List of mayors of Rapid City, South Dakota
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
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
^ Hasselstrom, Linda M. (1994). Roadside History of South Dakota . Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Publishing Company . p. 331 . ISBN 0-87842-262-5 .
^ "John Richard Brennan" . Rapid City Library. Retrieved October 25, 2015 .
^ "Fred E. Stearns" . Rapid City Library. Retrieved October 25, 2015 .
^ "Types of City Governments and Home Rule (Rapid City)" . Black Hills Knowledge Network. April 21, 2014.
^ a b Holland, Jim (October 6, 2015). "Council approves longer mayoral, council terms" . Rapid City Journal . Retrieved November 3, 2015 .
^ Huntington, Stewart (June 6, 2019). "Former mayors agree: A 4 year term is the way to go" . kotatv.com .
^ Borst, John C. (1984), The John R Brennan Family Papers at the South Dakota Historical Resource Center (PDF) , South Dakota State Historical Society
^ 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" .
^ 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
^ "Rapid City Daily Hugh Lindsay November 29, 1891" . Rapid City Journal . November 29, 1891. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
^ "More colleagues of Mark Twain's" . Elko Daily Free Press . September 9, 1997. p. 24 – via newspapers.com.
^ "John Frederick Schrader obituary" . Lead Daily Call . June 16, 1934. p. 1 – via newspapers.com.
^ Kessloff, Jean (2012). "The Dead Have Tales to Tell" . The Weekly News Historic Rapid City. Retrieved March 13, 2024 .
^ "Hon. Chauncey L. Wood". Rapid City Journal . January 18, 1911.
^ "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 .
^ "Died at age of 83" . Sioux City Journal . January 7, 1899. Retrieved March 18, 2024 .
^ "Full Ticket Is Placed In Nomination" . Sioux City Journal . September 25, 1902. Retrieved March 18, 2024 .
^ "Renewal of Challenge Deadwood" . Black Hills Daily Register . November 2, 1910. Retrieved March 18, 2024 .
^ "Feb 23, 1912, page 1 - The Black Hills Weekly Journal at Newspapers.com" . Newspapers.com .
^ "F. N. Emrick dies in Germantown" . January 13, 1930. Retrieved March 18, 2024 .
^ Farrar, Sally (February 21, 1976). "Jackson left enduring gift: Canyon Lake site" . Rapid City Journal . p. 61. Retrieved March 14, 2024 .
^ Kingsbury, George W. (1915). History of Dakota Territory . Vol. 4. pp. 587–588.
^ "Harry Wentzy, Rapid City mayor, killed himself yesterday" . The Weekley Pioneer-Times . February 7, 1924. Retrieved March 19, 2024 .
^ "Suicide Harry Wentzy, mayor of Rapid City" . The Black Hills Weekly . February 6, 1924. Retrieved March 19, 2024 .
^ https://www.newspapers.com/image/351772299/?terms=Charles%20Doherty&match=1
^ "Former Mayor Robert S. Hill succumbs Sunday" . Rapid City Journal . July 6, 1970. Retrieved March 18, 2024 .
^ a b "Former city mayor Fred Dusek dies at 83" . Rapid City Journal . May 23, 1984. Retrieved March 18, 2024 .
^ a b "1984: Deaths" . Rapid City Journal . December 30, 1984. Retrieved March 18, 2024 .
^ "Legacy of Achievement: Hall of Fame Inductee Earl Brockelsby" . South Dakota Hall of Fame.
^ "Dakota Midday: Sam Hurst's Earl Brockelsby Biography" . South Dakota Public Broadcasting. May 11, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2024 .
^ https://www.newspapers.com/image/350944407/?terms=Augustus%20Haines%20died&match=1
^ "City names poverty director" . Rapid City Journal . August 5, 1965. Retrieved March 22, 2024 .
^ "City receives funds for study of local war against poverty" . Rapid City Journal . July 2, 1965. Retrieved March 22, 2024 .
^ a b "Donald Barnett - SD Hall of Fame Programs" . sdexcellence.org .
^ 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.
^ "South Dakota History, volume 47 number 2" . South Dakota Historical Society Press . June 9, 2017.
^ "Legacy Arthur "Art" LaCroix - SD Hall of Fame Programs" . sdexcellence.org .
^ "Article clipped from Rapid City Journal" . Rapid City Journal . 17 June 1989. p. 1.
^ staff, Journal (April 6, 2023). "Former Rapid City mayor dies Thursday at his home" . Rapid City Journal .
^ "Former Rapid City Mayor Jerry Munson died Thursday" . KELO. April 6, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024 .
^ "Former Rapid City Mayor Jerry Munson dies" . KEVN. April 6, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024 .
^ "Jerry Munson, former Rapid City Mayor, passes away" . KBHB. April 6, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024 .
^ "Steve Allender says goodbye to title of Rapid City mayor" . SDPB . July 6, 2023.
^ https://listen.sdpb.org/politics/2023-08-19/meet-rapid-citys-new-mayor
^ Rippentrop, Kay; Malone, Sandra. "Mayoral History of Rapid City" . Black Hills Knowledge Network with mayoral biographies from Rapid City Library. Retrieved October 25, 2015 .