The Great Western Cattle Trail ran from Matamoros, Mexico, to Saskatchewan, Canada, and after the Civil War between 10 and 12 million cattle were driven north from Texas, developing the cattle industry in the High Plains of Dakota Territory, Wyoming, and Montana. The arrival of homesteaders, many of whom worked for cattle companies, and the fencing of the Open Range changed cattle operations, while the record blizzards of 1886-1887 killed millions of cattle. Trail drives continued until the 1890s and helped replenish herds. Belle Fourche was established in 1889 when the railroad agreed to come there, and its name, meaning "beautiful fork" in French, came from early explorers and referred to the meeting of the Belle Fourche and Redwater Rivers and Hay Creek. The town's history was rooted in the cattle industry, serving as a shipping point for the thousands of cattle grazing on rangeland north and west of town, and by 1895 the railroad was shipping 4,500 carloads of cattle per month during peak season, making Belle Fourche the world's largest market-to-market shipping point. Tri-State livestock continue to make a significant contribution to South Dakota's leading industry.