Bellevue, Nebraska
Encyclopedia
Bellevue is a city in Sarpy County, Nebraska
Sarpy County, Nebraska
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 122,595 people, 43,426 households, and 33,220 families residing in the county. The population density was 510 people per square mile . There were 44,981 housing units at an average density of 187 per square mile...

, United States. The population was 50,137 at the 2010 census. Eight miles south of Omaha, Bellevue is part of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area
Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area
The Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area is a metropolitan area comprising the cities of Omaha, Nebraska, Council Bluffs, Iowa, and surrounding areas. The Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area has a population of 865,350 . The metropolitan area, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget,...

. Originally settled in the 1830s, It was the first state capitol. Bellevue was incorporated in 1855 and is the oldest continuous town in Nebraska. The Nebraska State Legislature has credited the town as being the second oldest settlement in Nebraska. It was once the seat of government in Nebraska.

Geography

Bellevue is located at 41°9′31"N 95°56′3"W (41.158518, -95.934135) at an elevation of 1159  ft (353 m). 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 13.4 square miles (34.7 km²), of which, 13.3 square miles (34.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.7%) is water. It is bounded on the east by the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...

.

The Sarpy County Courthouse is located in nearby Papillion, Nebraska.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 2000, there were 44,382 people, 16,937 households, and 11,940 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 3,346.4 people per square mile (1,292.3/km²). There were 17,439 housing units at an average density of 1,314.9 per square mile (507.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.83% White, 6.13% African American, 0.50% Native American, 2.11% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 2.78% 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 2.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.88% of the population.

There were 16,937 households out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $47,201, and the median income for a family was $54,422. Males had a median income of $33,819 versus $25,783 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 $20,903. About 4.1% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Fur country

Settlement of what became Bellevue began when a fur trading
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...

 post was built in 1822 by Joshua Pilcher
Joshua Pilcher
Joshua Pilcher was an American fur trader and Indian agent. After Manuel Lisa's death in 1820, Pilcher became the owner and president of the Missouri Fur Company, based in St. Louis...

, then president of the Missouri Fur Company
Missouri Fur Company
The Missouri Fur Company was one of the earliest fur trading companies in St. Louis, Missouri. Dissolved and reorganized several times, it operated under various names from 1809 until its final dissolution in 1830. It was created by a group of fur traders and merchants from St...

 based in St. Louis. The post was later known as Fontenelle's Post
Fontenelle's Post
Fontenelle's Post, first known as Pilcher's Post, and the site of the later city of Bellevue, was built in 1822 in the Nebraska Territory by Joshua Pilcher, then president of the Missouri Fur Company. Located on the Missouri River, it developed as one of the first European-American settlements in...

 after being run by Lucien Fontenelle, a fur trader who purchased it in 1828 to represent the American Fur Company
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company grew to monopolize the fur trade in the United States by 1830, and became one of the largest businesses in the country. The company was one the first great trusts in American business...

. The Post served as a central trading point with local Omaha
Omaha (tribe)
The Omaha are a federally recognized Native American nation which lives on the Omaha Reservation in northeastern Nebraska and western Iowa, United States...

, Otoe
Otoe tribe
The Otoe or Oto are a Native American people. The Otoe language, Chiwere, is part of the Siouan family and closely related to that of the related Iowa and Missouri tribes.-History:...

, Missouri and Pawnee tribes. Early French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...

 trappers named the area Belle Vue because of the beauty of the view from the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...

.

With the decline in the fur trade, in 1832 Fontenelle sold the post to the US government for the Missouri River Indian Agency (also called the Bellevue Agency). When Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...

 missionaries Moses and Eliza Merrill arrived in 1833, the Indian agent let them stay temporarily at the post.

In 1835 the Merrills moved with the Otoe about eight miles to the west, where they established what was known as the Otoe or Moses Merrill Mission
Moses Merrill Mission
The Moses Merrill Mission, also known as the Oto Mission, was located about eight miles west of Bellevue, Nebraska. It was built and occupied by Moses and Eliza Wilcox Merrill, the first missionaries resident in Nebraska. The first building was part of facilities built in 1835 when the United...

