Box Elder, South Dakota

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History of Box Elder, SD

In the late 1800s, the present day Box Elder was only a fertile valley. Lone Tree, a few miles east of Box Elder, was a stop for the covered wagons and horsemen who were going from Fort Pierre to the Black Hills Stage and Wagon Road. In 1907, the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad built its track from Wasta to Rapid City. This was the beginning of the present day Box Elder. Box Elder got its name from the large number of boxelder trees (a.k.a. Ashleaf Maple - Acer Negundo) along Box Elder Creek which flows through the valley.

Originally a stop on the Milwaukee Railroad, Box Elder later became home to Ellsworth Air Force Base, a multi-wing, multi-mission defense base, now it is the home of the B1B Bomber. The skies over Box Elder are often filled with all types of military aircraft, B-1, B-2, T-38, T-37, helicopters, tankers, and all types of visiting aircraft from around the country. The Air and Space Museum is located just outside the gates of Ellsworth AFB. There are many types of aircraft on display at the museum; it is well worth your time to visit it.

South Dakota Air and Space Museum

The South Dakota Air and Space Museum is located in , just outside the main gate of Ellsworth AFB. The museum contains several static aircraft displays, a mock-up of a Minuteman II missile silo, B-1 and F-106 aircraft training simulators, and an exhibit Stratosphere Balloon Launch from the early 1930s.

Douglas School District

The Douglas School District consists of Badger Clark Elementary, Carrousel Preschool, Douglas High School, Douglas Middle School, Francis Case Elementary and Vandenberg Elementary. We also have administration, computer, maintenance, transportation and warehouse facilities. We are located in western South Dakota on the edge of the Black Hills and serve approximately 2400 Kindergarten through 12th grade students from Box Elder, Ellsworth Air Force Base, and the surrounding rural area.

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