[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 110 (Monday, July 23, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S5255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       GARDEN CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA

 Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Madam President, today I wish to 
pay tribute to the 125th anniversary of the founding of Garden City, 
SD. Located in northeastern Clark County, Garden City is a proud small 
town, known for potato farming.
  The townsite of Garden City was established in 1882 on 40 acres of 
land donated by Clarence Hayward, an early resident. Hayward was known 
as the father of the town because of his steadfast dedication to the 
well-being and improvement of Garden City. It is said that were it not 
for his aggressive advocacy, Garden City would not be a town.
  The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad was built in the town in 
1887, bringing with it great prosperity. At that time, R.S. Carpenter 
donated a 40-acre parcel of land located just south of Garden City to 
the town. His wife is credited with naming the town, an honor granted 
to her by the railroad workers who were impressed by her hospitality. 
She had a love of flowers and saw parallels between the townsite and 
the Garden of Eden.
  The year 1887 was important in the early history of Garden City. 
Besides the establishment of the railroad, 1887 was when the first 
buildings were constructed. There was a grocery store and hardware 
business built by William Morise and Charley Edwards, as well as a post 
office and a railroad depot. In following years, many business and 
civic organizations popped up to serve the growing population.
  In the 20th century, Garden City earned notoriety for being a center 
of potato farming in South Dakota. Commercial potato farming first 
arrived around 1908, and by the 1940s, Garden City farms were yielding 
half a million bushels of potatoes each year.
  Residents of Garden City plan to celebrate their town's 125th 
anniversary with a day full of activities for the whole family. 
Festivities will begin with a tractor parade, followed by a pork loin 
dinner, bean bag and horseshoe tournaments, and musical entertainment, 
all held in the park. At the Opera House, numerous mementos and 
antiquities will be on display to showcase the rich history of Garden 
City.
  Garden City was founded by a determined group of pioneers, who fought 
hard for the preservation and advancement of their town. This legacy is 
evident to this day in the can-do spirit of its residents. I 
congratulate Garden City on reaching this historic milestone and wish 
them the best in the future.

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