John A. Cline Founder of Bellefont, Kansas.

Picture publish date 1905.
Push to enlarge.

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, the 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.

John Andrew Cline life in Bellefont, Kansas.

He had a farm in section 18, of Wheatland township, of Ford County, Kansas.  His farm was 156.20, acres.  His post office address was Bellefont, Kansas, which was a half mile east from the farm.  He was also in the General Merchandise business.  On June 11, 1905,, to June 11, 1907, he was Bellefont, postmaster.

John Andrew Cline.

I was born January 7th, A. D. 1837, in one of the proverbial log cabins of those times. My father, John Cline, then resided in a small vale or alcove, surrounded by high hills on the north, west and south, in the northwestern  part of Westmoreland county, Pa. He was of German  parentage, and by birth a native of Pennsylvania. My mother was of Scotch-Irish parentage, her maiden name being McCadams; her parents emigrated to this country when she was an infant.
He had a brother Zachariah M. Cline.

John Andrew Cline, wife Caroline had six children; James, Rob, Carrie, Bertha, Elsie, and Lillas Cline.

155th., Pennsylvania Regimental History.

Company K.

Captain John A. Cline, mustered into service Sept. 11th, 1862 ; promoted to Major Jan. 23rd, 1865 ; wounded in neck at Chancellorsville, Va., May 3rd, 1863; wounded in hand at  Bethesda Church, Va., June 3d, 1864 ; wounded in shoulder  at 2nd Hatcher's Run, Va., March 25th, 1865; mustered out with regiment June 2nd, 1865 ; Postmaster at Bellefont, Ford county, Kansas.