Belleville, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Belleville is a city in St. Clair County
, Illinois
, United States
. As of the 2010 census
, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield
in the state of Illinois. It is the county seat
of St. Clair County
, and the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville
and the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows
. Belleville is the most populated city in the Metro-East
region of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area
and in Southern Illinois.
. Belleville was incorporated as a village
in 1819, and became a city
in 1850. It is said that Blair named the city Belleville (French for beautiful city) because he believed that a French name would attract new residents. Since major immigration in the mid-19th century occurred following revolutions in Germany, most of the population is of German heritage.
After the failure of the German Revolution in 1848, many of the educated people fled their homeland. Belleville was the center of the first important German settlement in Illinois. By 1870, an estimated 90% of the city's population was either German born or of German descent.
After the Civil War, Belleville became a manufacturing center; nails, printing presses, gray iron castings, agricultural equipment, and stoves were made there. The number of stoves produced and wealth generated from the stove foundry industry gave Belleville the moniker, "Stove Capital of the World." The State of Illinois’ first and last brewery was established there also. Belleville was also Southern Illinois’ leading cigar revenue district. In 1868, Gustav Goelitz founded the company that is known today as "Jelly Belly
."
An immense deposit (400000 acres (1,618.7 km²)) of bituminous coal was found in St. Clair County. By 1874, some farmers had become coal miners. One hundred shaft mines were in operation in and around Belleville. The coal brought the steam railroad to town, which allowed for the transport of many tons of coal to be shipped daily from Belleville to St. Louis. Later, Belleville would have the first electric trolley in the state.
The first style of homes in Belleville was simple brick cottages, known locally as "German street houses" or "row houses
." However, there is a great variety of architectural style with American Foursquare
, French Second Empire, Greek Revival
, Gothic Revival
, Italianate
, Queen Anne
, and Victorian
. Over 700 properties are listed on the Belleville National Register Historic District. The "Old Belleville Historic District," was formed in 1974 and is the city’s first historic district. The city also had two more historic districts: "Hexenbukel" (est. in 1991) and "Oakland" (est. in 1995).
Belleville’s early German immigrants were scholarly, with most of them having graduated from German universities. They were nicknamed “Latin Farmers” because of this. In 1836, residents established the city’s public library. The Belleville Public Library is the state’s oldest, predating the Illinois State Library by three years. The German settlers also founded choral and dramatic groups as well as literary societies. Belleville was also home to one of the first kindergartens in the country.
In October 2010, KEZK radio host Delilah sponsored a "paint the town" project. A local Home Depot donated paint, and volunteers supplied the labor to paint murals and buildings along several blocks of the main street of Belleville.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 19.0 square miles (49.2 km²), of which 18.9 square miles (48.8 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km²) (0.68%) is water. Richland Creek flows through much of Belleville.
was formed in 1866, making it the second oldest philharmonic orchestra in the country. With the increase in black population and migrants from the South, musicians developed who played blues
and jazz
; later rock
clubs were added to the scene.
Jay Farrar
(now of Son Volt), Mike Heidorn
, and Jeff Tweedy
(now of Wilco
) of the now-defunct alt country group Uncle Tupelo
are from Belleville. Another major musician was Neal Doughty
, keyboardist for 1970s rock band REO Speedwagon
.
During the summer of 2011, the Belleville West Jazz Band under the direction of Dr. Thomas Birkner completed a cultural exchange to Germany. The trip included concerts at Belleville's sister city Paderborn, Millstadt's sister city Gross-Beiberau, Rittersberg, and Keiserslautern.
of 2010, there were 44,478 people, 17,603 households, and 10,420 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,196.4 people per square mile (848.2/km²). There were 19,142 housing units at an average density of 1,015.3 per square mile (392.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.51% White, 15.51% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.81% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races
, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.
There were 17,603 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples
living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,979, and the median income for a family was $46,426. Males had a median income of $33,361 versus $25,375 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,990. About 9.3% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Four high schools — two public (Belleville Township HS East
, Belleville Township HS West), and two private (Althoff Catholic HS, Governor French Academy).
