyman County, 
located in central South Dakota. Few people lived in the area prior to 
the town's establishment in 1905, as it was challenging to import the 
supplies necessary to sustain a substantial population. In 1905, 
however, railroad tracks were laid through the area, thus making it 
significantly easier for residents to build homes and other structures, 
since materials no longer needed to be hauled in from surrounding towns 
and cities. The railroad and influx of people mark the birth of 
Kennebec. By 1907, Kennebec was a bustling prairie town full of diverse 
and eager residents.
  As years passed and the town flourished, a number of businesses 
opened, such as the hardware store operated by Albert Williamson. In 
addition to running the hardware store, Williamson also edited and 
printed the county newspaper known as the Prairie Sun. Also around this 
time, Sam Abdnor built and operated a store that survives to this day 
as the Kennebec movie theatre. Many of my colleagues will recognize the 
surname ``Abdnor'' and will recall that former U.S. Senator Jim Abdnor 
hails from Kennebec. He served admirably as Lt. Governor, in the U.S. 
House of Representatives for 8 years and in this body for an additional 
6 years, having never forgotten the community of Kennebec or its 
people.
  In the town's early days, there was only a single doctor in Kennebec, 
and water had to be hauled by horse-drawn wagons from wells over a mile 
and a half to the north of the community. All other needs were met by 
the railroad, which delivered merchandise to the stores and shops, as 
well as thousands of tons of coal, which was required to heat homes in 
Kennebec during the long winters. Not only did the railroad allow 
imports into town, but it also fostered the transport of Kennebec's 
main exports, which included cattle, sheep and hogs.
  Kennebec had no electrical power until 1914, when John Spotts of 
Armour, SD moved into town. Spotts bought a track of land southeast of 
Kennebec and built a two-story brick building with a full size 
basement. The upper floors provided a dance floor and silent movie 
theater for Kennebec residents, while the basement served as the first 
electric power plant in the town.
  After a hundred years, Kennebec supports a population of over 280 
citizens and continues to modernize and improve itself in its role to 
serve the farmers and ranchers throughout the region. Kennebec's proud 
citizens celebrate their 100th anniversary on June 18, 2005, and it is 
with great honor that I share with my colleagues the achievements made 
by this great community.

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