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List of mayors of Rapid City, South Dakota

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Rapid City, South Dakota was founded in 1876[1] and was run by a village board of trustees until 1882, when John Richard Brennan, a member of the board and cofounder of the city, was chosen as mayor.[2] Two months after the city was incorporated, Fred E. Stearns was elected mayor.[3] The first form of elected government was mayor–council with an elected strong mayor. From 1910 to 1922, a city commission government was used. Later that year, the system of government was changed to council–manager. Rapid City returned to a mayor–council government in 1957.[4] The Rapid City Council chose to extend the mayoral term to four years in 2015, and the change took effect in 2019.[5] Former mayors Edward R. McLaughlin and Jim Shaw agreed with the change.[6] There is no term limit.[5]

List

[edit]
Name (term) Term Began Term End Notes
John Richard Brennan 1882 1883 (1848–1919) One of four founders of the city in 1876[7][8]
Fred E. Stearns 1883 1884 [9] Known as the "cattle king of the foothills"[10]
James Halley II 1884 1886 (1854–1920)
Andrew Jackson Simmons 1886 1887 (1834–1920) Born in New York, Simmons joined the California gold fields in 1853. He was speaker of territorial legislature of Nevada and mined at Alder Gulch in Montana in 1860's. He was colleague of Mark Twain.[11] He was appointed Special Agent and titled Major by President Grant to obtain a right of way for railroad on a reservation, negotiating with Sitting Bull and other chiefs. In 1872, he took a part of the tribe members to Washington; Grant gave each an 1871 peace medal. Major Simmons was appointed Indian Agent at Milk River Agency Montana Territory. He arrived in Deadwood in 1878 engaging in mining activities including the Echo near Maitland. In 1882 he purchased 160 acres near the town site of Rapid City and built the Park Hotel. He donated land for the Missouri Valley Railroad.
John F. Schrader 1887 1888 (1855–1934)[12]
David H. Clark 1888 1890 (1855–1891)[13]
James Moses Woods 1890 1894 [8]
Chauncey Lynch Wood (1) 1894 1896 First mayor to serve separate terms[8] (1851–1911) Born in Jones County, Iowa; graduated from law school in 1875 and moved to Rapid City in 1878. Later moved to Seattle, where he died.[14] Admitted to practice law before the United States Department of the Interior in 1901,[15] also served as state's attorney in Pennington County.[16] Was affiliated with the Socialist Party of America during the 1902 United States elections,[17] represented the Democratic Party in the 1910 South Dakota gubernatorial election.[18]
Valentine McGillycuddy 1896 1898 [8] (1849–1939)
George B. Mansfield 1898 1899
Chauncey Lynch Wood (2) 1899 1900 [8]
Charles Wellington Brown 1900 1902 (1859–1912)[19]
Ferdinand N. Emrick 1902 1908 Dentist (d. 1930)[20]
Chauncey Lynch Wood (3) 1908 1910 [8]
Robert J. Jackson 1910 1912 [21]
Fred H. Rugg 1912 1914 Progressive Party presidential elector in 1912[22]
William E. Robinson 1914 1918
John L. Burke 1919 1920
Claude E. Gray 1920 1922 [9]
Harry Wentzy 1922 1924 Died in office[23][24]
John Abram Boland 1924 1925 (1884–1958)
Charles Tittle 1925 1926
Arthur Lampert 1926 1927
Victor Jepson 1927 1928
Eugene Bangs 1928 1929
Theodore B. Werner 1929 1930 [8] (1892–1989)
Winfield Morrill 1930 1931
Melville Babington 1931 1932
Fred Merritt 1933 1934
Charles Leroy Doherty 1934 1936 (1889–1979)[25]
Norbert De Kerchove 1937 1938
Robert S. Hill 1938 1943 (1883–1970)[26]
Therlo Burrington 1943 1944
Stanton Neil 1944 1946
Fred Dusek (1) 1946 1948 [8] (1900–1984) Member of the Rapid City Common Council (1936–1947)[27][28]
Earl Brockelsby 1948 1949 Founded the Black Hills Reptile Gardens[29][30]
Isaac Chase 1949 1951
Augustus Haines 1951 1953 (1900–1991)[31]
Montford Wasser 1953 1954
Harry R. Johnson 1954 1955
Don L'Esperance 1955 1956 (1919–2008)
Henry Jay Baker (1) 1956 1957 [8]
Fred Dusek (2) 1957 1961 [8] Second and third terms. After serving his third term, also ran for the office in 1965 and 1975.[27][28]
Willis Raff 1961 1963
Phil Schroeder 1963 1965 introduced poverty reduction initiatives[32][33]
Henry Jay Baker (2) 1965 1969 [8]
Jack Allmon 1969 1970
John Barnes 1970 1971
Donald V. Barnett 1971 1975 Mayor at time of the Black Hills Flood of 1972, also known as the Rapid City Flood, with a death toll of more than 200[34][35][36]
Arthur Lacroix 1975 1987 [37][34]
Keith Carlyle 1987 1991 [38]
Edward R. McLaughlin 1991 1997 (born 1928)
Jim Shaw (1) 1997 2001 [8](born 1946)
Jerry Munson 2001 2003 (1955–2023)[39] member and president of the Rapid City Common Council (1999–2001)[40] owned a fishing boat dealership and outdoor advertising agency[41][42]
Jim Shaw (2) 2003 2007 [8]
Alan Hanks 2007 2011 (born 1960)
Sam Kooiker 2011 2015 (born 1974)
Steve Allender 2015 2023 [43]
Jason Salamun 2023 [44]
References:[45]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Hasselstrom, Linda M. (1994). Roadside History of South Dakota. Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Publishing Company. p. 331. ISBN 0-87842-262-5.
  2. ^ "John Richard Brennan". Rapid City Library. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  3. ^ "Fred E. Stearns". Rapid City Library. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  4. ^ "Types of City Governments and Home Rule (Rapid City)". Black Hills Knowledge Network. April 21, 2014.
