Belleville, Michigan

Belleville, Michigan
City
City of Belleville
Welcome to Belleville Sign
FIPS code		26-07020
GNIS feature ID	0621058[3]
Website	belleville.mi.us

Belleville is a city in

Belleville Lake is the city's principal geographic feature, and the city is also home to the National Strawberry Festival.

History

The community was named in honor of landowner James Bell by adroitly choosing the French word for "beautiful town".^[5] The hamlet was platted in 1847 with the main thoroughfares still used today designated Main, Liberty, and High Street. About 1881, the Belleville depot on the Detroit line of the Wabash Railroad began serving travelers from across the region and the country.

Belleville was established as a village in 1905,

which was a natural trade route, the village had long been a thriving center for lumber businesses with saw mills located along the shores of the river. The large expanses of woodlands were removed to make way for farmland, industry and increasing population.

To generate more electrical power in the region, in early 1926 the

. Belleville Lake is the largest inland lake in Wayne County, stretching 6 miles and covering 1,200 acres. The traditional downtown is nestled on the southern shore of Belleville Lake. Belleville achieved city status on 14 May 1946.

Techno music produced in the mid-to-late 1980s by Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson (collectively known as The Belleville Three), along with Eddie Fowlkes, Blake Baxter, James Pennington and others is viewed as the first wave of techno from Detroit.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.20 square miles (3.11 km²), of which 1.14 square miles (2.95 km²) is land and 0.06 square miles (0.16 km²) (5.00%) is water.^[6]

.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	314		—
1890	367		16.9%
1910	486		—
1920	626		28.8%
1930	758		21.1%
1940	1,286		69.7%
1950	1,722		33.9%
1960	1,921		11.6%
1970	2,406		25.2%
1980	3,366		39.9%
1990	3,270		−2.9%
2000	3,997		22.2%
2010	3,991		−0.2%
2020	4,008		0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 2012 Estimate[8]

2010 census

As of the

of any race were 3.8% of the population.

There were 1,755 households, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.7% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age in the city was 40 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.4% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.7% male and 53.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of any race were 2.53% of the population.

There were 1,842 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.5% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,196, and the median income for a family was $56,071. Males had a median income of $47,759 versus $30,145 for females. The

, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 and over.

Arts and culture

Festivals

Belleville hosts an annual festival, called the National Strawberry Festival. The Strawberry Festival generates considerable media coverage. People from all over Wayne County come to celebrate Belleville's economic supporter, the strawberry.^[10]

Points of interest

In the 1930s, Belleville had a reputation as a resort community where the wealthy of Detroit maintained getaway estates. Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh once owned summer cottages on Belleville Lake, in the neighborhood of Harmony Lane.^{[citation needed]}

Music

The city has been called the birthplace of techno music, namely having been home to Derrick May, Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson, commonly known as The Belleville Three, who were instrumental in its creation.^[11]

Education

Belleville is in the Van Buren Public Schools district. Belleville High School, Owen Intermediate, and Edgemont Elementary are located within the city limits of Belleville.

Sister city

The city is twinned with Machynlleth, Wales.^[12][13]

Gallery

• 
  Former Van Buren Hall, now Belleville Area Museum
• 
  Downtown Belleville looking south along Main Street
• 
  Five point intersection near Victory Park
• 
  Belleville Lake as viewed from Doane's Landing subdivision
• 
  Belleville High School

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Belleville, Michigan.

• Belleville Community Web Portal