{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "rows": [["CREC-1996-10-21-pt1-PgS12464-4", "1996-10-21", 104, 2, null, null, "HEARTFELT THANKS", "SENATE", "SENATE", "ALLOTHER", "S12464", "S12464", "[{\"name\": \"Sheila Frahm\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "142 Cong. Rec. S12464", "Congressional Record, Volume 142 Issue 143 (Monday, October 21, 1996)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 143 (Monday, October 21, 1996)]\n[Senate]\n[Page S12464]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                            HEARTFELT THANKS\n\n Mrs. FRAHM. Mr. President, I want to take just a moment to\nextend my heartfelt thanks to Chairman Murkowski, Senator Johnston, and\ntheir respective staffs on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee\nfor including the designation of Nicodemus, KS, as a national historic\nsite in the omnibus parks bill.\n  During the 1870's, Kansas was the scene of a great migration of\nsouthern blacks seeking their fortune in what some African-American\nleaders described as the ``Promised Land.'' One of the most important\nsettlements founded during that time was Nicodemus. From sod\n``burrows'' carved out of the prairie by the original ``colonists,''\nNicodemus flourished into a leading center of black culture and society\nthrough the turn of the century.\n  Today, a cluster of five buildings is all that remains of that once\nvibrant community. National historic landmark status has not halted the\ngradual decay of this monument to the struggle of African-Americans for\nfreedom and equality. In fact, in its report entitled ``Nicodemus,\nKansas Special Resource Study,'' the National Park Service indicated\nthat ``[i]f Nicodemus is not protected and preserved by a public or\nprivate entity, it seems inevitable that the historic structures will\ncontinue to deteriorate and eventually be razed.'' It was that finding\nthat prompted Senator Dole's original legislation granting the town of\nNicodemus, KS, national historic site status.\n  Senators Dole and Kassebaum and Representative Roberts pursued\nhistoric site status for Nicodemus for years. As Kansans, they\nrecognized that this little-known oasis of hope for blacks on the long\nroad to true emancipation was on the verge of being lost forever to the\nravages of time. Progress, however, was agonizingly slow. Familiar as I\nwas with Nicodemus--it is located in my old Kansas senate district--I\nvowed to continue the fight. Ably assisted by Janet Sena, whom I was\nlucky enough to briefly inherit from Senator Dole, we piggybacked our\nfreestanding bill onto the larger omnibus parks package to get it\nthrough the Senate and succeeded in incorporating it into the\nconference report to assure passage in the House.\n  Now, after a long and arduous struggle, the fight is won and we have\ntaken the essential step toward saving this unique piece of American\nhistory. Descendants of the original Nicodemus settlers are convinced\nthat historic site status will give the town the prestige necessary to\nraise preservation funds. I agree. For them, and for myself, let me\nonce again offer my thanks to all who made the inclusion of Nicodemus\npossible.\n\n                          ____________________"]], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "primary_key_values": ["CREC-1996-10-21-pt1-PgS12464-4"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.3994221333414316, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}