Belvidere

History

Before the arrival of the mostly Anglo-Americans in the 19th century, this area was long occupied by the Illinois Confederation, a loose grouping of up to 12 to 15 Native American tribes. The main tribes were the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Peoria, and Tamaroa. After trading, warfare and other encounters with French traders, who entered this area before the Anglo-Americans, their numbers declined. In large part due to the high mortality from new infectious diseases, which adversely affected Native Americans across the continent. The area developed as Belvidere was first settled by European Americans in 1835: Simon P. Doty and Daniel Hilton Whitney. They named this location next to the Kishwaukee River as "Elysian Fields" from Greek mythology. Because new residents could not pronounce or spell the proposed name, the city was eventually renamed after Belvidere, Virginia, the former home of Ebenezer Polk, a railroad lawyer and major financial founder in the city. Belvidere originally developed on the north side of the Kishwaukee River. In 1851 the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad was built south of the river, stimulating the relocation of much of the business section to the south side of the river, giving access to railway transportation. Belvidere's downtown is now on the south side. Major industries developed along the river and railroad, including the National Sewing Machine Company, which operated here from 1886 to the 1940s. In 1906, former female sheriff Sarah Ames moved to South Dakota; she named the area where she settled after her home town. Belvidere, South Dakota still operates as a small town in Jackson County. On April 21, 1967, a devastating tornado struck Belvidere. Twenty-four people died as a result, many of them schoolchildren. The F4 tornado…

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Belvidere has a total area of , of which (or 98.08%) is land and (or 1.92%) is water. Located in north central Illinois, in a county on the northern border of the state, Belvidere is approximately northwest of the downtown of Chicago, and approximately east of Rockford. Belvidere developed on both sides of the Kishwaukee River in north central Illinois. It is 76 miles from downtown Chicago via Routes 20, 76 and the Northern Illinois Toll road. Belvidere is an industrial community surrounded by prosperous farms. It is the county seat, with an estimated 2006 county population of over 52,000. The altitude is 800 feet above sea level, with average temperatures of: 73 degrees F in the summer; 24 degrees F in the winter, and the average rainfall is 33.3 inches, and the average annual snowfall is 35.3 inches.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  4,104
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,055
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,595
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,154
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,104
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,999
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,968
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,927

Largest nearby schools

• Belvidere North High Sch
  High · Belvidere · 1,472 students · 14.7:1 ratio
• Belvidere High School
  High · Belvidere · 1,210 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Belvidere Central Middle School
  Middle · Belvidere · 897 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• Belvidere South Middle School
  Middle · Belvidere · 780 students · 10.8:1 ratio
• Washington Academy
  Elementary · Belvidere · 689 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• Meehan Elementary School
  Elementary · Belvidere · 656 students · 17.3:1 ratio
• Seth Whitman Elem Sch
  Elementary · Belvidere · 622 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• Lincoln Elem School
  Elementary · Belvidere · 549 students · 14.1:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2024-07-15
  2 km WNW of Somonauk, Illinois
• M 2.9 — 2015-03-25
  3 km WNW of Lake in the Hills, Illinois
• M 2.6 — 2013-06-10
  4 km NNE of Virgil, Illinois
• M 3.8 — 2010-02-10
  2 km NW of Lily Lake, Illinois
• M 4.2 — 2004-06-28
  12 km NW of Dayton, Illinois