DOCUMENTING THE RICH Local History

The Tri-State Museum and Visitor Center is certainly a must see for anyone visiting or relocating to Belle Fourche.

Since 1955, the Tri-State Museum and Visitor Center has collected historical materials from the early settlement of the tri-state area, including the corners of South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming.

The objective of the museum is to tell the stories of the early pioneers and those who followed them, and to preserve that legacy for future generations.

The museum houses a unique collection that attracts thousands of visitors every year seeking to learn more about the history of Belle Fourche and the tri-state region.

The non-profit museum opened in 1955 after Mrs. Roy Williams, of Hammond, Mont., donated $1,000 and a western collection started by her late husband. To accommodate this collection, local businesses and interested parties grouped together to create the historical center.

In 2004, the museum opened in its current location at 415 Fifth Ave., in Belle Fourche.

The museum foundation is currently involved in a capital campaign to raise funds for an addition that would include an all-purpose gallery to be used for events including gallery showings, hands-on education for children, office space, and research center.

As visitors enter the museum, the first display to greet them is the “Early Cattle Companies.” At one time Belle Fourche was the largest shipping point of range cattle in the world. Many of the cowboys of the area rode with Seth Bullock’s cowboys to the 1905 inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt.

The Black Hills Roundup and Rodeo, now in its 104th year, plays a large part in the history of this area. The Roundup began in 1918 as a benefit for the Red Cross during World War I, bringing $20,000 for the war effort. During the Roundup rodeo, the challenge of riding Tipperary, the legendary bucking horse, set the momentum, and the rodeo became an annual Fourth of July celebration, which continues to this day, attracting overflow crowds from around the world.

In the museum, visitors will find the story of the Great Butte County Bank Robbery featuring the Sundance Kid and the Hole-inthe-Wall Gang.

A military section with uniforms and memorabilia from the Civil War through the Vietnam War includes the story of Don Smith, a local hero who was part of the Doolittle Raiders during World War II. Guns, local industry, a pioneer home complete with fashions and furnishings, a mercantile, and the history of the railroad round out the main collections of the Tri-State Museum and Visitor Center.

Located next to the museum is the “Buckskin” Johnny Spaulding Cabin. Spaulding was an avid hunter, scout, and guide. The two-story cabin, which originally stood at the lower Redwater River just south of Belle Fourche, was built from hand-hewn logs hauled from the surrounding hills. After building the cabin, Spaulding invited his sister, brother-in-law, and their six children to move to the area. For two years they lived together in his cabin, now equipped with furnishings and artifacts that reveal insights into the modest lifestyles of the era.

In 1960, the W.A. Helmer family donated the cabin to the museum, and the Belle Fourche Lions Club provided renovations. In 2006, it was moved to its present location near the banks of the Belle Fourche River and steps away from the Center of the Nation Monument. Museum and Visitor Center Director Kristi Thielen said that visitors often say that the Johnny Spaulding Cabin is the highlight of their stop in Belle Fourche.

“It has a charm that’s especially unique and the story of Buckskin Johnny and the girl he left behind is a touching one. Tourists, especially those from outside the western states, really respond to it,” Thielen said.

All mini-exhibits, temporary exhibits, First Saturday Brunches and Family Fun Days for 2023 have been planned and information about them is available online at thetristatemuseum.com.

Thielen said that the museum made changes to several exhibits in 2022.

“The museum has added some new artifacts to both the rodeo exhibit and the mercantile.

The medical exhibit is now easier to visit as the doctor’s buggy, which previously masked the exhibit, has been moved to the lobby of City Hall. The museum staff now decorates this buggy seasonally,” said Thielen.

For the rodeo exhibit, the museum has added Tipperary, a nearly full-size horse statue that is painted to look like the famed rodeo horse. Thielen said these changes enabled museum staff to increase to the “saddle up” station for kids.

The tipi, which was installed outside the eastern end of the complex in 2022 will be back and open for visitation in the summer.

Thielen said there will also be signage to provide more information about the significance of the tipi and the history of that specific one.

Thielen also said that the museum’s store has grown. The merchandise now includes a wider selection of stuffed animals, smart toys, science kits, art supplies, puzzles, and games. It also carries several murder mystery and escape room games for adults, as well as an expanded list of books that relate to western history. Perhaps the most exciting news related to the museum is its plans for expansion.

Thielen said the museum has needed additional space for many years now, and in 2023 city officials are taking the first steps to create a concrete plan for the 3,500 square foot addition.

Thielen expects a master plan to be drawn up in the late spring, and a date for breaking ground will be dependent on those plans.

“If we could break ground by late 2023, we’d be delighted,” said Thielen.

For more information, visit the Tri-State Museum and Visitor Center at 415 Fifth Ave., in Belle Fourche or call (605) 723-1200.

TRI-STATE MUSEUM & VISITOR CENTER

Memorial Day – Labor Day: Monday–Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday: 1–4 p.m.

Labor Day–Memorial Day: Tuesday-Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Closed Sunday & Monday

Admission is free WWW.THETRISTATEMUSEUM.COM

Group tours available. Check out our website for events, exhibits, and more!