Rapid City is a town in southwest Manitoba

Manitoba

Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 located about 30km north of Brandon, Manitoba

Brandon, Manitoba

Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...

. Rapid City is situated in the Rural Municipality of Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan, Manitoba

Saskatchewan is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. The separately administered town of Rapid City is located within its southeast section.-External links:*...

 and is built on the banks of the Little Saskatchewan River

Little Saskatchewan River

The Little Saskatchewan River is a river in western Manitoba. It originates in Riding Mountain National Park at Lake Audy and flows about south through the communities of Minnedosa and Rapid City. Its approximate length is 185 km. It joins the Assiniboine River about west of Brandon. The...

. The town is a small farming community with a population of about five hundred people. The dam and reservoir in Rapid City were built by the province in 1961, the reservoir stores 200 acre.ft and provides a water supply and recreational facility for the town.

History

In the 1870s as the railroad expanded, settlers were drawn to the area to build their homes and set up their businesses. The town was originally called Rolston's Colony (after John Rolston, an early settler). Around 1877 it was decided to rename the town Rapid City. Since the town was on the banks of the Little Saskatchewan River and it was a "rapid stream" they chose Rapid and city reflecting the optimism of those early settlers. During the 1880s many awaited the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway

Canadian Pacific Railway

The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...

 lines Canadian transcontinental railway that would bring with it a certain building boom. While people assumed that the projected northerly route away from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba

Portage la Prairie, Manitoba

-Transportation:Portage la Prairie railway station is served by Via Rail with both The Canadian and Winnipeg – Churchill trains calling at the station....

 would take it through Rapid City and it's narrow river crossing, the route suddenly changed to a more westerly route. This brought it through the location of present day Brandon, Manitoba

Brandon, Manitoba

Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...

 resulting in the boom and growth of that city.

Education

Rapid City Elementary School provides K-8 education for children in the town, and is part of the Rolling River School Division.

External links

• Map of Rapid City at Statcan