Bellach Park and Ponds

location: talc road

Edward Bellach, Jr. was a resident of Three Forks his whole life. His parents had built a number of buildings throughout town and the family all raised the next generation here in Three Forks. Mr. Bellach was a volunteer firefighter for many years and was incremental in establishing the Fire Department Relief Association Fund (a pension for volunteer firefighters).

On a wintry day in 1997, one will never know what Bellach saw when driving past the ponds. His pickup truck door was left open, as though in a hurry. His tracks across the ice-covered pond led towards where Jim Schwietering had fallen through. Jim had told a friend he was going to walk his dog, and had been known to gather golf balls off the ice in winters’ past. It in unknown whether Bellach dove in to save Jim, or fell through the ice. His truck was found with the driver’s door still wide open. Neither men survived. Schwietering’s Australian shepard was still sitting on the banks of the pond.

In 1999, the Bellach family offered the gift of a fire truck playground equipment to be placed at the Three Forks Ponds park area in memory of Ed Bellach. The City requested of Fish, Wildlife & Parks to rename the park area to Bellach Memorial Park. The park was dedicated in 2000.

The Headwaters Kiwanis donated $8,500 towards playground equipment improvements at this park. The City installed a new climbing tower and three bouncy rides in fall of 2020.

No reservation required, this park is first-come, first-served.