[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 79 (Wednesday, June 15, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S6652]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE CITY OF SALEM, SOUTH DAKOTA

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to honor and publicly 
recognize the 125th anniversary of the city of Salem, SD. I would like 
to recognize this outstanding prairie community as an example of the 
extraordinary work ethic and perseverance of the remarkable people all 
across the state of South Dakota.
  Salem, the county seat of McCook County in southeastern South Dakota, 
was named by Oliver S. Pendar. Pendar, the town's first postmaster, 
named the town for his former home of Salem, Massachusetts. Pendar 
first moved to McCook County in 1878 and eventually settled in Salem in 
1880. Platted in July of that year, Salem's location was chosen by the 
railroad companies, as it provided an excellent spot for trains to stop 
and reload supplies as they made their way west. The town was 
incorporated in 1885, which is the same year residents chose W.D. 
Roberts as Salem's first mayor.
  Early Salem experienced a great deal of economic prosperity during 
the peak railroad years of the late nineteenth century. The town grew 
rapidly in its first decade and boasted a number of businesses, 
including several hotels, a lumberyard, a furniture store, several 
banks, real estate brokers, livery barns, and other services vital to a 
growing community on the frontier.
  At its zenith, Salem was home to five fine hotels, including the 
Lewis House, the Commercial Hotel, the Irish House of Parliament, the 
Depot Hotel, and the Lucerne, all of which flourished during the 
railroad years. Sadly, many of these hotels have come and gone, but 
their legacy remains.
  Salem's first school, a two-story frame building located on the site 
of the present high school, was built by J.E. Miller in 1881 and opened 
in 1882. The first floor consisted of county administrative offices and 
classrooms. The building's second floor accommodated church services, a 
courthouse, and a public hall.
  Since its founding, Salem has been home to three newspapers, the 
first of which was the Pioneer Register, started by Mr. Jonas Rutan in 
1880. In 1883, Mr. C.F.M. Schenckler established Salem's second paper, 
the McCook County News, which Mr. J.E. Patten purchased three years 
later and renamed the Salem Special. This semi-weekly paper, published 
on Wednesdays and Saturdays, kept the community informed of important 
events in the area.
  Through the years, the residents of Salem have demonstrated great 
flexibility and perseverance in their ability to flourish despite 
overwhelming heartbreak. Since Salem's founding in the late nineteenth 
century, the town experienced several destructive fires and floods, 
destroying grain elevators, hundreds of homes, and numerous businesses. 
Still, this resilient community always managed to recover, rebuild and 
prosper.
  The pioneer men and women of early Salem also exhibited a remarkable 
propensity for using the resources and riches of the frontier to make a 
wonderful life for themselves on the plains of the Dakotas. Richard F. 
Kneip was a local milk equipment businessman who went on to serve as 
Governor of South Dakota, and later as Ambassador to Singapore. The 
sense of community, moral fortitude, perseverance, and enduring work 
ethic that is evident in the people and the history of Salem, stands as 
a testament to the integrity of South Dakotans. It is my honor to 
acknowledge the proud residents of Salem, SD as they celebrate 125 
years of vibrant history on July 2-4, 2005.

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