[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16237]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING THE CITY OF ELKTON

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I wish today to honor and publicly 
recognize the 125th anniversary of the founding of the city of Elkton, 
SD. The city of Elkton has a proud past and a promising future.
  The first settler in the area had been E.D. Johnson, who in the 
spring of 1877 had obtained a tree claimed half a mile north of the 
future site of the town. Other families started to move into the area 
in 1878 just in time for the railroad to arrive in 1879. Railroad 
officials wanted to place a station between the communities of Verdi 
and Aurora. Local railroad officials named it Ivanhoe, originally. Not 
until July 21, 1882 was its name changed officially from Ivanhoe to 
Elkton. The name came from Elkton, MD, which was the early home of one 
of the railroad officials. The town was plotted in the spring of 1880 
and soon sprouted a variety of different businesses.
  In 1896, an Elkton man named Henry Heintz obtained a patent on what 
some locals believe could have been the first airship in the United 
States. Working with Henry Wulf of Arizona, Heintz built a machine 
which lifted off the ground in its trial flight, to the amazement and 
delight of spectators. The craft wouldn't move ahead, however, and 
returned almost immediately to earth. There are apparently no records 
of rebuildings and further attempts.
  Currently, more than 600 people live in Elkton. The city has already 
started celebrations for its 125th anniversary and will continue them 
throughout the year. These include an all-high school alumni reunion 
and a street dance. It is with great honor that I advise my colleagues 
of the achievements made by this great community.

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