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The city of Bellefontaine Neighbors is a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Located in northern St. Louis County, settlement of the area began with the construction of Spanish forts along the Missouri River in the late 1700s. The area was ceded to France in 1800, and the French established a trading post on the south bank of the river, about four miles west of the Mississippi River, which contained a large clear water spring that was known as la belle fontaine by the French. A fort was built there in 1805, which included log cabins for military officers and for an Indian agent, as well as a trading house, bakery, blacksmith shop, and several huts for enlisted soldiers. The trail that led from Fort Bellefontaine to the city of St. Louis was known as Bellefontaine Road. When the fort was closed, the land was divided into several large land grants, issued by Spanish, French, and American officials. From the original grants, land ownership tended toward smaller and smaller farms. Bellefontaine Neighbors was incorporated as a fourth class city in 1950.

 

 

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