RAPID CITY

city, seat of Pennington county, southwestern South Dakota, U.S. It lies at the eastern edge of the Black Hills on Rapid Creek, from which it derived its name. It was settled in 1876 during the Black Hills gold rush. Incorporated in 1882, the city has become a tourist and trade centre with industries based on mining (gold, silver, feldspar, gypsum, mica, uranium), lumbering, and agriculture. Its manufactures include cement, electronic equipment, pottery, and jewelry. The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology was founded there in 1885 and the National College in 1941. Geological, Sioux (Dakota) Indian, transportation, and historical museums are within the city, which is also the site of Ellsworth Air Force Base and the federal Sioux Indian Sanitorium. Nearby are Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Dinosaur Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Custer State Park, noted for its herds of bison, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, wild burros, and deer. Range Days, with a rodeo and carnival, is held annually in August. A cloudburst over the Black Hills in June 1972 triggered runoff floods that roared down Rapid Creek, killing at least 235 persons. Pop. (1991 prelim.) city, 55,070; Rapid City MSA, 82,158.