About 75 miles away from Chicago live Belvidere's 26,000 residents. Since 1837, it has been the county seat of Boone County and is known for its extensive Native American history. Prior to the arrival of European settlers in the 19th century, the Illinois Confederation, a loose association of between 12 and 15 Native American tribes, inhabited the area. They were believed to have numbered in the tens of thousands before European contact. Over time, war and exposure to New World diseases caused their numbers to dwindle to under 10,000. The main tribes were the Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Tamaroa, Peoria, and the Michigamea. Eventually, they regrouped and re-established themselves with the name Confederated Peoria. They are now federally recognized as the "Peoria Tribe of Indians" and live in Oklahoma.
The area was officially settled by Americans of European descent in 1835 by Daniel Hilton Whitney and Simon P. Doty. They named the area next to the Kishwaukee River "Elysian Fields," which is a reference to Greek mythology. Many new residents could not spell or pronounce the name and the city was eventually renamed after Belvidere, Virginia. Ebenezer Polk was a major financial founder of the Illinois town and the Virgina city was his previous home.
Niche.com has named Belvidere one of the best places to live in Boone county, and it's no surprise why. The schools are above average compared to the rest of the country. There is no shortage of employment either, with large corporations such as Chrysler, Dean Foods, and General Mills operating factories here. After being used to put together the Dodge Neon until the Spring of 2005, the Chrysler plant was restructured and is now one of the most cutting-edge auto assembly factories in the country.
Belvidere is a city that has a lot to do and even more to see. Since 1997 when 10 murals were created downtown the town has been dubbed the "City of Murals." Several locations here have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Pettit Memorial Chapel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Lampert-Wildflower House and Belvidere Post Office, both of which were drawn up by President James Knox Taylor.
Spencer and Belvidere Municipal Park are great for taking in some fresh air, and the Boone Country Fairgrounds puts on fun events for the community numerous times per year. The Summerfield Zoo is the only zoo in Northern Illinois and has been a part of the Summerfield Farm for just over 30 years now. Exhibits display exotic creatures like mountain lions, alligators, giant tortoises, zebras, lemurs, wolves, monkeys, and more. Because it is a smaller zoo, visitors can get much closer to the animals in the exhibits than they could at other zoos. Younger children can enjoy pony rides and a petting zoo.
If you're dealing with headaches caused by invading growling, furry, or creepy-crawly critters that don’t quite enjoy being petted, contact Wildlife Services. We are the leading wildlife removal services in Belvidere and the surrounding areas. Our world-class customer service is standing by to provide you with more information or to schedule an inspection.
