[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 26, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S8945]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE COMMUNITY OF COLMAN, SOUTH DAKOTA

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to honor and publicly 
recognize the 125th anniversary of the founding of the town of Colman, 
South Dakota. On August 13, 2005, Colman citizens celebrate their 
community's proud past as well as their hope for a promising future.
  Located in Moody County, Colman is a small community nestled amongst 
the fertile farmland of eastern South Dakota. The town got its start 
with the help of the railroad, specifically the Milwaukee line, as it 
made its way into the western United States. Platted in 1880, Colman 
was originally named Allenson, in honor of the Allen family who donated 
the town site in 1880. Not long thereafter, however, it was renamed 
Colman, honoring the town's prosperous Colman Lumber Company.
  Colman experienced a great deal of economic prosperity in the early 
20th century. Although only a fraction of the businesses Main Street 
once boasted are still in operation, it is clear Colman was a lively, 
self-sufficient city with a variety of goods and services to offer. The 
bustling community included a grain elevator, a flourishing mill, both 
a dairy and dairy delivery service, a trucking service, a doctor, a 
weekly newspaper, and a theater that showed movies every night of the 
week. One of Colman's oldest businesses is the Farmers Cooperative 
Elevator, which is still in use today. Although it was established in 
1898, the structure was destroyed and had to be rebuilt in 1941. 
Additionally, Colman's first school was a one-room building near the 
western outskirts of the town.
  On January 28, 1901, the first issue of The Colman Argus was 
published by Bert H. Berry. In April of that year, Berry sold the 
weekly paper to F.F. French, who owned and edited it until his death in 
1931. French's son, F. Philo French, continued to print the publication 
for the next 26 years, and then passed it on in 1957 to his widow, Lulu 
French, who eventually sold the paper in 1971, upon her retirement.
  In the last three decades, Colman has evolved into a peaceful and 
quiet community that is great for retirees, those raising children, and 
everyone in between. The curtailment of the railroad, in addition to 
the improvement of roads and alternate routes that sidestepped Colman, 
caused people to travel to larger towns in the State to conduct their 
business. Nevertheless, technology and progress can never touch the 
firm resolve and remarkable work ethic that is characteristic of the 
great people of this country's heartland. The innovation and 
determination of the individuals who had the courage to make a home for 
themselves on the plains of the Dakotas serves as inspiration to all 
those who believe in the honest pursuit of their dreams. Colman's proud 
560 residents celebrate their city's vibrant 125 year history and the 
legacy of the pioneer spirit on August 13th, 2005.

                          ____________________