[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16272]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTE TO THE SESQUICENTENNIAL OF THE CITY OF BRODHEAD, WISCONSIN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TAMMY BALDWIN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2006

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to 
recognize the sesquicentennial celebration of the city of Brodhead, 
Wisconsin. I am indeed fortunate to represent such a great city.
  Brodhead is a proud and progressive community of 3,200 found in the 
beautiful countryside of southern Wisconsin. This peaceful city offers 
several unique tourist attractions. The most notable is the 23-mile 
long Sugar River Bike Trail, which includes a ride under the National 
Award Winning Clarence Covered Bridge replica constructed by the 
Brodhead Jaycees. Brodhead sponsors an annual festival in honor of the 
bridge, Covered Bridge Days, which features a tractor pull and flea 
market.
  The city was formally founded during the spring of 1856, and named in 
honor of engineer Edward Brodhead, who was the mastermind behind the 
Milwaukee and Minnesota Railroad. Only a year later the infamous 
Brodhead Band was founded. The bandwagon was pulled by six horses and 
traveled far to Freeport, Illinois, for the Lincoln-Douglas debate. 
They even enlisted in the Civil War and marched in the Grand Review in 
Washington at the end of the war.
  Residents point to the Half-Way Tree as their city's most recognized 
feature. The bur oak tree is located south of the city, and marks the 
halfway point from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. It is 
believed that Native Americans planted the tree purposefully there in 
the 19th century.
  Brodhead's rich history in manufacturing and industry has and 
continues to provide the city with a solid economic foundation. Most 
recently, Stoughton Trailers, Kuhn Knight, Inc., and Woodbridge 
Corporation have helped to contribute to Brodhead's prosperity.
  The celebration for this momentous milestone will start on August 11 
with an opening ceremony followed by a city-wide street dance. The 
residents of Brodhead will continue to commemorate 150 years through 
the weekend, finishing on August 13 with tractor pulls and fireworks. 
The festivities' theme of ``Pride in the Past, Faith in the Future'' is 
a perfect representation of all that this wonderful city encompasses. 
The people of Brodhead deserve recognition for their great 
contributions to the state of Wisconsin, and I congratulate them on 
reaching this historic benchmark.

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