OWES ITS START TO THE Railroad Belle Fourche

In 1890, the railroad had been built west to a point that is now Belle Fourche. On Sept. 16 of that year, the first load of cattle was shipped by railcar to eastern states. Over the next two months nearly 1,300 railcars of cattle were transported to markets. The first rail station in the cowtown was completed in December 1890.

The success of the railroad then brought about the platting of Belle Fourche in the spring of 1891 and land parcels were sold starting in June of that year. The railroad made it possible for the region’s agricultural industry to have easy access to a highly efficient means of delivery for its products to market.

In 1892, nearly 4,000 railcars of cattle were being shipped from Belle Fourche. By 1895, that number had soared to 2,500 railcars of cattle per month, making Belle Fourche the largest shipper of cattle in the world. Over the decades the railroad has shipped numerous agricultural commodities from Belle Fourche including wool, grain, flour, and numerous other items for the industry. The rails now reach to Colony, Wyo., where the railcars carry bentonite, a mined substance used in a wide variety of products from kitty litter to cosmetics.

In 2016, the addition of a half-mile-long siding track at the industrial rail park made it easier for businesses to load and unload products including a new switch, which will allow for additional track construction in the future.

A base of rail business has been established