Downtown in Sioux Falls in Minnehaha County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Raven Industries

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 21, 2016

1. Raven Industries Marker

Inscription. Manchester Biscuit Company was well known for its Big Sioux Biscuits and other treats, which it continued making until 1961 when the plant in Sioux Falls closed. That same year, Raven Industries purchased the building. Raven Industries was formed in 1956 by James Smith, Paul (Ed) Yost, Duwayne Thon, and Joseph Kaliszewski. They had worked together in Minneapolis, Minnesota for General Mills in their Aeronautical Research Laboratory. In Sioux Falls, Raven Industries first operated out of the old hospital building at the abandoned World War II airbase before moving into the Manchester building. In 1966, they added a second Sioux Falls location by building a new 30,000-square-foot facility near the airport.

During the 1970s, Raven produced and sold about 50 hot air balloons a year. By the 1980s, they were selling over 200 balloons every year. In 1986, ballooning had become so popular that Raven created a wholly-owned subsidiary, Aerostar Industries, to concentrate on the production of balloons. Aerostar ceased producing hot air balloons in 2007 due to a decreasing market and liability insurance costs.

Today, Raven Industries has four major divisions that carry out a diverse set of operations, from creating precision agriculture products and industrial electronic components to producing engineered films and aerostats for

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research, communications, and military intelligence.

Erected by Big Sioux River Recreation Trail and Greenway, and Siouxland Heritage Museums.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1961.

Location. 43° 33.036′ N, 96° 43.445′ W. Marker is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in Minnehaha County. It is in Downtown. Marker can be reached from North Cherapa Place south of East 6th Street. Marker is located along the Big Sioux River Recreation Trail, overlooking the river. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 300 North Cherapa Place, Sioux Falls SD 57103, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Manchester Biscuit Company (here, next to this marker); Industry (here, next to this marker); Railroads (a few steps from this marker); Quarries (within shouting distance of this marker); Flooding (within shouting distance of this marker); Recreation (within shouting distance of this marker); Urban Renewal (within shouting distance of this marker); Early Sioux Falls (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sioux Falls.

More about this marker. Marker is a large composite plaque, mounted at eye-level on a tall stone pillar.

Raven Industries Marker (<i>tall view; this marker bottom; related marker top</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 21, 2016

2. Raven Industries Marker (tall view; this marker bottom; related marker top)

Also see . . . About Raven Industries. Raven was founded in Sioux Falls, SD, in 1956 as a designer and manufacturer of high-altitude research balloons for the American space program to help solve the great challenges related to space exploration. From that single product line, we grew into a successful and highly diversified technology company. (Submitted on October 10, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Raven Industries Marker (<i>wide view; Raven Industries building across river, in background</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 21, 2016

3. Raven Industries Marker (wide view; Raven Industries building across river, in background)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 9, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 364 times since then and 33 times this year. Last updated on October 11, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 10, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.