. Fontenelle's Post was abandoned about 1839-1842. In 1839 the Steamboat Pirate
Pirate (steamboat)
The Steamboat Pirate was an early American expeditionary supply vessel that sank on the Missouri River near what is now Bellevue, Nebraska in April 1839 after snagging. The sinking of the steamboat was witnessed by Pierre-Jean De Smet and lamented by Joseph N. Nicollet, who was depending on its...

 sank on the Missouri near Bellevue. In the 1830s a log cabin
Log Cabin (Bellevue, Nebraska)
The Log Cabin at present-day 805 Hancock Street in Bellevue, Nebraska was built in the 1830s, and is commonly acknowledged as the oldest building in Nebraska.- History :...

 was built at present-day 805 Hancock Street, that still stands today.

Colonel Peter Sarpy, a fur trader and Louisiana Creole
Louisiana Creole
Louisiana Creole can refer to:* Louisiana Creole people* Louisiana Creole French language* Louisiana Creole cuisine...

 who also was based in St. Louis, established a trading post across the river from Bellevue in what became Iowa. It chiefly supplied the expeditions of European and United States settlers bound for Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

 and later, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

's Gold Rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...

. About 1846, Sarpy also set up a ferry between Bellevue and St. Mary's, Iowa. By the 1850s, one of his ferries ran by steam. Bellevue was also a location of Mormon settlement around 1850.

As a prominent businessman, Sarpy was active in community affairs in Bellevue. He helped plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....

 and organize the town. In addition, he platted Decatur
Decatur, Nebraska
Decatur is a village in Burt County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 618 at the 2000 census. This town is named after one of its incorporators, Stephen Decatur, who claimed to be the nephew of war hero Stephen Decatur, Jr....

. The Nebraska legislature named Sarpy County after him for his service in community organizing.

Ideally situated on the Missouri River with access to the Platte River
Platte River
The Platte River is a major river in the state of Nebraska and is about long. Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which in turn is a tributary of the Mississippi River which flows to...

 Valley, Bellevue continued to grow. The community became a hub for transfer of manufactured goods from the East and furs from the West. From the 1840s until the 1850s, Bellevue prospered.

With the decline of the fur trade, Bellevue changed during the decade of the 1850s to a more mixed economy. As eastern Nebraska was opened to settlement in 1854, Bellevue experienced a building boom. The First Presbyterian Church, a bank, a hotel, and dozens of private homes were among the new structures built. The boom was short-lived, however. The expansion accompanied a belief that the city was to be selected as the capital of the Nebraska Territory
Nebraska Territory
The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854...

. Since the city was the oldest and most widely known settlement in the territory, Bellevue residents were optimistic. The new territorial governor, Francis Burt
Francis Burt (Nebraska)
Francis Burt was an American politician politician from South Carolina who served as the first Governor of Nebraska Territory.-Background:...

, had already moved into a residence in Bellevue. Shortly after arriving, Governor Burt died. His successor T.B. Cuming selected a new upstart community as the territorial capital — Omaha, to the north on the Missouri River.

Decline

The second half of the century witnessed Bellevue's slip into relative obscurity. While Omaha grew from a few hundred in population in 1855 to 104,000 in 1890, Bellevue's numbers continued to slide until the city was near extinction. In 1876, the county seat was transferred to Papillion
Papillion, Nebraska
Papillion is a city in Sarpy County in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is a suburb to the southwest of neighboring Omaha, and is the county seat of Sarpy County. The population of Papillion was 18,894 at the 2010 census. In 2009, Papillion was named the #3 best place to live in the United States by...

, 10 miles (16.1 km) to the west.

In the 1890s, the city's offer of inexpensive land brought Fort Crook
Fort Crook
Two posts of this name existed:Two posts of this name existed:Two posts of this name existed:: Fort Crook a post near Fall River Mills, California from 1857 to 1869.: Fort Crook in Nebraska, established in 1891, to replace Fort Omaha, now Offutt Air Force Base....

 to the Bellevue area. The fort provided impetus to Bellevue's population growth in the future. In 1966, Bellevue College (now Bellevue University
Bellevue University
Bellevue University is a private university located in Bellevue, Nebraska.-History:Creating a new college in Bellevue, Nebraska was No. 1 on the agenda for the Chamber of Commerce in June 1965. Local civic-leader and businessman Bill Brooks met with his fellow members of the chamber and lead the...

) was established.

From the 1880s to 1940, Bellevue's population grew minimally, from around 500 to not more than 1200 in 1940. The small growth was primarily due to the improved transportation access to Omaha, which allowed for easier commuting for workers.

Offutt Air Force Base

Fort Crook, later named and redesigned as Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...

, spurred Bellevue's largest growth. Offutt became home to the huge Martin bomber plant during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 and, shortly after the war, housed the headquarters of the Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...

