[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 13, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S8214]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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               HONORING THE CITY OF MADISON, SOUTH DAKOTA

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, it is with great honor that I wish 
today to publicly recognize the 125th anniversary of the founding of 
the city of Madison, SD. It is at this time I would like to draw my 
colleagues' attention to the achievements and history of this charming 
city that stands as an enduring tribute to the moral fortitude and 
pioneer spirit of the earliest Dakotans.
  Located in the eastern part of South Dakota, Madison is one of the 
oldest towns in Lake County. The present town of Madison is actually 
the result of the merging of two cities, Madison and Herman. Lake 
County was established in January of 1873, and in the fall of that 
year, the county commissioners selected Madison to serve as the county 
seat. Interestingly, the town of Madison was not platted until July of 
1875, 2 years after receiving its county seat title. The nearby town of 
Herman was founded in 1878 and a rivalry quickly developed between the 
two communities.
  In 1880, the southern Minnesota division of the Milwaukee Railroad 
decided to extend the rail line through the region. The area chosen for 
the tracks, however, missed Madison by three miles but passed through 
Herman. Herman's close proximity to the trains put Madison's status as 
county seat in jeopardy. Consequently, Madison residents decided to 
relocate their town to a new 320 acre plot owned by Mr. and Mrs. C.B. 
Kennedy, which was in the railroad's path. When railroad officials 
favored Madison over Herman, the two communities decided to merge into 
one, thus forming the present city of ``new'' Madison.
  Madison grew rapidly. The move to the new town began in August, 1880, 
when the J.H. Law building was transported from old Madison into new 
Madison. Dyer Hardware and the P.H. Harth General Store quickly 
followed. By the end of 1880, Madison boasted two general stores, a 
drug store, a livery barn, a blacksmith shop, a carpenter shop, three 
saloons, and a millinery store.
  The area's first newspaper, the Lake County Leader, was established 
by F.C. Stowe in Herman. In 1880, Stowe moved the printing press to 
Madison, and in the spring of 1881, Stowe sold the Leader. After 
passing through a few hands, James F. Stahl eventually purchased the 
paper. Stahl converted the weekly paper into a daily publication in 
1890. Madison's second paper, the Madison Sentinel, began in old 
Madison in April, 1879 by Joe H. Zane and F.L. Fifield. The Leader and 
Sentinel were competitors until 1937, when the two combined to form the 
Madison Daily Leader. Since 1947, the Hunter family has published the 
Madison Daily Leader, and to this day the paper continues to provide 
residents with accurate and reliable news coverage.
  Among Madison's notable attributes is its public library. In 1905, 
town residents held a meeting and decided to create the facility. 
Quickly thereafter, the community raised money, donated books, and 
secured a room in the building of Mr. John Warren's new bank. The 
Madison Free Public Library opened its doors in December of that year. 
Meanwhile, George R. Farmer had been working with Andrew Carnegie to 
secure additional funds for a library. One month after the opening of 
the Madison Free Public Library, Farmer received word from Carnegie's 
private secretary that Carnegie would donate $10,000 to erect a public 
library if the city would provide and maintain a suitable site for the 
building. A site was selected and construction quickly began. On 
Thursday, November 12, 1907, the new Madison Library opened. In 1960 
and 1980, improvements were made to the building. Yet these 
modifications pale in comparison to the major renovations undertaken in 
1994, when the size of the library was increased by 400 percent with a 
striking architecturally compatible addition. The facility now houses 
48,055 books and more than 3,500 audiovisual materials.
  Like most communities in the Dakotas, Madison's history is not 
without its share of tragedy and hardship. On July 4, 1919, ``The 
Reliance,'' a touring boat used to take people around Lake Madison, set 
out with a group of 32 passengers to view the fireworks from the water. 
The ship headed across the lake to hug the shoreline as it always did. 
Sadly, it struck a sunken tree about 80 to 100 feet off shore. The 
passengers on board panicked and rushed to one side of the vessel, 
causing it to capsize. Nine people, including the engineer, drowned in 
that tragic accident.
  Similarly, on the night of April 11, 1980, the Hotel Park caught fire 
and burned for nearly 8 hours, killing four people. The blaze was so 
difficult to contain that the National Guardsmen, who were on their 
weekend drill in Madison, were called in to assist the exhausted 
firefighters the following morning. Despite these adversities, this 
resilient community has always managed to recover, rebuild and prosper.
  Madison is home to Dakota State University, DSU, founded in 1881 by 
William H. Beadle. DSU is recognized nationally as a leader in computer 
and information systems. Additionally, Karl Mundt was a notable DSU 
faculty member. Not only was Mr. Mundt an extraordinary speech and 
social science teacher, but he also served in Congress longer than any 
other South Dakotan. Elected to the House of Representatives in 1938, 
he remained a Congressman until 1948, when he took office as U.S. 
Senator from South Dakota. Senator Mundt held that post until 1972, 
having served 34 years in Congress.
  The sense of community, moral fortitude, perseverance, and enduring 
work ethic that is evident in the people and the history of Madison 
stands as a testament to the integrity of all South Dakotans. It is my 
honor to acknowledge the proud residents of Madison, as they celebrate 
125 years of history.

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