[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9749-9750]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            SIDNEY, MONTANA

 Mr. WALSH. Mr. President, I wish to recognize a town in 
eastern Montana with a story that reflects the American dream. In the 
19th century, pioneers settled in Sidney, MT, chasing prosperity along 
the banks of the Yellowstone River.
  Throughout the years Sidney has seen booms in agriculture and energy 
development, but through it all one thing has remained constant; the 
people who call Sidney home share the core values of service, honesty, 
and the willingness to help a neighbor in need.
  Today, Sidney, Montana celebrates its 100th anniversary--100 years of 
ingenuity, 100 years of prosperity, and 100 years of history.
  When pioneers first settled in eastern Montana they were not 
guaranteed prosperity, but they brought with them a strong work ethic. 
Before Sidney was even incorporated, the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation 
Project canal was dug and with their new access to water, the dry land 
farmers were given a lifeline to irrigate crops and develop the plains. 
The pioneer farmers were taming an area of the country many thought 
couldn't be tamed.
  Today, agriculture producers from Richland County continue to grow 
the crops and raise the cattle that feed the world--working the land 
the same way those before them did.
  In the 1970s Sidney went through period of change. The world was now 
hungry for oil and Sidney, MT, was there to answer that call. Through 
the decade to follow Sidney boomed with energy through a period of 
prosperity.
  With the recent increase in hydraulic fracturing, Sidney once again 
is at the center of an unmatched energy boom. With the development of 
the Bakken Formation, Sidney enters the newest chapter of its story.
  Agriculture and energy has affected many families in Sidney, but one 
thing has remained the same. The people of Sidney remain good neighbors 
and they continue to stabilize a region that has grown accustomed to 
change.
  I congratulate Sidney for its contributions to our State, our Nation, 
and the world. We look forward to the next century being as exciting as 
the last.

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