[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8] [Senate] [Page 10663] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]BRADLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to the 125th anniversary of the founding of Bradley, SD. This small town has seen more than its fair share of hardships, but with strength and hard work, the citizens consistently band together to make the town an even better place to live and work. As the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad expanded, the company decided to build a settlement for the workers to get mail delivered. They called it Prairie Hill. Once trains began running, businesses began forming 2 miles south of the original location. With land donated from the McKinney family, Bradley was eventually formed. This small town quickly became a popular location for homesteaders and developed into the largest primary wheat market in the country. In 1891, a fire nearly destroyed the town. Only a couple of buildings and homes withstood the fire. This strong community rallied together to rebuild their town. Another fire struck in 1916, but 800 volunteers came together, using a bucket brigade to again save the town. Bradley acquired its name through an interesting turn of events. A group of laborers and a railroad official got in a brawl early one day. W.R. Bradley was visiting the town and saved the life of the chief engineer for construction. He was honored by having the town named after him. Like a lot of small towns formed in South Dakota at this time, Bradley started as a railroad stop but quickly became more. Bradley is a caring community of people who work together when times get tough. They will honor their historical milestone with a weekend celebration, including craft booth and a food booth, a 5K race, and a softball tournament. I wish them the best for their weekend and their future. ____________________