Bellefontaine ( bel FOWN tən) is a city in Logan County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located 48 miles (77 km) northwest of Columbus, the population was 14,115 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Bellefontaine micropolitan area, which includes all of Logan County. The highest point in Ohio, Campbell Hill, is within the city limits.
At a Glance
- County: Logan County
- County seat of Logan County
- State: Ohio
History of Bellefontaine
The name Bellefontaine means "beautiful spring" in French, and is purported to refer to several springs in the area. However, locally, the original French pronunciation is not used, and it is pronounced "bell fountain."
Around 1777, the Shawnee war chief Blue Jacket (Weyapiersenwah) built a settlement here, known as "Blue Jacket’s Town". Blue Jacket and his band had previously occupied a village along the Scioto River, but the American Revolutionary War had reached the Ohio Country. Blue Jacket and other American Indians who took up arms against the American revolutionaries relocated in order to be closer to their British allies at Detroit.
After the United States gained independence, its forces continued warfare against former Indian allies of the British. Blue Jacket’s Town was destroyed in Logan’s Raid, conducted by Kentucky militia in 1786 at the outset of the Northwest Indian War. The expedition was led by Benjamin Logan, namesake of Logan County. Blue Jacket and his followers relocated further northwest to the Maumee River.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Bellefontaine, Ohio, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.