Rushmore Rotarian Pat Roseland presented at today's meeting, sharing his research on artist Emmet Sullivan, the creator of Dinosaur Park in Rapid City.
Dinosaur Park, located high on a ridge overlooking Rapid City, features a variety of dinosaur sculptures. The park was a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project and Sullivan, a local artist who had formerly worked in North Dakota as a lawyer, was commissioned to create it.
Construction began in March 1936. Sullivan devised his own system of construction, setting two inches of black pipe in cement for the framework and covering it with steel mesh and more concrete.
Dinosaur Park was dedicated on June 1, 1937. The park has been a mainstay of Rapid City ever since.
In 2024, the park received $3.6 million in upgrades, including accessible pedestrian routes, safety railings and rest areas along the trail.
Thank you Pat for sharing this interesting Rapid City history.