1920s
Early taxi development in Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls' motor taxi industry
was developing during the early
twentieth century, alongside
the growth of automobile travel
and modern downtown transportation.
Elmer "Stoney" Stone appears
prominently in later historical
accounts of these early years.
The Argus Leader retrospective
describes his career beginning
in the 1920s and his association
with the early Yellow Cab name.
Argus Leader — Early Sioux Falls Taxi History
Mid-Twentieth Century
Independent fleets and local competition
Taxi transportation expanded
through locally operated fleets,
hotel passenger service,
private drivers, and
competing dispatch networks.
Names associated with the
historical taxi industry included
Soo Cab, Red Top Cab,
Safeway Cab, and Yellow Cab.
Some of these companies were
later connected through
purchases and ownership changes,
although complete corporate
records for every transaction
have not yet been independently
reviewed.
1950s
Stoney's Taxi and radio dispatching
Historical accounts describe
Elmer Stone establishing his
own taxi business in the 1950s,
using radio dispatch technology
and expanding through the
acquisition of other local
taxi operations.
This history illustrates
how the business of operating
taxicabs changed from individual
drivers toward coordinated
dispatch networks.
1960s
Ownership transitions and consolidation
Retrospective accounts identify
local operators including
Chris "Andy" Anderson,
Vern Harvey, and Dick Kinsley
in the evolution of the
Sioux Falls taxi market.
The period included changing
ownership arrangements and
acquisitions involving local
cab company names.
The exact dates and terms
of individual transactions
warrant verification against
original business records.
1970s
The development of the family-operated business
Richard "Dick" Kinsley became
an important figure in the
company's ownership and management.
The later Yellow Cab business
developed a strong family
identity, combining local
transportation with contracts,
airport travel, and specialized
passenger services.
Richard Kinsley — Family Historical Record
1980s–2000s
Expansion into scheduled transportation and contracts
The company became known for
more than ordinary city taxi
requests. Its historical
service descriptions included
airport transportation,
school-related contracts,
hotel transfers, and
commercial delivery work.
A former Yellow Cab directory
entry described five-passenger
sedans and eight-passenger vans,
including vehicles adaptable
for small cargo transportation.
Such services helped distinguish
the company from businesses
that relied only on short,
spontaneous passenger rides.
Historical Yellow Pages Service Description
2017
App-based rideshare changes the market
Sioux Falls welcomed Lyft
in 2017, according to
SiouxFalls.Business.
The market subsequently
experienced increasing competition
from app-based transportation,
including Uber.
Tallie West later reported
that Yellow Cab lost about half
of its late-night bar-related
business as customers switched
to rideshare applications.
City licensing data showed
29 licensed taxi companies
in Sioux Falls in 2017.
SiouxFalls.Business — Industry Report
2019
The number of taxi operators declines
By 2019, Sioux Falls had
approximately 15 licensed
taxi companies, according
to city data reported
by SiouxFalls.Business.
This reflected a substantial
reduction from the 29 taxi
companies licensed in 2017.
2020–2021
Pandemic disruption and driver shortages
COVID-19 brought further
difficulties to transportation
businesses already facing
competitive and financial pressure.
Yellow Cab's owner reported
that its driver workforce
declined from 16 to nine.
The company began turning
down transportation work
because it could no longer
maintain enough drivers
to fulfill its commitments.
The shortage also affected
the company's ability
to continue longstanding
transportation contracts.
May 2021
The closure of Yellow Cab Co. Inc.
Yellow Cab's fourth-generation
owner, Tallie West, announced
the company's closure after
more than 70 years of
service in Sioux Falls.
The end of operations was
reported by Dakota News Now
on May 23, 2021.
The company ceased operating
at the end of May 2021,
according to the June 10
report by SiouxFalls.Business.
West cited the effects
of rideshare competition,
staffing shortages, and
the cost of operating
a traditional taxi fleet.
Dakota News Now — May 23, 2021
June 2021
The wider decline of the local taxi industry
SiouxFalls.Business reported
that just seven licensed
taxi companies remained
following Yellow Cab's closure.
The figures illustrated
the broader contraction
of the traditional Sioux Falls
taxi market in only
a few years.
October 25, 2026
Acquisition of YellowCabSiouxFalls.com
Taxi Minnesota announces
its acquisition of the
internet domain name
YellowCabSiouxFalls.com.
The acquisition concerns
the domain name only,
not the historical
Yellow Cab company.
The domain is intended
to direct visitors to this
independently published
historical article.
Taxi Minnesota also identifies
future interest in obtaining
the required operating authority
for Sioux Falls.
No such approval is
claimed at this time.