[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11657]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE CITY OF SPENCER, SOUTH DAKOTA

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to honor and publicly 
recognize the 125th anniversary of the founding of the city of Spencer, 
SD. On June 18, 2005, the citizens of Spencer will celebrate their 
city's proud past, as well as their hope for a promising future.
  Located in southeastern South Dakota, the origin of Spencer's name is 
a bit contentious. One story tells of an Indian Camp located exactly 
where the town of Spencer now sits. One tale has it that scouts from 
the Lewis and Clark expedition came across the Indian Camp in 1804, 
where they found an ill and weary Indian woman with her newborn baby. 
After nursing the two back to health, the woman gave the men a short 
jacket, known as a ``Spencer'' jacket, as a token of her gratitude. 
Additionally, she prophesied that a city would one day flourish there; 
decades later, her prophecy was fulfilled. The railroad came to Dakota 
Territory in 1887, and in the words of the Spencer News, the town 
``like a mushroom, sprang into existence.'' Similarly, the other 
account of Spencer's name asserts it was named for Hugh Spencer, the 
division superintendent of the Omaha Railroad.
  Platted in 1880, Spencer was officially incorporated into McCook 
County in 1917. Ever since E. L. Hunskaar opened the town's first 
railroad depot in 1887, the community has been home to a number of 
prosperous businesses and has supported farmers and ranchers across the 
region.
  Unfortunately, as many know, Spencer suffered a horrific tragedy in 
1998 when the most destructive tornado in South Dakota history, an F-4, 
devastated the region. On Saturday, May 30, the tornado ripped through 
the tiny town, killing six people and injuring over 150 of Spencer's 
320 residents. I remember peering over the city from a ladder on a 
Sioux Falls fire truck and thinking how much the terrible scene 
resembled a Civil War battlefield. Most of the houses were reduced to 
rubble; the post office, first station, library, bank, and multiple 
churches were all destroyed. Despite the devastation, Spencer's 
dedicated residents committed themselves to the rebuilding effort with 
undaunted determination. As a result of the residents' diligence and 
determination, Spencer commemorates its 125th anniversary as a proud 
and thriving town.
  In the twelve and a half decades since its founding, Spencer has 
proven its ability to flourish and survive. Spencer's proud residents 
celebrate its 125th anniversary on June 18, 2005, and it is with great 
pleasure that I share with my colleagues the achievements made by this 
remarkable and resilient community.

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