[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 94 (Monday, June 22, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S6886]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                125TH ANNIVERSARY OF LEOLA, SOUTH DAKOTA

 Mr. JOHNSON. Madam President, today I pay tribute to the 125th 
anniversary of the founding of the community of Leola, SD. I am proud 
to honor the people of Leola on this memorable occasion, and to extend 
my congratulations to them.
  Settlers founded Leola in 1884 as a homestead site and named it after 
the daughter of Captain E.D. Haynes. The community quickly grew, 
getting its first newspaper, The Leola Blade, in 1885. Known as the 
``Rhubarb Capital of the World'', Leola holds a biannual festival to 
celebrate and sample the various uses of this unique fruit. The town 
also has a Threshing Bee in September of every year to honor their 
forefathers' way of life with live demonstrations of antique threshing 
machines and an antique tractor show.
  Located near the Ordway Prairie Memorial Preserve, Leola is also an 
excellent place for nature and history lovers to experience beautiful 
South Dakota prairie and its wildlife as the settlers did so many years 
ago.
  The seat of rural McPherson County is a close-knit community infused 
with hospitality, beauty, and an exceptional quality of life. Small 
communities like Leola are the epitome of what makes South Dakota 
great, and I am proud to represent this thriving town.

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