  5. ^ a b Holland, Jim (October 6, 2015). "Council approves longer mayoral, council terms". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  6. ^ Huntington, Stewart (June 6, 2019). "Former mayors agree: A 4 year term is the way to go". kotatv.com.
  7. ^ Borst, John C. (1984), The John R Brennan Family Papers at the South Dakota Historical Resource Center (PDF), South Dakota State Historical Society
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Rapid City Municipal Election: History, Fast Facts & Recent Results; Rapid City South Dakota".
  9. ^ a b https://www.rcgov.org/index.php?option=com_docman&view=download&alias=21605-a-riding-and-walking-tour-of-the-west-boulevard-historic-district&category_slug=historic-preservation&Itemid=149
  10. ^ "Rapid City Daily Hugh Lindsay November 29, 1891". Rapid City Journal. November 29, 1891. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "More colleagues of Mark Twain's". Elko Daily Free Press. September 9, 1997. p. 24 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "John Frederick Schrader obituary". Lead Daily Call. June 16, 1934. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Kessloff, Jean (2012). "The Dead Have Tales to Tell". The Weekly News Historic Rapid City. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  14. ^ "Hon. Chauncey L. Wood". Rapid City Journal. January 18, 1911.
  15. ^ "Chauncey L. Wood and Charles J. Buell of Rapid City, S. were to-day admitted to practice before the interior department as attorneys". The Washburn Leader. June 22, 1901. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  16. ^ "Died at age of 83". Sioux City Journal. January 7, 1899. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  17. ^ "Full Ticket Is Placed In Nomination". Sioux City Journal. September 25, 1902. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  18. ^ "Renewal of Challenge Deadwood". Black Hills Daily Register. November 2, 1910. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  19. ^ "Feb 23, 1912, page 1 - The Black Hills Weekly Journal at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "F. N. Emrick dies in Germantown". January 13, 1930. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  21. ^ Farrar, Sally (February 21, 1976). "Jackson left enduring gift: Canyon Lake site". Rapid City Journal. p. 61. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  22. ^ Kingsbury, George W. (1915). History of Dakota Territory. Vol. 4. pp. 587–588.
  23. ^ "Harry Wentzy, Rapid City mayor, killed himself yesterday". The Weekley Pioneer-Times. February 7, 1924. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  24. ^ "Suicide Harry Wentzy, mayor of Rapid City". The Black Hills Weekly. February 6, 1924. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  25. ^ https://www.newspapers.com/image/351772299/?terms=Charles%20Doherty&match=1
  26. ^ "Former Mayor Robert S. Hill succumbs Sunday". Rapid City Journal. July 6, 1970. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  27. ^ a b "Former city mayor Fred Dusek dies at 83". Rapid City Journal. May 23, 1984. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  28. ^ a b "1984: Deaths". Rapid City Journal. December 30, 1984. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  29. ^ "Legacy of Achievement: Hall of Fame Inductee Earl Brockelsby". South Dakota Hall of Fame.
  30. ^ "Dakota Midday: Sam Hurst's Earl Brockelsby Biography". South Dakota Public Broadcasting. May 11, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  31. ^ https://www.newspapers.com/image/350944407/?terms=Augustus%20Haines%20died&match=1
  32. ^ "City names poverty director". Rapid City Journal. August 5, 1965. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  33. ^ "City receives funds for study of local war against poverty". Rapid City Journal. July 2, 1965. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  34. ^ a b "Donald Barnett - SD Hall of Fame Programs". sdexcellence.org.
  35. ^ Times, Anthony Ripley Special to The New York (June 12, 1972). "DEATHS PASS 200 IN DAKOTA FLOOD; SEARCH GOES ON". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  36. ^ "South Dakota History, volume 47 number 2". South Dakota Historical Society Press. June 9, 2017.
  37. ^ "Legacy Arthur "Art" LaCroix - SD Hall of Fame Programs". sdexcellence.org.
  38. ^ "Article clipped from Rapid City Journal". Rapid City Journal. 17 June 1989. p. 1.
  39. ^ staff, Journal (April 6, 2023). "Former Rapid City mayor dies Thursday at his home". Rapid City Journal.
  40. ^ "Former Rapid City Mayor Jerry Munson died Thursday". KELO. April 6, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  41. ^ "Former Rapid City Mayor Jerry Munson dies". KEVN. April 6, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  42. ^ "Jerry Munson, former Rapid City Mayor, passes away". KBHB. April 6, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  43. ^ "Steve Allender says goodbye to title of Rapid City mayor". SDPB. July 6, 2023.
  44. ^ https://listen.sdpb.org/politics/2023-08-19/meet-rapid-citys-new-mayor
  45. ^ Rippentrop, Kay; Malone, Sandra. "Mayoral History of Rapid City". Black Hills Knowledge Network with mayoral biographies from Rapid City Library. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
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