. It attracted thousands of workers, both civilian and military, who made Bellevue their home. Bellevue's population grew from less than 1200 in 1940 to almost 4000 in 1950 and then almost 9000 ten years later. A decade later, Bellevue's population again more than doubled, to more than 20,000.

The Martin Bomber Plant was the site of manufacture for the historically significant Enola Gay
Enola Gay
Enola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, mother of the pilot, then-Colonel Paul Tibbets. On August 6, 1945, during the final stages of World War II, it became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb as a weapon of war...

 and Bockscar
Bockscar
Bockscar, sometimes called Bock's Car or Bocks Car, is the name of the United States Army Air Forces B-29 bomber that dropped the "Fat Man" nuclear weapon over Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, the second atomic weapon used against Japan....

, the planes used by the US to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...

 and Nagasaki, Japan, respectively, ending the Pacific war.

Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...

 is the location of the 55th Wing
55th Wing
The 55th Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Combat Command. The unit is stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska....

, United States Strategic Command
United States Strategic Command
United States Strategic Command is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Department of Defense . The Command, including components, employs more than 2,700 people, representing all four services, including DoD civilians and contractors, who oversee the command's operationally...

 and the Air Force Weather Agency
Air Force Weather Agency
The Air Force Weather Agency is a Field Operating Agency and the lead military meteorology center of the United States Air Force...

.

The first divided highway in Nebraska was built from the south Omaha city limits to Offutt Air Force Base. Today known as Fort Crook Road, it was finished December 8, 1941, the day after the attacks at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

.

Today

Bellevue's growth today is primarily due to an expanding economy in the civilian sector. The Kennedy Freeway, a limited-access highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...

 linked to the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...

, has stimulated a new building boom. Commercial, industrial, and residential construction are all expanding. During the 1990s, the city's population grew by 47.5%. Economic and population growth has continued since the turn of the century.

Bellevue is the site of Fontenelle Forest
Fontenelle Forest
Fontenelle Forest is a forest, located near Bellevue, Nebraska. Its visitor features include hiking trails, a nature center, children's camps, a gift shop, and picnic facilities. The forest is listed as a National Natural Landmark and a National Historic District...

, 1400 acres (5.7 km²) of privately owned forestland with 19 miles (30.6 km) of hiking trails, with views of the Missouri River and the surrounding area. It includes the site of Fontenelle's Post. Haworth Park at the Missouri River is also a popular tourist attraction, featuring the start of a walking trail that stretches many miles across Bellevue.

The eagerly anticipated Bellevue Medical Center opened on May 17, 2010. The hospital is located at the corner of Highway 370 and 25th Street.

Bellevue's current mayor is Rita Sanders.

Notable residents

  • Henry T. Clarke, Sr.
    Henry T. Clarke, Sr.
    Henry Tefft Clarke, Sr. was an American businessman, pioneer, and politician from Nebraska.Born in Greenwich, New York, he was educated in the local schools. He moved to Cleveland, Ohio and eventually to Nebraska Territory, where he built railroads and bridges. Eventually, he opened a retail drug...

    , merchant and legislator, father of Henry Clarke
  • Henry Clarke
    Henry Clarke (baseball)
    Henry Tefft Clarke, Jr. was an American baseball player and coach, lawyer and politician. He played Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Spiders in 1897 and the Chicago Orphans in 1898. He was also a coach for the Michigan Wolverines baseball team...

    , legislator and baseball player
  • Bob Gibson
    Bob Gibson
    Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...

    , baseball player and hall of famer
  • Leisha Hailey
    Leisha Hailey
    Leisha Hailey is an American actress and musician most widely known for playing Alice Pieszecki in the Showtime Networks production The L Word...

    , actress, musician
  • Terry D. Scott
    Terry D. Scott
    Terry D. Scott was the tenth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy from April 22, 2002 until July 10, 2006.-Biography:Scott was born in Buffalo, Missouri. Before enlisting in the Navy, he lived in Louisburg, Kansas. He joined the Navy in December 1976. He has served on several naval ships almost...

    , tenth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON)

See also

  • Bellevue Public Schools
    Bellevue Public Schools
    Bellevue Public Schools operates 14 elementary schools , three middle schools , and two high schools in Bellevue in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The district has 574 teachers serving 8,886 students.Note: Based on 2002-2003 school year data-External links:*...

  • Offutt Air Force Base
    Offutt Air Force Base
    Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...

  • US Strategic Command
  • Moses Merill Mission

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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