[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16274]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF WALL DRUG

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                         HON. STEPHANIE HERSETH

                            of south dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2006

  Ms. HERSETH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate a milestone in 
the history of one of South Dakota's and the nation's most beloved and 
recognizable roadside landmarks. This fall, the Wall Drug Store will be 
celebrating its 75th year of continuous operation near Badlands 
National Park in Wall, South Dakota. Each year, hundreds of thousands 
of weary road travelers simply follow the billboards to enjoy a 
refreshing glass of ice cold water and experience a bit of small-town 
South Dakota.
  Dorothy and Ted Hustead began their version of the American Dream 
when they moved to tiny Wall, South Dakota and purchased a drug store 
in 1931. The Husteads set out on their own in search of a small town 
with a Catholic church that needed a pharmacist and found it among the 
362 residents of Wall. At a time when much of the plains were 
devastated by drought and the depression, running a small business was 
a difficult enterprise. In 1936, Dorothy Hustead came up with the idea 
to put up signs along the road offering free ice water to travelers on 
the hot, dusty prairie. Well, the signs did the trick, and more and 
more travelers came by the store. So they put up more signs on the 
highway, and from that point on business was booming. Before long, the 
Husteads were serving upwards of 20,000 cups of ice water per day and 
they had signs and billboards for hundreds of miles in every direction. 
Today, Wall Drug signs appear all over the world, places such as 
London, Moscow, and even the South Pole.
  Seventy-five years after Wall Drug began, not much has changed. Wall 
is still a small town with a population of 818. Wall Drug is still run 
by a man named Ted Hustead, although he is the founder's grandson, and 
there is still a working pharmacist on site. However, Wall Drug now 
occupies 76,000 square feet and is one of the leading tourist 
attractions in South Dakota. The store has become a leading retailer of 
authentic western art and memorabilia, from cowboy boots to original 
oil paintings to ``genuine'' stuffed jackalopes. As such, it is a major 
part of the economy of western South Dakota, contributing tax revenue 
to the town and acting as one of Wall's major employers. In fact, in 
the summer, Wall Drug provides 230 jobs in this town of 818 people.
  I want to congratulate the Husteads and the community of Wall on the 
75th anniversary of Wall Drug. Wall Drug is an important part of our 
state's history, and I wish them the best on their next 75 years of 
success.
  Mr. Speaker, the next time you or any of my other colleagues find 
yourself in western South Dakota, on your way to visit Mount Rushmore 
or the Black Hills, I encourage you to stop by Wall Drug to enjoy a 
refreshing cup of ice water and take in a little bit of western 
culture. I assure you it won't be hard to find; just follow the signs.

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