Mobridge

Mobridge, city, Walworth county, north-central South Dakota, U.S. It lies along the Missouri River (there broadened to form Lake Oahe), about 110 miles (175 km) north of Pierre. Arikara and, later, Sioux Indians were early inhabitants of the area. Settlers began to arrive in the late 19th century, and the site was chosen as the Missouri River crossing point for the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad. Telegraph transmissions from the Missouri bridge site were marked with the abbreviation “MO Bridge,” and this gave the community its name. With the arrival of the railroad in 1906, sales of land on the town site began. Mobridge developed as an agricultural trade centre, and it remains the commercial centre for a large surrounding cattle-ranching and agricultural (wheat, oats, barley, sunflowers, and corn [maize]) region. Tourism is a major economic factor; fishing for walleye and hunting of pheasants are especially popular outdoor recreational activities. The grave of the Sioux chief Sitting Bull and a monument to Sacagawea, who was a guide for the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–06), are across the river, near where the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux reservations merge. The Scherr-Howe Arena has murals by Oscar Howe, a Sioux artist, and the Klein Museum displays Native American and pioneer artifacts. The Sitting Bull Stampede (July) is an annual rodeo. Mobridge is located on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, and several recreation areas (Lake Hiddenwood, Indian Creek, and Swan Creek) are nearby. Just northwest of the city is a casino and resort on the Standing Rock Reservation. Inc. 1908. Pop. (2000) 3,574; (2010) 3,465.