Belgique, Missouri

Belgique watello
unincorporated community
Belgique, Missouri, roadsign Belgique, Missouri, roadsign
Location of Perry County, Missouri
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Perry
Township	Bois Brule
Elevation	372 ft (113 m)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	63775
Area code(s)	573
FIPS code	29-04042
GNIS feature ID	713893

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

Name

Since a town already existed in Missouri by 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. 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. Its post office has closed and its mail now comes from Perryville. Since the flood of 1993 there is no longer an existing town.

Floods

Of the many floods over the centuries, 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.

• The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Belgique Missouri 9.jpg

  Flooded Church - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

• Belgique Missouri flood 1993 11.jpg

  Flooded farm

• Belgique, Missouri Flood 1993 store.jpg

  Flooded store

Geography

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

Gallery

• The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Belgique Missouri 10.jpg

  Belgique, 19th century

See also

• Perry County, Missouri