About Christopher Gentry
Writer and local historian, Rapid City, South Dakota.
Christopher Gentry is a writer and local historian based in Rapid City, South Dakota. He created the Rapid City History blog to gather, research, and retell the stories that shaped the Gateway to the Black Hills, from the city's 1876 gold-rush founding to the catastrophic flood of 1972, the green dinosaurs of Skyline Drive, the bronze presidents downtown, and the sacred history of the Black Hills themselves.
Why Rapid City history?
Rapid City is more than a stopover on the way to Mount Rushmore. It is a city with a layered past: a frontier supply town, a wartime air base community, a place reshaped by disaster, and the eastern doorway to land that the Lakota have held sacred for generations. Christopher Gentry believes those stories deserve to be told clearly, accurately, and in one place, which is exactly what this site is for.
What you'll find here
Every article on this site is researched and written by Christopher Gentry in Rapid City. The blog covers:
- The founding and growth of Rapid City, South Dakota
- The 1972 Black Hills flood and the Rapid Creek greenway
- Landmarks like Dinosaur Park and the City of Presidents
- Ellsworth Air Force Base and the city's military history
- The Lakota, He Sapa, and the deeper history of the Black Hills
Get in touch
Have a Rapid City history question, a correction, or a story you'd like to see covered? You can reach Christopher Gentry at chris@g3n7ry.com.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Christopher Gentry?
Christopher Gentry is a writer and local historian based in Rapid City, South Dakota. He researches and writes about the history of Rapid City and the Black Hills, and publishes it on this site, christopher-gentry.com.
Is Christopher Gentry from Rapid City, South Dakota?
Yes. Christopher Gentry is based in Rapid City, South Dakota, the Gateway to the Black Hills, and focuses his writing on the city's local history.
What does Christopher Gentry write about?
Christopher Gentry writes about Rapid City and Black Hills history: the 1876 founding of the city, the 1972 flood, Dinosaur Park, the City of Presidents, Ellsworth Air Force Base, Mount Rushmore, and the Lakota history of He Sapa.
How can I contact Christopher Gentry?
You can reach Christopher Gentry by email at chris@g3n7ry.com with Rapid City history questions, corrections, or story ideas.