Bellefonte is a town in

Boone County, Arkansas Boone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas, along the Missouri border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,373. The county seat is Harrison. It is Arkansas's 62nd county, formed on April 9, 1869. Boone County is ...

, United States. The population was 530 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Harrison Micropolitan Statistical Area. Bellefonte gained national attention in 2013 when the city's mayor, James Wiggs, was recognized as the oldest active mayor in the United States at 90 years of age.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

List of highways

US 62 U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) is an east–west United States Highway in the southern and northeastern United States. It runs from the Mexican border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canadian bo ...

US 412 U.S. Route 412 is an east–west United States highway, first commissioned in 1982. U.S. 412 overlaps expressway-grade Cimarron Turnpike from Tulsa west to Interstate 35 and the Cherokee Turnpike from east of Chouteau, Oklahoma, to west of th ...

U.S. Highway 65 U.S. Route 65 (US 65) is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 425 in Clayton, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at Interstate 35 just south of I ...

Arkansas Highway 206

History

The area known as Bellefonte was originally settled by a few families. The community expanded when two stores were established. The community got its name as campers noted the beautiful springs. It was suggested the area be called "Bellefonte",

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

for "beautiful fountains." As there were no church organizations in the settlement, services were originally held in private homes. Circuit riders generally provided the services. Bellefonte grew rapidly by the second half of the 1860s. A post office was established. By the early 1870s, what was referred to as "North Arkansas College" (not to be confused with the modern community college by the same name in

Harrison, Arkansas The city of Harrison is the county seat of Boone County, Arkansas, United States. It is named after Marcus LaRue Harrison, a surveyor who laid out the city along Crooked Creek (Arkansas), Crooked Creek at Stifler Springs. According to 2019 Cen ...

) was founded and students from all over the state attended. In modern times, this would be considered a high school. A grade school was also established in Bellefonte around the same time. Bellefonte continued to grow, becoming a large town. A number of businesses developed and a town square was built. (By 1939, the town square was gone.) Businesses included doctors' offices, drugstores, a livery stable, various general stores, a leather factory, saloons, a cotton gin and a flour mill. When Boone County was formed, Bellefonte was the largest town, larger than relatively new Harrison. Bellefonte expected it should have the county seat. After arguing and a vote, Harrison ultimately won. Bellefonte became an incorporated town in 1882. In that year it was also damaged by a significant fire due to buildings being close together. In the same year, the North Arkansas College building burned. Bellefonte stopped being an incorporated town after this great fire, not re-incorporating until 1963. By 1898 things had gotten better. Around 1901, the

Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad The Missouri and North Arkansas was a railroad in Missouri and Arkansas from 1906 to 1935, with its successor lasting until 1946. History The railroad began as the Eureka Springs Railway in 1883 as a line from the St. Louis–San Francisco Ra ...

ran through Bellefonte. This temporarily brought in business. There were various fires in 1912, which stifled Bellefonte until 1929 when things began to pick up a bit. The Depression was directly felt in Bellefonte from 1930 to 1933. It took until 1935 for signs of relief.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 530 people, 197 households, and 124 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 173 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.80%

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

and 1.30% of

two or more races Multiracial Americans, also known as mixed-race Americans, are Americans who have mixed ancestry of two or more races. The term may also include Americans of mixed-race ancestry who self-identify with just one group culturally and socially (cf. t ...

. There were 157 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.02. In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $27,917, and the median income for a family was $30,729. Males had a median income of $24,500 versus $18,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $12,958. About 13.7% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 32.4% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over. In modern times, Bellefonte first appeared in the US Census in 1970. It also appeared in 1880. This says nothing about when the community began; it merely identifies when it was recognized in the US Census.

School district

Bellefonte, along with Everton and

Valley Springs Valley Springs may refer to some places in the United States: * Valley Springs, Arkansas, located in Boone County * Valley Springs, California, located in Calaveras County * Valley Springs, South Dakota Valley Springs is a city in Minnehaha Cou ...

, is within the Valley Springs School District.

References

External links

Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry

Map of Bellefonte
(US Census Bureau)
Boone County Historical and Railroad Society, Inc.

Town government information

Valley Springs School District

Detailed 2000 US Census statistics

Boone County School District Reference Map (US Census Bureau, 2010)
{{authority control Towns in Boone County, Arkansas Towns in Arkansas Harrison, Arkansas micropolitan area