Belgique, Missouri

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Not to be confused with Belgium.
Belgique, Missouri
unincorporated community
Belgique, Missouri, roadsign
Belgique, Missouri, roadsign
Location of Perry County, Missouri
Location of Perry County, Missouri
Coordinates: 37°50′15″N 89°46′52″W / 37.83750°N 89.78111°W / 37.83750; -89.78111Coordinates: 37°50′15″N 89°46′52″W / 37.83750°N 89.78111°W / 37.83750; -89.78111
CountryUnited States
StateMissouri
CountyPerry
TownshipBois Brule[1]
Elevation
372 ft (113 m)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
63775
Area code(s)573
FIPS code29-04042 [2]
GNIS feature ID713893 [2]

Belgique is an unincorporated community in eastern Perry County, Missouri, United States. It is located approximately five miles south of Chester, Illinois in Perry County's Bois Brule Township.

Etymology[]

Since a town already existed in Missouri which bore the name of Belgium, the Flemish residents opted to use the French name for their homeland.

History[]

The town was originally settled by Catholic Flemings from Belgium. A Catholic church, The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, existed in Belgique from 1884 to 1992.[3] A post office was established in 1890, but as the name "Belgium" had already been taken, the French name for Belgium "Belgique" was used instead.[4] Its post office has closed and its mail now comes from Perryville.[5] Since the flood of 1993 there is no longer an existing town.[6]

Floods[]

Of the many floods over the centuries, the most devastating flood was the Great Flood of 1993. The subsequent flood destroyed the village, leaving only a handful of residents to return to the area following the flood.[7][8]

  • Flooded Church - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

  • Flooded farm

  • Flooded store

Geography[]

Belgique was located on the flat alluvial plain of the Bois Brule Bottom situated in the northern part of Perry County.

Gallery[]

  • Belgique, 19th century

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Histopolis
  2. ^ a b Roadside Thoughts
  3. ^ Missouri Historical Society: Perry County Place Names, 1928-1945 Archived March 31, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Flemish Genealogy Archived August 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Missouri Postal History Archived October 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Nativity Cemetery - Perry County, Missouri Archived November 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Erin Ragan (August 14, 2013). "Remembering the 1993 flood: Locals look back at flood fight". Southeast Missourian.
  8. ^ US Army Corps of Engineers (December 1993). "Upper Mississippi River Basin Flood of 1993, Flood-Fight Reconnaissance and Survey of Expedient Methods Employed". Archived from the original on 2016-10-09. Retrieved 2016-01-11. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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