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Place Name
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Rapid City
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Place Status (Type)
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city
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Capital Of
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of Pennington County
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Population
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54,523 (1990)
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Location
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Pennington County, South Dakota (SD), United States, North America
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Latitude
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unknown
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Longitude
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unknown
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Rapid City
, city (1990 pop. 54,523),  of Pennington
co., SW S.Dak., on Rapid Creek, in an irrigated farm region served by
the Bureau of Reclamation's Rapid Valley project. It is the trade and
transportation center of an extensive lumbering, ranching, and mining
(gold, silver, feldspar, bentonite, mica, and uranium) area. The
growing city has flour mills and firms that make jewelry, cement, and
lumber. Mfg. (wood millwork, wooden furniture; mat boards, sand and
gravel; small arms ammunition and gun stocks; gold and silver jewelry;
dairy prods., lumber, meat prods., display stands, packaging; concrete
and steel fabrication, construction materials; doors; limestone
prods.). Ellsworth Air Force Base to NE, a major air command
installation, is a major source of employment. The city is also the
tourist center of the Black Hills and the gateway to many attractions,
including Mt. Rushmore Natl. Memorial & Custer State Park (to SW), the
Badlands Natl. Park (to SE), and Wind Cave Natl. Park. S.Dak. School of
Mines and Technology, and Mus. of Geology, 2 nursing schools, the Natl.
Col. of Business, and the Sioux Indian mus. are in Rapid City. In June
1972, the city was struck by a severe flash flood after heavy rains,
killing more than 200 people. Rapid City Regional Airport to SE.
Creghorn Springs Fish Hatchery to SW; S.Dak. Natl. Guard Camp. Founded
1876 after the discovery of gold nearby, inc. 1882.
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