Near Rockerville in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Explorer II
Photographed by Connor Olson, April 22, 2018
1. Explorer II Marker
of the Stratobowl below
on November 11, 1935
The Stratosphere Balloon
Explorer II
rose to the world altitude
record of 72,395 feet
under the joint auspices of
The U.S. Army Air Corps
Major General Oscar Westover, Chief of Air Corps
Brigadier General Henry H. Arnold, Asst. Chief of Air Corps
and
the National Geographic Society
Gilbert Grosvenor, President
Lyman J. Briggs, Chairman, Committee on Research
Commander and scientific observer
Captain Orvil A. Anderson, Air Corps
Pilot
This Plaque dedicated on
the Twentieth Anniversary of
the Flight of Explorer II
November 11, 1955
Erected 1955.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Air & Space. A significant historical date for this entry is November 11, 1935.
Location. 43° 58.747′ N, 103° 20.601′ W. Marker is near Rockerville, South Dakota, in Pennington County. It can be reached from Stratobowl Road (County Road L235) 1.3 miles north of U.S. 16. Located at an overlook on the Stratobowl Trail. Touch for map.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in South Dakota’s West River, in the Badlands, and in Greater Rapid City. It is also in the American Black Hills, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, and on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Rune Stones (approx. 5.3 miles away); Edward Nielsen (approx. 5.3 miles away); A Massive Surge (approx. 6.2 miles away); Sheridan (approx. 7.1 miles away); Gutzon Borglum (approx. 7.4 miles away); Civilian Conservation Corps Camp (approx. 7.9 miles away); a different marker also named Gutzon Borglum (approx. 8.7 miles away); Rapid City Founders Camp Site (approx. 8.8 miles away).
Also see . . . Wikipedia article on the Explorer II. (Submitted on December 6, 2020.)
Photographed by Connor Olson, April 22, 2018
2. Floor of the Stratobowl Valley
Credits. This page was last revised on December 6, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 6, 2020, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 308 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 6, 2020, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