Belleville is also home to a relatively large grade school district. Belleville District 118 has 9 elementary schools, (Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Douglas, Franklin, Jefferson, Union, Westhaven, Henry Raab, and Washington) and 2 junior high schools (Central Junior High and West Junior High). Belle Valley School District 119 includes North Elementary School and South Middle School. Harmony School District 175 includes Ellis Elementary and Emge Jr. High. Signal Hill School is the only school in district 181. Whiteside Elementary School and Whiteside Middle School make up district 115. Parochial grade schools include St. Peter's Cathedral, St. Augustine of Canterbury Church
, St. Teresa, Blessed Sacrament, Our Lady Queen of Peace, and Zion Lutheran School.
, is the city's daily newspaper. The News-Democrat is part of the McClatchy
chain and coves the Metro East region and Southwestern Illinois. The city is also served by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, the area's major metropolitan daily. Belleville receives the signals of most radio and TV stations based in St. Louis
Belleville has three St. Louis MetroLink
stations connecting it to St. Louis and the network via light rail
: Memorial Hospital
, Belleville
, and College
.
Illinois State Highways 15
, 159
, 177
, 13
and 161
all pass through Belleville. Belleville is also adjacent to Interstate highways 64
and 255
. I-64 is an east-west highway extending from Wentzville, Missouri
to Virginia Beach, Virginia
and is the major route from Belleville to downtown St. Louis. I-255 is part of a system of expressways that together form a loop around St. Louis.
Belleville has a bicycle trail that runs through the city from Southside Park to Southwestern Illinois College
; it is mainly used for recreational purposes
Belleville's area airports are Scott Air Force Base
and MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
. MidAmerica Airport, located only minutes away from the heart of Belleville, has no scheduled passenger air service. The nearest major airport with scheduled commercial passenger service is Lambert St. Louis International Airport.
by Charles Romyn Dake
, published in 1899. This novel is a sequel to the only novel written by Edgar Allan Poe
, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
.
St. Clair County, Illinois
St. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
in the state of Illinois. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of St. Clair County
St. Clair County, Illinois
St. Clair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau placed the mean center of U.S. population in St. Clair County. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 270,056, which is an increase of 5.5% from 256,082 in 2000. Its county seat is...
, and the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville
Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern Illinois region of the United States. It comprises the southern counties of the state of Illinois and is administered from the City of Belleville. The prelate is a...
and the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows
National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows
The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows is a Catholic shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Belleville, Illinois, nine miles southeast of St. Louis, Missouri. The Shrine's director is the Reverend Father Greg Gallagher, OMI...
. Belleville is the most populated city in the Metro-East
Metro-East
Metro East is a region in Illinois that comprises the eastern suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It encompasses five Southern Illinois counties in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area. The region's most populated city is Belleville at 45,000 residents...
region of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area
St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area
Greater St. Louis is the area of Missouri and Illinois that surrounds and includes the independent city of St. Louis. Depending on the counties included in the area, it can refer to the St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan statistical area or the St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL combined...
and in Southern Illinois.
History
George Blair named the city of Belleville in 1814. Blair was born in 1760 and his father was born in Scotland. Blair donated an acre of his land for the Town Square and an additional 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) that adjoined the Square for the new County Seat, causing the county seat to be transferred from the village of CahokiaCahokia, Illinois
Cahokia is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 16,391. The name is a reference to one of the clans of the historic Illini confederacy, who were encountered by early French explorers to the region.Early European settlers also...
. Belleville was incorporated as a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in 1819, and became a city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in 1850. It is said that Blair named the city Belleville (French for beautiful city) because he believed that a French name would attract new residents. Since major immigration in the mid-19th century occurred following revolutions in Germany, most of the population is of German heritage.
After the failure of the German Revolution in 1848, many of the educated people fled their homeland. Belleville was the center of the first important German settlement in Illinois. By 1870, an estimated 90% of the city's population was either German born or of German descent.
