John A. Cline.

Picture plub. date 1905.

 

John A. Cline was born in Pennsylvania in 1837, there is no information on his early life in Pennsylvania.  A year after the war began he enlisted in the 155th., Pennsylvania Infantry, Company K., he mustered in September 11, 1862, as a Captain, later promoted to Major on January 23, 1865.  In 1878, he came to Ford County Kansas and settled in section 17, of Wheatland Township.  There he was to become one of the founders of Bellefont, Kansas.  There he started a business in General Merchandising.   On July 17, 1885, he became the towns Postmaster.

 

His wife was Caroline Cline, this union saw six children; Lillias Cline, Carrie Cline, Bertha Cline, Elsie Cline, James and Rob Cline.

 

Bellefont Kansas.

Bellefont - Long before the village of Bellefont was officially established, it had a post office that first opened in April, 1878. A town was officially platted in July, 1885 by J.A. Cline and George M. Hoover, land owners, who believed that it would become a railhead for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. However, the railroad did not build a junction there as was hoped for and the community never developed very much. It did sustain for several years as a small farming community, once boasting a general store, a grocery store and a depot in its early years. By 1896, the post office was closed, but it reopened in 1904. By 1910, first postmaster was Abram L. Shirley.  T
he population was just 40, but the town served as a shipping and supply point for that part of the county. The town's post office closed forever in June, 1957. Situated about 22 miles northeast of Dodge City on Highway 50, today there are but a few farms and a grain elevator.