Bellfountain, Oregon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bellfountain
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Unincorporated Community
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Bellfountain school in 2009
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 Bellfountain
Location in Oregon
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Benton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.35 sq mi (3.49 km2) |
| • Land | 1.35 sq mi (3.49 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 331 ft (101 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 74 |
| • Density | 54.94/sq mi (21.21/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (Pacific) |
| ZIP code |
97456
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| FIPS code | 41-05700 |
Bellfountain is a small community in Benton County, Oregon, United States. It's not a city, but a special kind of community called a census-designated place. Bellfountain is located north of Alpine and northwest of Monroe. In 2020, about 74 people lived there.
Contents
Bellfountain's Early Days
Long ago, the area around Bellfountain was known as Belknap's Settlement. A post office opened here in 1895. It was first called Dusty. Later, the community's name changed to Bellfountain. Some say it was named after Bellefontaine, Ohio.
There was a Bellfountain post office from 1902 to 1905. After 1905, people in Bellfountain got their mail from nearby Monroe.
The Bell Fountain Spring
Another story says Bellfountain was named after a special natural spring. This spring bubbled up about a mile west of the community. Flat rocks around the spring looked like a bell. People could see this "bell fountain" for many years.
However, in the last 40 years, Benton County covered the spring. They built a cement building and a pump house over it. This was done to pump water for the nearby Bellfountain Park. So, you can no longer see the bell fountain today.
A State Champion Basketball Team
In 1937, something amazing happened in Bellfountain. The high school basketball team won the Oregon state championship! The principal was Kenneth Litchfield, and the coach was Burton "Bill" Lemmon.
Back then, all schools, big or small, played against each other in the playoffs. Bellfountain High School was very small, with only 27 students in total. Their basketball team had just eight boys, and none of them were taller than 6 feet.
After winning the Class B Championship, they faced much larger schools. In the semi-finals, they beat Franklin High School from Portland. Franklin High had 2,100 students! Then, in the finals, the Bellfountain team played against Lincoln High School, another big school from Portland. The Bellfountain "Bells" won by 14 points. This was their closest game of the entire season!
Life in Bellfountain Today
The main jobs in Bellfountain today are farming and logging. Farmers grow Christmas trees and grass seed.
Bellfountain Park
People in Benton County have enjoyed Bellfountain Park for over 100 years. It's a great place for outdoor fun. The park has:
- a large barbeque pit
- a softball field
- a sand volleyball court
- horseshoe pits
- restrooms
There is also a covered picnic shelter with a kitchen area. Inside, you'll find one of the longest picnic tables in the world! This table is 85 feet (about 26 meters) long. It can seat 120 people at once.
Images for kids
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A friendly robot, representing a kid-friendly resource.
