[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 14769-14770]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                125TH ANNIVERSARY OF BLUNT, SOUTH DAKOTA

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, today I recognize the community of 
Blunt, SD, on reaching the 125th anniversary of its founding. Blunt is 
a rural community infused with hospitality, beauty, and an exceptional 
quality of life.
  The city of Blunt was settled in 1884 and named after the chief 
engineer of the Chicago and Northwestern railway, Mr. John E. Blunt. 
Few early railroad towns in South Dakota were able to boast of the wide 
variety of early establishments, including 6 hotels, 12 grocers, 9 
lumber yards, 5 saloons, and 4 bakeries.
  Today, Blunt has come a long way from its days as a railroad supply 
center. The town still boasts a variety of businesses, including those 
in both the service and manufacturing sectors. The Graham Mentor Museum 
and the REA building are just two examples of continuous efforts to 
bring the community closer.
  The people of Blunt celebrate this momentous occasion on the weekend 
of June 26-28, 2009. South Dakota's small communities are the bedrock 
of our economy and vital to the future of our State. It is especially 
because of our small communities, and the feelings of loyalty and 
familiarity that they engender, that I am proud to call South Dakota 
home. Towns like Blunt and its citizens are no different and truly know 
what it means to be South Dakotan. One hundred and twenty-five years 
after its founding, Blunt remains a vital community and a great asset 
to the wonderful State of South Dakota. I am proud to honor Blunt on 
this historic milestone.

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