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You are
driving through North Dakota and you reach “the crossroads
of the North American continent” as you
 enter
Belfield, ND, situated on the banks of the Heart River. Travel
east on I-94 and you will be able to take an interstate highway
straight to New York City, go west and the same thing, all the way
to Seattle, Washington. Go north on US 85 to Alaska and you are on
the only intercontinental highway that extends from Alaska to Mexico
City, Mexico. You are truly at the crossroads of America. The
Gateway City to the West.
Belfield was established as Fort Houston in 1875. The westward
expansion of the Northern Pacific Railroad reached Fort Houston in
1880. It was incorporated as a community in 1915 and named
Belfield, ND and as Legend has it, after the daughter of a railroad
engineer named Belle Field. Belfield has a unique heritage rich in
cultural diversity with settlers here including French, Norwegian,
German, Ukrainian, Russian, Irish, English, Polish and Hollanders.
When
you leave the highway you have a choice to stop at the Dairy
Queen if you are in a hurry or enjoy the newly remodeled
Trapper Kettle Restaurant and Gift Shop. Kids, as well as Mom
and Dad will enjoy the many mounted wildlife exhibits of bear, deer,
coyotes and other wild game. It is exciting to look at the old guns
and traps that the trappers used to catch wild game in a bygone
era. Let your imagination run wild as you head for the canoe for
your salad and on to the keelboat for the rest of your meal.
 If
you are RVing and have a horse you may want to park your rig in the Trapper’s
Inn RV Campground and give your horse a break at the stable.
The other option is one of the comfortable beds at the Trappers Inn
itself or the Cowboy Inn. If your car is acting up or
you have lost a tail light Belfield can help you there.
We have several reputable mechanics at your service and ready to help you
out in an emergency. You will find a great meat shop downtown, the
Old Tyme Meat Shoppe, Wally has fresh North Dakota beef,
steak, hamburgers, sausage, Brats and hotdogs for all your grilling
needs.
There is plenty for the kids to do with the Youth Center open
on Friday nights, and the John Steiner Baseball Field,
near-by is the Maah Daah Hey Trail, Custer’s Trail
and Initial Rock, The Burning Coal Mine and other
historical sites. You are just ten minutes from the Pheasant
Country Golf Course to the east. The Roughrider Bar &
Grill on Main Street has great food and spirits to refresh yourself with. There is pool at Mike’s Bar on 1st Ave
NW next to the Belfield Theater.
Now
it is time to stretch those legs after miles of riding in that
vehicle so grab your bike or start the walk down the bike/walking
path that will take you down to Main Street. Enjoy the flowers
on Main Street look at the pictures and stories about our local boys
and girls serving in the military and Iraq. Cross the railroad
track and follow the signs and path up to and around the Belfield
Dam. Now it is time to take a break under the trees and picnic
shelters and watch the kids play on the playground equipment. Darn
you should have bought your fishing poles and fished at the dock.
 Two
blocks from the Belfield Dam is located Belfield RV Park.
It is quiet there and this looks like a good place to stay while you
enjoy the sites of western North Dakota. You can hear church bells
chiming in the distance and as you explore Belfield, you find six
active church communities. St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church, St John's Ukrainian Church, Belfield
Presbyterian Church, St Peters Lutheran Church, Belfield
Baptist and the Belfield Lutheran
Church.
Walking down Main Street you come to the Belfield Pavilion.
It is a very busy place that was built by the Belfield Area
Chamber of Commerce and Community Club in 2002. It is a
120-foot by 40-foot open-air structure. This facility has bathrooms
and an enclosed kitchen with an insulated ceiling and is cool all
summer long. The Pavilion is used for many community events, private parties,
weddings and dances. Ruth Barrow Park and the Belfield Swimming Pool
next to the pavilion also provide another playground for children
to play in while adults can relax and enjoy themselves and still
keep a watchful eye on their youngsters.
Regularly scheduled events for the
summer are
Belfield homecoming
reunions. Plans
are still in the works for the reunions.
Every Wednesday night, from 6:00 to 7:00 PM the Belfield Chamber
of Commerce sponsors, at the Belfield Pavilion, a
Hamburger and Hotdog Bar-B-Cue with salad, pop and coffee.
Each Wednesday a different organization in Belfield is in charge of
the cooking with entertainment or card games and fellowship
following. This is proving to be a very popular event with each
Wednesday drawing more and more folks for the fun and food.
 The Belfield Theater shows the
latest movies every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
When
you want to get the kinks out or work out your sore muscles we have
a fine Fitness Center at the Belfield High School that
is open to the public when volunteers are available. Check to see
if it is open. You will get one of the best massages of your
life at Body Basics, Inc., A Touch of Health
Therapeutic Massage or Western Wellness Therapeutic Massage. Try the Hot Rocks Massage or the
Sauna at Body Basics, Inc. You will
feel like a new person as you head out on that bicycle or head for
the golf course. There are three beauty salons in Belfield to take
care of all your beauty needs. Get ready to enjoy a relaxing time
in Belfield, North Dakota.
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