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.
Belgique, Missouri | |
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unincorporated community | |
![]() Belgique, Missouri, roadsign | |
![]() Location of Perry County, Missouri | |
Coordinates: 37°50′15″N 89°46′52″W | |
Country | United States |
State | Missouri |
County | Perry |
Township | Bois Brule[1] |
Elevation | 372 ft (113 m) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP code | 63775 |
Area code | 573 |
FIPS code | 29-04042 [2] |
GNIS feature ID | 713893 [2] |
Since a town already existed in Missouri which bore the name of Belgium[citation needed], the Flemish residents opted to use the French name for their homeland.
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]
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]
Belgique was located on the flat alluvial plain of the Bois Brule Bottom situated in the northern part of Perry County.
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Municipalities and communities of Perry County, Missouri, United States | ||
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County seat: Perryville | ||
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Abandoned villages | ||
Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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