Owned by Saint-Claude Abbey until the French Revolution, the area was long characterized by scattered settlements and farms. From the 16th century onwards, water power and the presence of wood encouraged people to settle here and small industries to flourish, quickly followed by the development of local crafts during the long winter months.
Carved out by powerful river erosion, the enclave formed by the Bienne Valley is particularly deep and inhospitable, explaining why certain municipalities were settled relatively late. In addition, the long, harsh winter months encouraged people to settle on the heights rather than at the bottom of the valley.
However, the region is rich in natural resources, starting with its spruce forests and the river known as the Bienne. Thanks to the proximity of iron ore deposits, metalworking developed from the 16th century onwards, beginning with forges and nail factories.
Nicknamed the « Combe Noire » (Black Valley), the Morez region only began to develop at the end of the 16th century with the exploitation of the Bienne river and metal. Étienne Morel, a blacksmith who settled there in 1565, gave his name to the place, which became Morez in the 18th century.
Renowned for its monumental clocks and comtoise clocks, the town saw the development of enameling, initially for clock faces and later for nameplates and memorial plaques. In 1796, nail maker Pierre-Hyacinthe Caseaux created the first metal frame: and so, from a nail, the Morez eyeglass frame was born.
Known for its ash-coated cheese, Morbier owes its name to the « mort bief, » a dry stream upstream from the village.
The village’s history is marked by the Mayet brothers, clockmakers of Savoyard origin, who first developed monumental clocks and then invented the Comtoise clock around 1680. The tradition continues with the Odobez family, who settled in Morez in 1885.
Longchaumois, meaning « long pasture, » has been inhabited since the 8th century by shepherds and mountain dwellers, reflecting the seasonal activities of the time. Its history, marked by the plague and a fire, is linked to Captain Lacuzon, a figure of the Comtois resistance. Born in 1607, he defended Franche-Comté, then under Spanish rule, against the Kingdom of France during the wars of the 17th century.
A village with a strong rural identity, it saw the development of a craft industry producing linear meters in the 19th century, which continued until the early 1960s.
Occupied since the 13th century, Bellefontaine owes its name to the quality of its springs. As early as 1639, in the midst of a plague epidemic in a war-torn region, the inhabitants of neighboring villages used to come to Bellefontaine to fetch water from the uncontaminated springs. Located on the Swiss border on the edge of the Risoux forest, the village remains marked by traces of a history closely linked to religion and smuggling…
The century-old spruce trees provided wood that was highly prized for use in stringed instrument making. In 1968, Hervé Béjannin began specializing in cases for Comtoise clocks, the Girod family opened their enamel factory, and in 1988, gem cutter and diamond dealer Gilbert Duraffourg founded La Taillerie.