Fifty Years Ago: Lack of Teamwork and Foresight Cost Madison Economic Development

Back in May, we asked if anyone could document the local lore that Senator Mundt could have brought I-29 to Madison if it hadn't been for opposition from local business interests afraid of losing shoppers to Sioux Falls.

Lo and behold, Madison's mainstream media checks in with just such evidence. In Thursday's editorial, MDL's owner-publisher Jon Hunter lays out the story. After finding an article announcing a tentative path for I-29 through Moody County instead of the expected Lake County route, Hunter spoke with Bob McCaughey, former aide to Senator Mundt. Our hometown senator had succeeded in pulling the proposed I-29 route east from Minnesota and planned to bring it right through Madison. Writes our man Hunter:

McCaughey said the proposal became divisive in Madison, with some businesspersons in favor of it, while others were adamantly opposed. Mundt was surprised by the disagreement and frustrated that he was caught in the middle.

Mundt decided that he wouldn't work to bring it to Madison anymore. Case didn't particularly care since we was from West River. But apparently political leaders in Brookings and Watertown worked to veer the final version west to come near their towns.

In the following decades, Brookings County and Watertown's Codington County experienced mostly steady population growth, while Lake County's population declined. Keeping I-29 out didn't keep business or residents here. Oops.

Hunter concludes by noting that the current drive to expand Highway 34 to a four-laner has not aroused the same divisiveness. (Unfortunately, it also does not have a well-placed champion like Senator Mundt.)

Dwelling on woulda-coulda-shoulda's doesn't do much good. And indeed, there's no guarantee that I-29 would have brought or kept more businesses here. However, our lack of cooperation and courage on the I-29 issue 50 years ago is a good reminder that when we look at possible economic change, we need to see not only the threats but also the opportunities.