Bellefonte, Arkansas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bellefonte
Town
Location of Bellefonte in Boone County, Arkansas.
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Boone
Initially Incorporated	1882
Re-Incorporated	1963
Government
• Type	Council government
Area
• Total	0.62 sq mi (1.61 km2)
• Land	0.62 sq mi (1.61 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,093 ft (333 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	411
• Density	660.77/sq mi (255.21/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
FIPS code	05-04900
GNIS feature ID	2405236

Bellefonte is a small town in Boone County, Arkansas, United States. In 2020, about 411 people lived there. It is part of the Harrison area.

In 2013, Bellefonte became famous when its mayor, James Wiggs, was recognized as the oldest active mayor in the United States. He was 90 years old!

Exploring Bellefonte's Location

Bellefonte is located in Boone County, Arkansas. It covers a total area of about 0.62 square miles (1.61 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Main Roads in Bellefonte

Several important roads pass through or near Bellefonte, making it easy to travel to and from the town. These include:

• US 62/US 412
• U.S. Highway 65
• Arkansas Highway 206

A Look Back at Bellefonte's History

The area where Bellefonte now stands was first settled by a few families. The community grew when two stores opened. People camping there noticed the beautiful springs. They suggested calling the area "Bellefonte," which is French for "beautiful fountains."

In the early days, there were no church buildings. Services were held in people's homes, often led by traveling preachers.

Bellefonte grew quickly in the late 1860s. A post office was soon established.

Education in Early Bellefonte

By the early 1870s, a school called "North Arkansas College" was founded. Students from all over the state came to attend. Today, this would be like a high school. A grade school for younger children also started around the same time.

Growth and Challenges

Bellefonte continued to grow into a large town. Many businesses opened, and a town square was built. Businesses included:

• Doctors' offices
• Drugstores
• General stores
• A leather factory
• A cotton gin
• A flour mill

When Boone County was created, Bellefonte was the biggest town. It was even larger than Harrison, which was a newer town. Bellefonte expected to become the county seat (the main town where the county government is). However, after some debate and a vote, Harrison won.

Bellefonte officially became an incorporated town in 1882. That same year, a big fire damaged many buildings because they were so close together. The North Arkansas College building also burned down. After this fire, Bellefonte stopped being an incorporated town. It did not become incorporated again until 1963.

Things started to get better by 1898. Around 1901, the Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad came through Bellefonte, which brought more business. However, more fires in 1912 slowed down the town's progress until 1929.

The Great Depression affected Bellefonte from 1930 to 1933. It took until 1935 for the town to show signs of recovery.

People of Bellefonte

In 2010, there were 530 people living in Bellefonte. There were 197 households, and 124 of them were families. The town had about 262 people per square kilometer (661 people per square mile). Most of the people living in Bellefonte were white.

The population was spread out in terms of age:

• About 29.3% were under 18 years old.
• About 12.3% were 65 years or older.

The average age in Bellefonte was 31 years.

School Life in Bellefonte

Students in Bellefonte attend schools within the Valley Springs School District. This district also serves the nearby towns of Everton and Valley Springs.

Images for kids

• 

  U.S. Route 62 sign

• 

  U.S. Route 412 sign

• 

  U.S. Highway 65 sign

• 

  Arkansas Highway 206 sign

See also

In Spanish: Bellefonte (Arkansas) para niños