Formed March 2, 1883 (50th county)
Butte County (10,238), Belle Fourche (5,607)
The tan brick Beaux Arts courthouse was built in 1911. The courthouse is on 5th Avenue between Roundup and Indian streets. United States Highway 85 is 5th Avenue in this part of town. The courthouse architect was Charles A. Randall. Veteran memorials are on the grounds and the building has columns and Lady Justice on the entrance arch. The county was established on March 2, 1883 as the 50th county. Minnesela was the first county seat until 1895 when Belle Fourche became the seat. The county was named for the local terrain. Belle Fourche is French for “beautiful fork.”
Butte County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Commissioners. Four Circuit Court Judges and One Magistrate Court Judge serve Butte, Corson, Dewey, Harding, Lawrence, Meade, Perkins, and Ziebach counties. The county is on the northwest border with both Montana and Wyoming. Rapids City, South Dakota is south and Pierre, South Dakota is southeast of the county. The county center is 37.9 miles Northeast of Belle Fourche nearer Castle Rock. The county is surrounded clockwise by Harding, Perkins, Meade, and Lawrence counties and Wyoming and Montana.
The area of the county is 2249 square miles. It is 7 out of 66 in the state. It ranks 18 out of 66 in population in the state. It has a density of 4.6 persons per square mile making it 36 out of 66 in the state. Butte County has 63.2% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 90 clips the southwest corner of the county from Lawrence County, south, to Wyoming, west. United States Highway 14 is joined with Interstate Highway 90 from Lawrence County to Wyoming. United States Highway 85 goes north to south from Harding County to Lawrence County. United States Highway 212 comes from Meade County, east, and goes to Wyoming, west. The county is an overall rectangle. Belle Fourche is located in the southwest corner of the county. Belle Fourche is the county seat and the largest city. It is 54.8% of the county population. The county seat is pronounced BELL FOOSH.
Belle Fourche
Fruitdale
Newell
Nisland
