Exhibit 4.2
Number
NY ____                                                              Shares ___

THIS CERTIFICATE IS TRANSFERABLE IN                           SEE REVERSE FOR
NEW YORK, N.Y. OR MINNEAPOLIS, MN.                          CERTAIN DEFINITIONS


                                  COMMON STOCK

                             BLACK HILLS CORPORATION
                                                          CUSIP   092113  10  9
           (Incorporated Under the Laws of the State of South Dakota)

         This certifies that  __________________  is the owner of _________fully
paid and  non-assessable  shares,  having a par  value of $1 per  share,  of the
common stock of Black Hills  Corporation  (hereinafter  called the Corporation),
transferable  on the books of the  Corporation by the holder hereof in person or
by a duly  authorized  attorney  upon  surrender  of this  certificate  properly
endorsed.  This  certificate  and the shares  represented  hereby are issued and
shall be held subject to all the provisions of the Articles of  Incorporation of
the Corporation and all amendments thereof, copies of which are on file with the
Transfer Agent, to all of which the holder, by acceptance hereof,  assents. This
certificate  is  not  valid  until  countersigned  by  the  Transfer  Agent  and
registered by the Registrar.

         WITNESS,  the facsimile seal of the Corporation,  and the signatures of
its duly authorized officers.

Dated _______________________________


                            -------------------------------------------------
                            Chairman and CEO


                            -------------------------------------------------
                            Vice President-Controller and Corporate Secretary

Countersigned and Registered:


By ___________________________________________
     Transfer Agent and Registrar
     Authorized Signature


                             BLACK HILLS CORPORATION

Notice: The Corporation will furnish to any shareholder upon request and without
charge,  a full statement of the  designations,  preferences,  limitations,  and
relative  rights of the shares of each class of stock  authorized  to be issued,
and a like full statement relative to any preferred or special class of stock in
series which the Corporation is or may be authorized to issue, or has issued, as
to the variations in the relative rights and  preferences  between the shares of
each  such  series so far as the same have  been  fixed and  determined  and the
authority of the Board of Directors to fix and determine the relative rights and
preferences of subsequent series.

         The following  abbreviations,  when used in the inscription on the face
of this certificate,  shall be construed as though they were written out in full
according to applicable laws or regulations:

TEN COM - as tenants in common UNIF GIFT MIN ACT- _____as  Custodian for _______
                                                 (Cust)                  (Minor)
                                                  under Uniform Gifts to Minors
                                                    Act______________________
                                                            (State)
UNIF TRAN MIN ACT - _____ as  Custodian  for  ______
                   (Cust)                     (Minor)
                    under Uniform Transfers to Minors
                        Act _______________________
                                 (State)

TEN ENT - as tenants by the entireties
JT TEN - as joint tenants with right of survivorship
         and not as tenants in common
TOD - transfer on death direction in event of owner's death,
      to person named on face

Additional  abbreviations  may also be used though not in the above list.


     For Value Received, ______________________ hereby sell, assign and transfer
unto  ____________________________Shares  of the Stock represented by the within
certificate    and   do    hereby    irrevocably    constitute    and    appoint
________________________  attorney,  to  transfer  the same on the  books of the
within-named Corporation, with full power of substitution in the premises.

         Dated__________________________


                                            X__________________________________
NOTICE:  THE SIGNATURE(S) TO THIS ASSIGNMENT
MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME(S) AS WRITTEN
UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE IN EVERY
PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT
OR ANY CHANGE WHATEVER.

                                            X__________________________________


                  Signature Guaranteed by   X__________________________________