After the Civil War, Belleville became a manufacturing center; nails, printing presses, gray iron castings, agricultural equipment, and stoves were made there. The number of stoves produced and wealth generated from the stove foundry industry gave Belleville the moniker, "Stove Capital of the World." The State of Illinois’ first and last brewery was established there also. Belleville was also Southern Illinois’ leading cigar revenue district. In 1868, Gustav Goelitz founded the company that is known today as "Jelly Belly
Jelly Belly
The Jelly Belly Candy, or simply Jelly Belly, is the maker of The Jelly Belly and other candy, formerly known as The Herman Goelitz Candy Company...
."
An immense deposit (400000 acres (1,618.7 km²)) of bituminous coal was found in St. Clair County. By 1874, some farmers had become coal miners. One hundred shaft mines were in operation in and around Belleville. The coal brought the steam railroad to town, which allowed for the transport of many tons of coal to be shipped daily from Belleville to St. Louis. Later, Belleville would have the first electric trolley in the state.
The first style of homes in Belleville was simple brick cottages, known locally as "German street houses" or "row houses
Row houses
The Row at Stanford University is made up of 36 student-managed houses, from the Cowell Cluster to the Lake Houses and all along Mayfield Avenue, with a total population of a little over 1600 students. Houses range in occupancy from 22 to 59...
." However, there is a great variety of architectural style with American Foursquare
American Foursquare
The American Foursquare or American Four Square is an American house style popular from the mid-1890s to the late 1930s. A reaction to the ornate and mass produced elements of the Victorian and other Revival styles popular throughout the last half of the 19th century, the American Foursquare was...
, French Second Empire, Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
, Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
, Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
, Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
, and Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
. Over 700 properties are listed on the Belleville National Register Historic District. The "Old Belleville Historic District," was formed in 1974 and is the city’s first historic district. The city also had two more historic districts: "Hexenbukel" (est. in 1991) and "Oakland" (est. in 1995).
Belleville’s early German immigrants were scholarly, with most of them having graduated from German universities. They were nicknamed “Latin Farmers” because of this. In 1836, residents established the city’s public library. The Belleville Public Library is the state’s oldest, predating the Illinois State Library by three years. The German settlers also founded choral and dramatic groups as well as literary societies. Belleville was also home to one of the first kindergartens in the country.
In October 2010, KEZK radio host Delilah sponsored a "paint the town" project. A local Home Depot donated paint, and volunteers supplied the labor to paint murals and buildings along several blocks of the main street of Belleville.
Topography
Belleville is located at 38°31′18"N 89°59′43"W (38.521567, -89.995208)..According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 19.0 square miles (49.2 km²), of which 18.9 square miles (48.8 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km²) (0.68%) is water. Richland Creek flows through much of Belleville.
Entertainment and performing arts
The Belleville Philharmonic SocietyBelleville Philharmonic Society
The Belleville Philharmonic Society is an Orchestra founded in 1866 in Belleville, Illinois. Its current conductor is Robert Charles Howard, and the assistant conductor is Leon Burke III.-Goal:...
was formed in 1866, making it the second oldest philharmonic orchestra in the country. With the increase in black population and migrants from the South, musicians developed who played blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
; later rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
clubs were added to the scene.
Jay Farrar
Jay Farrar
Jay Farrar is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis, Missouri. A veteran of two critically acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001...
(now of Son Volt), Mike Heidorn
Mike Heidorn
Mike Heidorn, born 1967 in Belleville, Illinois, is the former drummer and founding member of alternative country bands Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt. Heidorn also played with the Uncle Tupelo precursors the Primitives and the one-off band Coffee Creek with Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy of Uncle Tupelo...
, and Jeff Tweedy
Jeff Tweedy
Jeffrey Scot "Jeff" Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician and leader of the band Wilco. Tweedy joined rockabilly band The Plebes with high school friend Jay Farrar in the early 1980s, but Tweedy's musical interests caused one of Farrar's brothers to quit...
(now of Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
) of the now-defunct alt country group Uncle Tupelo
Uncle Tupelo
Uncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to attend college. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville...
are from Belleville. Another major musician was Neal Doughty
Neal Doughty
Neal Doughty is an American keyboardist and the sole remaining founding member of REO Speedwagon.Doughty wrote "Sky Blues" from 1973, "One Lonely Night" from 1984 and "Variety Tonight" from 1987...
