50 years ago in Rapid City, South Dakota a young newlywed couple settled into a small house on the banks of Rapid Creek. Far from home and their families this was new territory for both. Tucked close to the Black Hills this area is full of wild west history, a gold rush, Lakota Indian, General Custer, bison, and prong horn, badlands, and prairies. With snowy cold winters and sticky hot summers this midwestern state would take some getting used too. Russ and Bette were raised in the mild climate of the California valley but were starting their life together in this land of colorful history and unpredictable weather.
Rapid City
Rapid City was founded in 1876 but was known as “Hay Camp” as a recent discovery of gold in the Black Hills had prompted a group of miners to build the “Gateway to the Black Hills”. Later the name changed to Rapid City, after the spring fed Rapid Creek that would flow through it. This town would become a natural hub to the miners and pioneers moving through the area and later to the railroad. While Rapid City had it’s times of boom and bust it became a neccesary trade center of the midwest.
Thanks to well known wild west figures like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane the Black HIlls had become a popular tourist destination that continued with the invent of the automobile. By 1927 the construction of Mount Rushmore had begun and tourism got this little city through the depression. The rations of WWII, however, severely affected travel in the U.S. and Rapid City’s tourism plummeted. It’s war related industry, though, would once again turn around the economy and keep this little town thriving.
The Rapid City Army Air Base was built in the early 1940’s and was a great economic boost to the city. The population of Rapid City grew by nearly 10,000 people to 27,000 by 1948. Though growth was slowing during the 1960’s local businesses would benefit from the base personal. In 1968 Rapid City’s population was around 44,000. It was wartime, the Vietnam war, and Russ was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base (Originally the Rapid City Army Air Base) while his new bride was carrying their first child.
The couple would move to 432 St Louis st where Russ could toss a stone from the house into Rapid Creek. Here they would bring home their baby girl. The money was tight and they could splurge on one 6 pack of beer a month but soon they were able to move to a bigger space in an apartment complex along with other airmen from the base. The winters in Rapid City were cold and brutal with hail sometimes the size of golf balls. Russ would bring the car battery inside at night so that he could start the car in the morning. It was different than they were used too and they missed the support of their families.
In the late fall of 1971, when his 4 years in the military were complete, Russ and Bette would leave Rapid City, South Dakota to return to family and friends in Northern California. It was just a short 7 months later that Rapid City would be hit with the greatest natural disaster in the states history and the Rapid City that they had known would never be the same again.
Change is Inevitable
It was June 9, 1972 when the rains started falling. A record 15 inches fell in just 6 hours in the Black Hills just above Rapid City. Upon talking to locals about this event it was reported that weather balloons had been used to seed the clouds that day, although I could find no official information on that. This dumping of water sent a wall of water flowing down the creeks in the hills. Then while the towns people slept Canyon Lake Dam, just to the west of Rapid City, would break and a second much larger wave of water raged down the mountain and into the city via Rapid Creek. Houses, cars, and people who were situated along the creek would be washed down stream. 238 people would lose their lives and over 100 million in property damage devasted Rapid City.
The flood of 1972 washed away Russ and Bette’s first home in Rapid City. Today St. Louis st. no longer exisits as it was in the flood plains. This event in Rapid City was a wake up call to cities around America and today homes and businesses are not allowed to be built in this flood plain. In Rapid City a park and golf course exisit along the banks of Rapid Creek as a memorial to those who lost their lives that day.
Rapid City is actually part of treaty between the United States and the Sioux Nation that guaranteed the Black Hills to the Sioux but was never honored by the U.S. government. In 1980 money was offered to the tribe as retribution but was turned down by the natives as it would validate the theft of their land. This dispute has never been rectified.
Today Rapid City is mainly a tourist town. With two national parks, a wildlife rich state park, historical mining towns, Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments, and the amazingly beautiful Black Hills, there is much to see and do in Rapid City’s backyard. Ellsworth Airforce Base is still nearby and recently Sanford Laboratory bought the successful Homestake Mine site to conduct experiments deep under ground lending Rapid City to have a future great scientific advancements.
As for Russ and Bette, they are still hanging out in the Sacramento, California area and I am the baby born at Ellsworth Airforce Base 50 years ago. The visit to my birth place has been fantastic. Whenever we find new places we discover something about our past or even ourselves. No longer is the vision of flat prairie lands when I think about South Dakota. Now I will say with pride that I am a South Dakotan native and will gladly invite you to explore this land rich with history and beauty.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_City,_South_Dakota
https://www.npr.org/2012/06/08/154576917/disastrous-s-d-flood-caused-national-wake-up-call