Washington, DC — U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) recognized Blunt on the 125th anniversary of its founding this month. Johnson entered a statement in the Congressional Record highlighting the milestone.
“Small communities like Blunt are the cornerstone of our state. I am honored to highlight this milestone for the local community with a statement in the Congressional Record,” Johnson said.
Full text of the Congressional Record Statement from Johnson below:
Mr. President, today I rise to recognize the community of Blunt, South Dakota 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 six hotels, twelve grocers, nine lumber yards, five saloons, and four 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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For more information on Senator Tim Johnson visit his website at http://johnson.senate.gov. To contact Senator Johnson’s communications office via e-mail, write his Communications Director at Julianne_Fisher@Johnson.Senate.gov
or his Deputy Communications Director at Jeff_Gohringer@Johnson.Senate.gov