, keyboardist for 1970s rock band REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US...
.
During the summer of 2011, the Belleville West Jazz Band under the direction of Dr. Thomas Birkner completed a cultural exchange to Germany. The trip included concerts at Belleville's sister city Paderborn, Millstadt's sister city Gross-Beiberau, Rittersberg, and Keiserslautern.
National Register of Historic Places
- Belleville Historic DistrictBelleville Historic DistrictBelleville Historic District is located in the St. Clair County, Illinois city of Belleville. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 1976. The historic district is bounded by East and South Belt Streets, Illinois Street and Forest Street....
- Gustave Koerner HouseGustave Koerner HouseThe Gustave Koerner House is located in the St. Clair County, Illinois city of Belleville. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in September 2004. The home is located on Abend Street.-External links:*...
- Knobeloch-Seibert FarmKnobeloch-Seibert FarmThe Knobeloch-Seibert Farm is located in the St. Clair County, Illinois city of Belleville. The Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in September 2004. It is one of many sites that the National Register lists as "address restricted," though, often, access to these sites is not...
Annual events
Belleville holds several celebrations throughout the year. One of the newest, but most successful, is Art on the Square (the annual art fair).- St Patrick's Day Parade (March 17)
- Art on the Square. This festival was recently named the "#1 Art Fair in the Nation" by the Art Fair Source Book.
- Ainad Shriner's Circus Parade (1st Friday in June)
- Wine Dine and Jazz (June)
- Labor DayLabor DayLabor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
Parade (September) - OktoberfestOktoberfestOktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
(September) - Chili Cookoff (October)
- Santa Claus Parade (November)
- Gingerbread Walk (December)
Attractions
- Eckert’s Country Store and Farms - Eckert's, the largest family-owned, pick-your-own orchard in the U.S., first opened a roadside sales stand in 1910. The 6th and 7th generations of the Eckert family operate retail, entertainment and farming entities in Belleville, MillstadtMillstadt, IllinoisMillstadt is a suburb of St. Louis and a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, at the crossing of Illinois Route 163 and Illinois Route 158 . The village is known for its German heritage, with more than half its people of German descent...
and Grafton, IllinoisGrafton, IllinoisGrafton is the oldest city in Jersey County, Illinois, United States. It is located near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 674. Prior to the Great Flood of 1993, Grafton had enjoyed a stable population of nearly...
. - Labor & Industry Museum- The Labor & Industry Museum is devoted to the history of the labor and industry of Belleville and southwestern Illinois. Belleville was one of the most significant centers for the growth of Illinois industry, which ranked third in the nation in the late 19th century. The Museum interprets the area's rich cultural heritage.
- Our Lady of the Snows, National Shrine
- * Sky-View Drive-In - One of the few remaining drive-ins in the St. Louis metro area, which is expanding to add a third screen.
- Downtown Belleville - Historic downtown Belleville has been recently renovated, and is a great place to shop.
Sports
- Rowdies Rugby Football ClubRowdies Rugby Football ClubThe Rowdies Rugby Football Club is a Division III rugby union team based out of Belleville, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Missouri Rugby Football Union and the Western Rugby Football Union. As such, it plays rugby in the Greater St...
— the only rugby footballRugby footballRugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
club in the Belleville area. - Belleville Khoury League - Belleville is home to the oldest, continually operating Khoury League in the nation. This organization facilitates youth tee ball, baseball, and softball programs to local area youth.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 44,478 people, 17,603 households, and 10,420 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,196.4 people per square mile (848.2/km²). There were 19,142 housing units at an average density of 1,015.3 per square mile (392.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.51% White, 15.51% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.81% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.
