congressional_record: CREC-1996-10-21-pt1-PgS12464-4
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| granule_id | date | congress | session | volume | issue | title | chamber | granule_class | sub_granule_class | page_start | page_end | speakers | bills | citation | full_text |
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| CREC-1996-10-21-pt1-PgS12464-4 | 1996-10-21 | 104 | 2 | HEARTFELT THANKS | SENATE | SENATE | ALLOTHER | S12464 | S12464 | [{"name": "Sheila Frahm", "role": "speaking"}] | 142 Cong. Rec. S12464 | Congressional Record, Volume 142 Issue 143 (Monday, October 21, 1996) [Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 143 (Monday, October 21, 1996)] [Senate] [Page S12464] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HEARTFELT THANKS Mrs. FRAHM. Mr. President, I want to take just a moment to extend my heartfelt thanks to Chairman Murkowski, Senator Johnston, and their respective staffs on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee for including the designation of Nicodemus, KS, as a national historic site in the omnibus parks bill. During the 1870's, Kansas was the scene of a great migration of southern blacks seeking their fortune in what some African-American leaders described as the ``Promised Land.'' One of the most important settlements founded during that time was Nicodemus. From sod ``burrows'' carved out of the prairie by the original ``colonists,'' Nicodemus flourished into a leading center of black culture and society through the turn of the century. Today, a cluster of five buildings is all that remains of that once vibrant community. National historic landmark status has not halted the gradual decay of this monument to the struggle of African-Americans for freedom and equality. In fact, in its report entitled ``Nicodemus, Kansas Special Resource Study,'' the National Park Service indicated that ``[i]f Nicodemus is not protected and preserved by a public or private entity, it seems inevitable that the historic structures will continue to deteriorate and eventually be razed.'' It was that finding that prompted Senator Dole's original legislation granting the town of Nicodemus, KS, national historic site status. Senators Dole and Kassebaum and Representative Roberts pursued historic site status for Nicodemus for years. As Kansans, they recognized that this little-known oasis of hope for blacks on the long road to true emancipation was on the verge of being lost forever to the ravages of time. Progress, however, was agonizingly slow. Familiar as I was with Nicodemus--it is located in my old Kansas senate district--I vowed to continue the fight. Ably assisted by Janet Sena, whom I was lucky enough to briefly inherit from Senator Dole, we piggybacked our freestanding bill onto the larger omnibus parks package to get it through the Senate and succeeded in incorporating it into the conference report to assure passage in the House. Now, after a long and arduous struggle, the fight is won and we have taken the essential step toward saving this unique piece of American history. Descendants of the original Nicodemus settlers are convinced that historic site status will give the town the prestige necessary to raise preservation funds. I agree. For them, and for myself, let me once again offer my thanks to all who made the inclusion of Nicodemus possible. ____________________ |