[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15181]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE CITIZENS OF DEXTER, NEW MEXICO

 Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate the 
citizens of Dexter in the Pecos Valley of southeastern New Mexico, who 
will soon be celebrating the centennial of their community.
  In its early years, the settlement that would become Dexter was 
located near the large body of water known as Lake Van in Chaves 
County. With the rise of the railroad and the construction of an 
irrigation canal a few miles away, a new town was necessary. Three men 
selected the townsite, and the only married man of the bunch, Albert 
Macey, was given the privilege of choosing the name of the town. He 
chose the name Dexter in honor of his hometown of Dexter, IA.
  Dexter served an important role as a railroad depot in its early 
years. The depot contributed greatly to the economic and social life of 
the town. Dexter also became part of the historic Ozark Trails highway 
system and still has remnants of this fabled roadway, now known as 
State Highway Two. Agriculture, with cotton and alfalfa being the chief 
crops, has been and continues to be important for Dexter and the Pecos 
Valley.
  These days, Dexter is also known for its fish hatchery, where 
advanced biological research takes place and endangered species are 
protected and propagated. The Dexter National Fish Hatchery is 
currently working with 17 species of fish native to New Mexico and 
neighboring States. If something should happen to devastate an original 
fish species in the wild, the hatchery could use the fish it holds in 
refuge to help replace the damaged population.
  Given the long history of settlement in New Mexico, turning 100 
barely qualifies a town as middle aged. But Dexter and its 1,200 
residents have done a great deal in that short amount of time. I 
congratulate the town of Dexter on its centennial and offer my best 
wishes for the next 100 years.

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