There were 17,603 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.8% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,979, and the median income for a family was $46,426. Males had a median income of $33,361 versus $25,375 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $18,990. About 9.3% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Higher Education- Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis UniversitySaint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
Belleville Campus - Lindenwood University-BellevilleLindenwood University-BellevilleLindenwood University-Belleville, also known as LU-Belleville, is a private, four-year liberal arts university. It is a regional campus that is connected to Lindenwood University with an enrollment of about 2,000 students. LU-Belleville is located in Belleville, Illinois and occupies the campus...
http://belleville.lindenwood.edu - Southwestern Illinois CollegeSouthwestern Illinois CollegeSouthwestern Illinois College is the sixth largest community college in Illinois with campuses in Belleville, Granite City, and Red Bud, plus 20 off-campus sites throughout the district, including Scott Air Force Base and East St. Louis Community College Center...
Four high schools — two public (Belleville Township HS East
Belleville High School-East
Belleville High School East, or Belleville Township High School East or simply Belleville East, is one of three major high schools in Belleville, Illinois. It is one of two school in Illinois' district 201. It and its sister school, Belleville West, comprise the largest school district in St. Clair...
, Belleville Township HS West), and two private (Althoff Catholic HS, Governor French Academy).
Belleville is also home to a relatively large grade school district. Belleville District 118 has 9 elementary schools, (Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Douglas, Franklin, Jefferson, Union, Westhaven, Henry Raab, and Washington) and 2 junior high schools (Central Junior High and West Junior High). Belle Valley School District 119 includes North Elementary School and South Middle School. Harmony School District 175 includes Ellis Elementary and Emge Jr. High. Signal Hill School is the only school in district 181. Whiteside Elementary School and Whiteside Middle School make up district 115. Parochial grade schools include St. Peter's Cathedral, St. Augustine of Canterbury Church
St. Augustine of Canterbury Church
St. Augustine of Canterbury Church in Belleville, Illinois was founded in 1955. St. Augustine parish is home to an elementary school, St. Augustine, Home of the Saints....
, St. Teresa, Blessed Sacrament, Our Lady Queen of Peace, and Zion Lutheran School.
Media
The Belleville News-DemocratBelleville News-Democrat
The Belleville News-Democrat is a daily newspaper in Belleville, Illinois. Focusing on news that is local to the area of southwestern Illinois, it has been published under various names for 150 years. As of 2009, it is published by The McClatchy Company, and is based in St. Clair County, Illinois...
, is the city's daily newspaper. The News-Democrat is part of the McClatchy
McClatchy
-Surname:* Carlos K. McClatchy, president of The McClatchy Company; grandson of Charles Kenny McClatchy* Charles Kenny McClatchy , editor of the Sacramento Bee and founder of The McClatchy Company...
chain and coves the Metro East region and Southwestern Illinois. The city is also served by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
, the area's major metropolitan daily. Belleville receives the signals of most radio and TV stations based in St. Louis
Transportation
St. Louis Metrolink
MetroLink is the light rail transit system in the Greater St. Louis area of Missouri and the Metro East area of Illinois. The entire system currently consists of two lines connecting Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and Shrewsbury, MO with Scott Air Force Base near Shiloh, Illinois through...
stations connecting it to St. Louis and the network via light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
: Memorial Hospital
Memorial Hospital (St. Louis MetroLink)
Memorial Hospital is a St. Louis MetroLink station in Belleville, Illinois, near the intersection of Illinois Route 161 and Frank Scott Parkway.- External links :*...
, Belleville
Belleville (St. Louis MetroLink)
-MetroBus:* 1 Main St - State St* 15 Lebanon Avenue* 16 St. Clair Square* 17 Carlyle Plaza-17th Street* 512X MetroLink Station Shuttle...
, and College
College (St. Louis Metrolink)
College Station is a St. Louis MetroLink station that is located at Southwestern Illinois College in Saint Clair County, Illinois. The station is east of Belleville, Illinois on Illinois Route 161 1and west of Scott Air Force Base.- External links :*...
.
Illinois State Highways 15
Illinois Route 15
Illinois Route 15 is an east–west highway with its western terminus at Illinois Route 3, U.S. Route 40, I-55, I-64, and I-70 and its eastern terminus at Wabash River at the Illinois/Indiana Border where it meets Indiana 64. This is a distance of ....
, 159
Illinois Route 159
Illinois Route 159 is a north–south state road in southwestern Illinois. Its southern terminus is at Illinois Route 3 and Illinois Route 154 in Red Bud and its northern terminus at Illinois Route 16 in Royal Lakes. This is a distance of ....
