This unique town in South Dakota is a must stop if you're passing through. Really, it's hard not to. It has everything a quaint, delightful town should, and many spots within it that will draw you in and make you want to get out of your car and check it out. There are bigger, more popular tourist towns south of this place, but this town should be priority if you haven't been there before - plus, you skip the crowds!
Welcome to Belle Fourche!
Belle Fourche is a town in Butte County in the northwest region of South Dakota. It's unique in many ways, including its name. Most people who visit it that have never heard it before probably pronounce it wrong, but for future reference, it's "bel-FOOSH." The name is French for "beautiful fork," referring to the confluence of rivers that is within the town.
The town has been around since the mid 1800s.
Because of the conjoining rivers and creek here, early French explorers made this place a busy trade rendezvous for fur traders, and worked the rivers for fur for many years. Later in the mid 1870s, as the gold rush came through, farmers began settling the land.
It has a lot of historical significance to the area.
After fur trade made way for ranchers, famous sheriff Seth Bullock made it his goal to found the town of Belle Fourche and make it a thriving, busy city. He made a deal with the railroad to allow their tracks through it and started up a huge livestock exchange in the town that would become the biggest in country in his time.
As a result, the county seat of Butte County was changed from its former spot to Belle Fourche due to its success and raising population. Today, the population is 5,594.
Historical buildings can still be found throughout the town today.
Places like the Don Pratt Hotel, and this little house - still filled with the artifacts of this time, are all around Belle Fourche. They're fascinating to see and learn about, and great stops to visit.
One of the town's biggest claims to fame is the fact that the geographical center of the entire United States lies within it.
After Alaska and Hawaii were granted statehood, this place in South Dakota was named the geographical center of it all. You can stand on the very spot in the middle of this huge stone compass. The surrounding flags represent all 50 states and have information about each on them.
After exploring all of the history of Belle Fourche, there are plenty of other places to just enjoy the day at.
Stop by the Green Bean Coffeehouse, shown above, for the best coffee around, or at some of the many restaurant options, like Patty's Place, a quaint cafe that has great home-cooked meals, located on 5th Avenue. The Tri-State Museum is on the same street, and another interesting place to see.
There's so much to see and do in Belle Fourche, making this small town a pleasant surprise on any road trip. With the immense amount of history and charm behind it, you certainly won't go wrong with a pit stop here.
South Dakota has tons of picturesque, unique small towns, and you can find more right here.
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