Situated on the southern shores of Belleville Lake, a man-made lake in southwest Wayne County, in the southeastern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, the City of Belleville is surrounded by Van Buren Township.
Now the principal geographic feature of the city, Belleville Lake was created in 1925 when the Eastern Michigan Edison Company constructed the French Landing Dam and Powerhouse along the Huron River, submerging the small community of Rawsonville in the process. Today, the city's traditional downtown district is nestled along the shores of the lake, which is used for boating and fishing.
The city is primarily accessed by Belleville Road, Denton Road, Huron River Drive, Savage Road, and Sumpter Road, although Belleville Road connects to I-94, just north of the city. Romulus is 7.0 miles east of the city, while Ypsilanti is 9.6 miles west, Wayne is 10.5 miles northeast, Plymouth is 12.7 miles north, and Milan is 18.8 miles southwest. Belleville is a suburb of Metro Detroit, with the City of Detroit less than thirty miles to the north-northeast.
Prior to the arrival of European and European-American settlers in the early 19th century, the area had been inhabited by various Native American tribes. At one time, the Cahokia, one of the five tribes that comprised the Illinois Indian Confederacy, is believed to have had a large settlement there, while the Tammarois was a little farther to the southeast. By the time that European-American settlers arrived, the Cahokias had been displaced by other Native American tribes and eventually absorbed by the Kaskaskia and the Peoria people.
Among the first to arrive were Archibald Fleming, Samuel McNath, and his two adult sons, who came in 1826. A post office was established on March 13, 1844, with Lorton Holden as postmaster. A village was platted by George D. Hill, Daniel L. Quirk, and R.P. Clark in 1847 and 1848, including the main thoroughfares that are used today, designated Main Street, Liberty Street, and High Street.
In 1881, the Wabash Railroad established a Belleville depot on its Detroit line, offering passenger service to the community. In 1905, Belleville was incorporated as a village and became a city on May 14, 1946. The city was named for the French word meaning "beautiful town" but its name was also intended to honor an early landowner, James Bell.
As with many Michigan towns, its economy was initially based largely on lumber, with sawmills situated along the shores of the Huron River. Once the woodlands were depleted, their absence cleared the way for farmland, industry, and an expanding population. Belleville hosts an annual event known as the National Strawberry Festival, which draws visitors from all over the county and beyond.
The focus of this category is on the City of Belleville. Resources that are appropriate here will include websites representing the city or any of its departments or programs, as well as local businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, or events.
Categories
Faith & Spirituality |
Recommended Resources
Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce
Based in Belleville, Michigan, the business organization was created to assist its members in promoting their businesses, to educate its members through weekly advocacy information, workshops, free access to legal advice, seminars, webinars, and consultations, and to provide networking opportunities. Its membership packages, benefits, and advertising opportunities are presented, with a calendar of events, a member directory, business catalogs, and a guide to the community.
https://www.bellevilleareachamber.org/
Belleville Area District Library
Created as a county library in 1920, the library outgrew three different locations over the next thirty years, moving into what is now the Fred C. Fischer branch library, which was dedicated in 1953 and added onto in 1992. In 2010, the City of Belleville and Sumpter and Van Buren townships voted to leave the Wayne County Library System, forming the Belleville Area District Library. A map, hours of operation, and a calendar of events are published to the site.
https://www.belleville.lib.mi.us/
Based in Belleville, Michigan, the weekly newspaper is published on Thursdays. The office address, telephone and fax numbers, email address, and a contact form are available on the site. An archive of weekly papers back as far as 2012 is featured, and top stories, front-page news, sports, and obituaries are highlighted. Other features include police logs, a photo gallery, city links for Belleville, Van Buren, and Sumpter Township, a classified advertising section, and weather reports.
http://bellevilleareaindependent.com/
Belleville Central Business Community
The Belleville CBC is a volunteer-operated, non-profit, whose goal is to encourage growth in the downtown district of Belleville, Michigan. Made up of downtown businesses and interested individuals, the organization hosts a variety of events to promote and preserve the downtown area. A list of members is put forth, along with membership information, sponsorship, and volunteer opportunities, and announcements of events hosted by the organization.
http://www.bellevillecbc.org/
The official municipal website for this Detroit Metro suburb features a map and street index for the city, a list of city council members, boards, and commissions, the city’s Downtown Development Authority, and agenda, minutes, ordinances, and a city calendar. The city manager, clerk, treasurer, and department officials are featured, with contacts, and a guide to public utilities, recycling, senior transportation, and the Hillside Cemetery are included.
https://belleville.mi.us/
Established in 1982, the funeral home is housed in a former Moose Lodge building in Belleville, Michigan. Its history, location, office hours, and contacts are featured on its site, along with an overview of its services, funeral planning resources, including information about the benefits of pre-planning for a funeral, including an online planner. Other resources include a grief library and bookstore, a list of local florists. Testimonials and obituaries are published online.
https://www.davidcbrownfh.com/
Offering new, rebuilt, and used auto parts, Fox Auto Parts is an automotive recycling center in Belleville, Michigan. In business since 1973, the company carries a large line of new auto parts, as well as rebuilt auto parts with the same functionality as new, as well as used auto parts. The company will also locate and special order auto parts that are not in stock. Its location and hours of operation are posted, and information about its auto-buying options.
https://foxautoparts.com/
Headquartered in Belleville, Michigan, VBPS offers a K-12th-grade curriculum through four K-4th-grade elementary schools, one 7-8th-grade middle school, a 5-6th-grade intermediate school, a 9-12th-grade high school, and an early childhood development center for preschool students aged 3-5, serving the City of Belleville, Sumpter and Van Buren townships, a section of Washtenaw County, and a section of Canton. Its campuses are highlighted, and a district calendar is included.
https://www.vanburenschools.net/