, 177
Illinois Route 177
Illinois Route 177 is an east–west state road in southern Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 159 in Belleville to U.S. Route 51 in Irvington. This is a distance of .- Route description :...
, 13
Illinois Route 13
Illinois Route 13 is a major east–west state route in southern Illinois. Illinois 13 has its western terminus at Centreville at Illinois Route 157 and its eastern terminus at the Kentucky state line and the Ohio River, at Kentucky Route 56. This is a distance of .- Route description :Illinois...
and 161
Illinois Route 161
Illinois Route 161 is an east–west highway with its western terminus at Illinois Route 157 in Fairview Heights and its official eastern terminus at Illinois Route 37 near Kell...
all pass through Belleville. Belleville is also adjacent to Interstate highways 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
and 255
Interstate 255
Interstate 255 is a bypass route of Interstate 55 near St. Louis, Missouri and with Interstate 270, it forms a loop around the city. Even though St. Louis is in Missouri, a majority of the route runs through Illinois. It shares its southern terminus with 270 at the junction with Interstate 55, 270...
. I-64 is an east-west highway extending from Wentzville, Missouri
Wentzville, Missouri
Wentzville is a city located in western St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 29,070. The city's major employer is General Motors which has a full size van assembly plant located there. As the site of the county fairgrounds,...
to Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
and is the major route from Belleville to downtown St. Louis. I-255 is part of a system of expressways that together form a loop around St. Louis.
Belleville has a bicycle trail that runs through the city from Southside Park to Southwestern Illinois College
Southwestern Illinois College
Southwestern Illinois College is the sixth largest community college in Illinois with campuses in Belleville, Granite City, and Red Bud, plus 20 off-campus sites throughout the district, including Scott Air Force Base and East St. Louis Community College Center...
; it is mainly used for recreational purposes
Belleville's area airports are Scott Air Force Base
Scott Air Force Base
Scott Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville.-Overview:The base is named after Corporal Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted person to be killed in an aviation crash...
and MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is an airport co-located on the grounds of Scott Air Force Base. MidAmerica has operated as a Joint Use Airport since beginning operations in November 1997 and has not been served by any commercial airlines since Allegiant Air pulled out of the airport on January 3,...
. MidAmerica Airport, located only minutes away from the heart of Belleville, has no scheduled passenger air service. The nearest major airport with scheduled commercial passenger service is Lambert St. Louis International Airport.
Notable people
- Jenny BindonJenny BindonJenny Bindon is an association football goalkeeper who represents New Zealand at the international level.-High school:...
, goalkeeper for the New Zealand Women's Soccer Team at the 2007 and 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. - Dave ButzDave ButzDavid Butz is a former American Football defensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the St...
, former NFL player with the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, 2x Super Bowl champion. - Jimmy ConnorsJimmy ConnorsJames Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
, Professional tennis player. - Jerry CostelloJerry CostelloJerry Francis Costello is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1988. He is a member of the Democratic Party and the dean of Illinois's 21-member Congressional delegation. The 12th district includes the St. Louis area suburb cities and stretches to deep Southern Illinois.-Early life,...
, current 10 time seating U.S. Congressman, Chairman on the Aviation subcomitee. - Brian DaubachBrian DaubachBrian Michael Daubach is a retired Major League Baseball player and current minor league baseball manager. During his playing career Daubach served as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
, Major-League Baseball player. - Buddy EbsenBuddy EbsenBuddy Ebsen was an American character actor and dancer. A performer for seven decades, he had starring roles as Jed Clampett in the long-running television series The Beverly Hillbillies and as the title character in the 1970s detective series Barnaby Jones, and played Barnaby Jones in the movie...
, actor, known for TV roles as Jed Clampett (The Beverly Hillbillies) and Barnaby Jones. - John WilliamsJohn WilliamsJohn Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
, dev ops, 37signals37signals37signals is a privately held web application company based in Chicago, Illinois. The firm was co-founded in 1999 by Jason Fried, Carlos Segura, and Ernest Kim as a web design company. Segura left in 2000 and Kim left in 2003, leaving Fried as the only remaining founder.Since mid-2004, the...
