Bellefontaine
Origin of the name Bellefontaine
The meaning of the name is unknown.
Founding of Bellefontaine
Bellefontaine began not as a village but as an industrial site. It all started with a concession for a blast furnace, granted in 1564 by the Prince-Bishop of Basel together with the chapter of Saint-Ursanne. To use the river's power, the installations were built mostly on an island formed by the Doubs and a mill race. In the 18th century a foundry, forges and an arms factory were added. After the ironworks closed, the site housed a hydroelectric power station, then a fish farm. It belonged to the former municipality of Saint-Ursanne, merged into Clos du Doubs on 1 January 2009.[1][4][6]
History of Bellefontaine
1564. The Prince-Bishop of Basel grants a concession for a blast furnace. Several ironmasters follow one another until around 1580. A first forge reportedly dates back to 1563.[1][4][6]
1753. Prince-Bishop Rinck von Baldenstein has a steelworks built, along with a road to Saint-Ursanne.[6]
18th century. A foundry, forges and an arms factory are set up. The arms factory reaches its peak during the French Revolution.[1]
1794. Having become national property, the ironworks are sold in March to François-Joseph Huvelin.[6]
1797. Pierre François Bornèque and Jean Georges Godefroy Meiner buy the ironworks. Under their management they supply iron for French weapons until 1813.
1840. A joint-stock company is formed, backed by a loan from the canton of Bern. It ceases operations in 1854.[6]
1861. The workshops close after the sudden decline of the Jura iron industry. The company is wound up in 1862.[1][3][4][6]
1864. The site is sold to French industrialists for an arms factory.[6]
1872-1875. The canton of Bern buys the buildings, then sells the blast furnace to a company.[6]
1901. The owner, Léon Guillemeteau, sells the former forge to the Société des Forces motrices du Doubs, founded to build a power station there.
1903. On 17 January, the power station starts supplying Porrentruy and Fontenais. Other Ajoie municipalities are connected up to 1912.[4]
1912. The Forces motrices bernoises, which bought the power station in 1911, take possession of it.[1][4][5][6]
1953. A new power station replaces the old plant, which was in poor condition. It is inaugurated in 1955.[4][6]
1972. On 31 May, the power station stops producing, as there is no money to repair it.[1][4][6]
1975-1976. The site is reused for fish farming (a hatchery) and a retaining dam is built.[6]
2013. A fire damages the former plant.[6]
2015. The Jura government's sectoral hydropower plan proposes developing the Bellefontaine and Moulin du Doubs sites.[6]
Historic sites in Bellefontaine
Industrial island. Most of the installations were built on an island formed by the Doubs and a mill race, which supplied water power first to the ironworks and then to the power station.[1]
Remains in Bellefontaine
Former hydroelectric power station. Power station opened in 1903 by the Société des Forces motrices du Doubs, taken over by the Forces motrices bernoises, rebuilt in 1953-1955 and shut down in 1972. The building was damaged by fire in 2013.[1][4][6]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Bellefontaine » (Dominique Prongué), version du 15.02.2017
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Bornèque, Pierre François » (Philippe Froidevaux)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Saint-Ursanne (village) » (Jean-Paul Prongué), version du 18.05.2020
- Dictionnaire du Jura, « Bellefontaine (centrale hydroélectrique), 1903-1972 » (Emma Chatelain)
- Dictionnaire du Jura, « Forces Motrices Bernoises (FMB) » (Emma Chatelain)
- Denis Moine, Chronologie jurassienne, « Bellefontaine (Clos-du-Doubs) »
- Statistique Jura, tableau JU-T.01.01.03, population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025
- geo.admin.ch (swisstopo), recherche de lieux « Bellefontaine »
Other villages near Bellefontaine
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