[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15438]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               100TH ANNIVERSARY OF LANKIN, NORTH DAKOTA

 Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a community 
in North Dakota that is celebrating its 100th anniversary. On July 8-
10, the residents of Lankin, ND, celebrated their community's history 
and founding.
  Lankin is a small town in the northeast part of North Dakota. Despite 
its small size, Lankin holds an important place in North Dakota's 
history. The site was originally named ``Young'' for G.W. Young, a Park 
River lawyer and former teacher. He established the post office on 
April 7, 1898, and John Matajeck became the first postmaster. The name 
was changed to Lankin on July 27, 1905, when John Lankin became 
postmaster and the townsite was established on the Soo Line Railroad. 
Lankin was officially incorporated as a village in 1908. Among the 
town's residents were Jack McDonald, a trumpet player with Philip 
Sousa's famous band and Herman Witasek, a member of Lankin's 1930 State 
Class C High School basketball champions, who is considered to be North 
Dakota's first professional player of the sport.
  Today Lankin is a delightful community in which to live and work. 
Lankin is home to a number of businesses, including a grain elevator, 
post office, bank, restaurant and an American Legion Club. There is 
also an active volunteer fire department and EMS squad. The community 
hosted a variety of festivities during its centennial celebration. On 
Friday, it held an all-school reunion, banquet and dance. Saturday 
kicked off with a parade and that will be followed by a day of 
entertainment featuring games, music, a three-on-three basketball 
tournament and a fireworks display that evening. The weekend will close 
with a church service and picnic on Sunday.
  I ask the U.S. Senate to join me in congratulating Lankin, ND, and 
its residents on their first 100 years and in wishing them well through 
the next century. By honoring Lankin and all the other historic small 
towns of North Dakota, we keep the pioneering tradition spirit alive 
for future generations. It is places such as Lankin that have helped to 
shape this country into what it is today, which is why Lankin is 
deserving of our recognition.
  Lankin has a proud past and a bright future.

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