. - Jeff TweedyJeff TweedyJeffrey Scot "Jeff" Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician and leader of the band Wilco. Tweedy joined rockabilly band The Plebes with high school friend Jay Farrar in the early 1980s, but Tweedy's musical interests caused one of Farrar's brothers to quit...
, frontman of rock group WilcoWilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
. - Jay FarrarJay FarrarJay Farrar is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis, Missouri. A veteran of two critically acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001...
, front man of rock group Son VoltSon VoltSon Volt is an alternative country group formed by Jay Farrar in 1994 after the breakup of the band Uncle Tupelo.-History:The group formed after Farrar met Jim and Dave Boquist during the final Uncle Tupelo tour. Together with former Uncle Tupelo drummer Mike Heidorn, the band rehearsed and...
, formed Uncle TupeloUncle TupeloUncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to attend college. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville...
with Jeff TweedyJeff TweedyJeffrey Scot "Jeff" Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician and leader of the band Wilco. Tweedy joined rockabilly band The Plebes with high school friend Jay Farrar in the early 1980s, but Tweedy's musical interests caused one of Farrar's brothers to quit...
, and a successful solo artist. - Max FlackMax FlackMax John Flack , was a Major League Baseball outfielder. He played twelve seasons in the majors from 1914-1925 for the Chicago Chi-Feds/Whales of the Federal League, then the Chicago Cubs and the St...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. - Jaimee FoxworthJaimee FoxworthJaimee Foxworth is an American actress who played the part of Judy Winslow, the youngest daughter, for four seasons on Family Matters. She later briefly transitioned to pornographic films using the name Crave.- Career :...
, Actress Family Matters Parent was stationed at Scott AFB - Bob GoalbyBob GoalbyRobert George Goalby is a former American professional golfer on the PGA Tour, who won the 1968 Masters Tournament, his lone major championship among 11 Tour wins achieved between 1958 and 1971....
, former professional golfer, 1968 Masters champion. - Bob GroomBob GroomRobert Groom , was a professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in two midwest minor leagues and the Pacific Coast League from 1904–1908, and then in the Major Leagues from 1909 - 1918. He pitched for the Washington Senators , St. Louis Terriers , St...
, deadball era major-league pitcher. - Jay HaasJay HaasJay Dean Haas is an American professional golfer.Haas was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Belleville, Illinois. He attended Wake Forest University and was a member of the NCAA Championship team of the middle 1970s with Curtis Strange and Bob Byman that Golf World has called "the...
, Professional Golfer. - Ernest HilgardErnest HilgardErnest Ropiequet "Jack" Hilgard was an American psychologist, professor at Stanford university, who became famous in the 1950s for his research on hypnosis, especially with regard to pain control...
, psychologist. - Barbara HoffmanBarbara HoffmanBarbara Hoffman is a former infielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 133 lb., she batted and threw right handed....
, All-American Girls Professional Baseball LeagueAll-American Girls Professional Baseball LeagueThe All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a women's professional baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. During the league's history, over 600 women played ball.-History:...
player. - Gustav KörnerGustav KörnerGustav Philipp Körner, also spelled Gustave or Gustavus Koerner was an Illinois lawyer, politician and historian....
, German politician and emigrant, participant of the Frankfurter WachensturmFrankfurter WachensturmThe Frankfurter Wachensturm on April 3rd 1833 was a failed attempt to start a revolution in Germany.-Events:...
in 1833. - Ken KwapisKen KwapisKen Kwapis is an American film and television director and screenwriter. He specialized in the single-camera sitcom in the 1990s and 2000s and has directed feature films such as Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and He's Just Not That Into...
, Emmy-nominated director and producer for The Office. - Gary LeonardGary LeonardGary Francis Leonard is a retired American professional basketball player. At 7'1" and 295 lbs, he played center.-College career:...
, NBA basketball player. - Al Levine, MLB pitcher.
