Belle
Fourche (pronounced bel-foosh), SD was named by French explorers when this area
was owned by France, for the confluence of what is now known as the Belle
Fourche and Redwater Rivers and the Hay Creek.
It means beautiful fork. In Butte County, Belle Fourche has the honor of being the Center of
America. In 1959, the U.S. Coast
and Geodetic Survey officially designated a point 20 miles north of
Belle Fourche as the geographic center of the United States. After the
admission of Hawaii and Alaska, Belle Fourche was designated as the center of
the nation, moving the location from Lebanon, KS, which is the center of the
lower 48.
Just
a bit of trivia I thought you might be interested in!
