[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12300]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE CITY OF RELIANCE, SOUTH DAKOTA

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, it is with great honor that I 
publicly recognize the 100th anniversary of the founding of the city of 
Reliance, SD. It is at this time that I would like to draw your 
attention to and commemorate the achievements and history of this 
charming city on the western prairie, which stands as an enduring 
tribute to the moral fortitude and pioneer spirit of the earliest 
Dakotans.
  Located in Lyman County in western South Dakota, the original town-
site of Reliance was plotted in the summer of 1905 after officials 
decided the new railroad's route would not include the already-
established towns in the area. As a result, a new town was created on 
the homestead of Mr. C.C. Herron in order to service the Milwaukee 
Railroad. This original town-site, located on the southwest quarter of 
Section 21, encompassed a mere eight blocks. However, several additions 
were made to this small city between 1905 and 1910 with the help of the 
Milwaukee Land Company. Today, the town is nearly one square mile in 
area.
  Reliance's early years proved to be incredibly prosperous. The Dirks 
Mercantile Company, a two-story building used for general store 
business and public gatherings, was a central part of life in the early 
years of this small city. An advertisement in the Lyman County Record 
stated that Dirks Mercantile Company ``would buy anything you wanted to 
sell and sell anything you wanted to buy.''
  Reliance grew rapidly and in less than a decade came to include two 
saloons, two blacksmith shops, two banks, two lumberyards, a livery 
barn, three stores, two hardware stores, one creamery, three elevators, 
one harness shop, one cafe, and two hotels.
  Like many small agricultural communities in the area, Reliance 
experienced a great deal of economic prosperity in the years after 
World War I. In 1918, the town became the first in Lyman County to 
provide a 4-year accredited high school.
  Today, Reliance is a popular fishing spot thanks to the dam built by 
the Works Project Administration (WPA) during the 1930s. The dam was 
heavily stocked with several species of fish and provides sportsmen 
with the opportunity to enjoy the recreational treasures of South 
Dakota.
  While the small city of Reliance boasted a population of 317 at its 
peak in 1920, the town has seen small declines in recent years, and is 
home to 206 residents today. Despite its small size, in the years since 
its founding, Reliance has proven its ability to thrive and serve 
farmers and ranchers throughout the region. The proud residents of 
Reliance will celebrate their vibrant history and the legacy of the 
pioneer spirit to which our small cities stand as a living shrine with 
its 100th anniversary on July 25, 2005.

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