 He platted a townsite to accompany the new school, and though the origin of the town's unusual name is not completely clear, it has long been speculated that it was named after Katie Belle Magee, the first child born at the new town site.By the following year, the town had three businesses and an estimated population of about 65 residents.When Callahan County was organized in 1877, voters chose Belle Plain as the seat of government.