South Dakota Vacation Guide 2011 - (Page 133)
black hills, badlands & lakes region
Cowboys and
much more in
Belle Fourche
beautiT
fully situated town
of Belle Fourche
(pronounced ‘Bell
Foosh’) touts its
status as the Center of
the Nation. A granite
monument in a pleasant
riverside park behind
the Center of the Nation
Visitor Center marks the
town’s proximity to the
geographic center of the
nation’s 50 states.
But historically the community
can be described
as the Center of Cowboy
Country. For this is where
the great cattle herds of the
oday,
the
Northern Plains were gathered
and shipped east back
in the heyday of the open
range. That wild and free
era drew to a close with the
last big cattle roundup in
the West, which occurred
in Belle Fourche in 1902.
The fencing of the open
range changed the nature
of cattle ranching, but it did
not diminish its importance
to the area. The town
remains a supply center
for vast livestock ranges in
the surrounding tri-state
area. As you mingle with
local shoppers along the
downtown streets or join
the crowds at a local rodeo,
remember – the cowboys
are real and the area’s rural
Western culture is vibrant.
That culture is on full
display in all its American
glory during the Black Hills
Roundup, one of the nation’s
premier rodeo events, held
annually over the Fourth of
July weekend at the Belle
Fourche rodeo grounds. The
grounds host numerous rodeos
throughout the summer
– from Belle Jackpot rodeo
series, to high school competition,
and on to regional and
national PRCA events.
Some of the sport’s most
renowned champions hale
from these parts – bull
rider Jesse Bail, steer
wrestlers Birch Negaard
and Ivan Tiegan, and bareback
bronc riders Larry
Sandvick, Marvin Garrett
and Mark Garrett.
You can visit the Garrett
brothers as you stroll
downtown Belle Fourche.
Statues of each, bucking
high on a rank bronc,
stand on opposite corners.
The artist is Tony Chytka,
a native South Dakotan,
rancher and former rodeo
bull riding champ himself.
Belle Fourche boasts other
statues by Chytka – the
town’s mighty proud of its
cowboy heritage.
A visit to the Tri-State
Museum, located at 415
Fifth Avenue in the same
facility as the visitor
center, gives you a great
overview of that heritage.
After viewing the exhibits
and browsing through
the gift shop, go out back
to the deck and down to
the park where the 21-footdiameter
compass rose, including
an offi cial 12-inch
bronze marker from the
Geodetic Survey, commemorates
Belle Fourche as the
Center of the Nation. ■
133
http://www.bellefourchechamber.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of South Dakota Vacation Guide 2011
South Dakota Vacation Guide 2011
Contents
Overview
Getting Here, Getting Around
Information Centers
State Facts
Tourism Regions
Places of Interest
Public Campgrounds and Recreation Areas
Vacation Ideas
Southeast Region: A slice of South Dakota charm
Glacial Lakes & Prairies Region: Stories from the frontier
Great Lakes Region: Land of the mighty Missouri
Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Region: Enchanting mountain getaway
Black Hills map
Index
South Dakota Vacation Guide 2011
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com