- Sandra MagnusSandra MagnusSandra Hall Magnus is an American engineer and a NASA astronaut. She returned to Earth with the crew of STS-119 Discovery on March 28, 2009, after having spent 134 days in orbit. She was assigned to the crew of STS-135, the final mission of the Space Shuttle...
, engineer and NASA astronaut. - Darius MilesDarius MilesDarius LaVar Miles is an American professional basketball player.The , small forward was selected directly out of high school by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 3rd overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft...
, NBA basketball player. - Peter SarsgaardPeter SarsgaardJohn Peter Sarsgaard is an American film and stage actor. He landed his first feature role in the movie Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, Sarsgaard received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron...
, actor, born at Scott AFB, where his father was stationed. - Al Smith, pitcher for the NY Giants, Phillies, and the Cleveland Indians. Helped NY win the pennant in 1936 and 1937.
- Lorenda StarfeltLorenda StarfeltLorenda Starfelt was an award-winning independent film producer, as well as a committed political activist and blogger who famously dug up president Barack Obama's in an August 1961 edition of The Honolulu Advertiser while researching her documentary on the 2008 presidential election...
, motion picture producer. - Harry StathamHarry StathamHarry Statham is an American basketball coach. He is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Basketball Hall of Fame. His 1,043 wins during his 45 seasons at McKendree University of Lebanon, Illinois, are unmatched by any other men's basketball coach at a 4-year college...
, college basketball coach with most career wins. - Kevin Von ErichKevin Von ErichKevin Ross Adkisson is a retired professional wrestler under the ring name Kevin Von Erich of the Von Erich Family. He is the last surviving son of wrestler Fritz Von Erich and had four brothers that wrestled, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris, as well as an older brother, Jack, Jr., who died in...
, former Professional Wrestler - Randy WellsRandy WellsRandy David Wells is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.Wells was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 38th Round of the 2002 amateur entry draft as a catcher. He spent his career in the Chicago Cubs farm system from to before being claimed in the Rule 5 Draft by the Toronto...
, current Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher for the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. - UnoK-Run's Park Me In FirstCh. K-Run's Park Me In First, aka "Uno" is a 15" beagle from Belleville, Illinois, who won Best in Show in the 2008 Westminster Kennel Club dog show...
, winner of the 2008 Westminster Kennel Club - Bob HeilBob HeilBob Heil is an American sound and radio engineer most well-known for creating the template for modern rock sound systems. He founded the company Heil Sound in 1966, which went on to create unique touring sound systems for bands such as The Grateful Dead and The Who...
, Inventor of The Heil Talk Box, and Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
exhibitor - Randy StufflebeamRandy StufflebeamRandall C. Stufflebeam was a write-in candidate in the 2006 Illinois gubernatorial election against Democratic incumbent Rod Blagojevich Republican Judy Baar Topinka, and Green Rich Whitney. His running mate was Randy White. He is also the chairman of Illinois' Constitution Party and is a former...
, 2006 candidate in the Illinois gubernatorial electionIllinois gubernatorial election, 2006The Illinois gubernatorial election of 2006 occurred on November 7, 2006. The Governor of Illinois, Democrat Rod Blagojevich, won re-election for a four-year term scheduled to have ended on January 10, 2011. However, Blagojevich was impeached in 2009...
who received the greatest number of votes for a write-in candidate in IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
history
Popular media
Belleville (under the name "Bellevue") is the town where Dirk Peters, companion of Arthur Gordon Pym, is discovered living in the novel A Strange DiscoveryA Strange Discovery
A Strange Discovery is an 1899 novel by Charles Romyn Dake and is a sequel to Edgar Allan Poe's The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket which was published in 1838. It follows the experiences of the narrator, an Englishman, during his stay in Bellevue, Illinois , and his encounter with Dirk...
by Charles Romyn Dake
Charles Romyn Dake
Charles Romeyn Dake was a 19th-century American homeopathic physician and writer. He was an 1873 graduate of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and he practiced in Belleville, Illinois...
, published in 1899. This novel is a sequel to the only novel written by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket is the only complete novel written by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. The work relates the tale of the young Arthur Gordon Pym, who stows away aboard a whaling ship called the Grampus...
.