The village of Belleville was officially founded in 1851 and named by John Frederick, the first settler, in honor of his native village, Belleville Ontario, Canada.
John came to Wisconsin in 1842 and camped that summer on the banks of the lakes where Madison now stands. He was in search of a suitable location for a gristmill. He chose the Sugar River. In 1845, John purchased 240 acres, which included the site of Belleville. He built the first house in the settlement the same year. Between 1845 and 1847 he erected his sawmill on the island that is now called Community Park. By 1850, John built a stone grist mill in the Community Park. This mill enterprise with its dam, and millpond became the nucleus for the Village of Belleville, which was laid out 1848, and is nestled around the banks of the Sugar River.
By the 1870's, the distance from Madison offered Belleville regional importance, but that was not enough for local leaders who sought to attract a railroad. Finally, in 1887, the Chicago Madison & Northern Railroad developed a line from Freeport, Illinois that connected Belleville to Madison. This former railroad line is now part of the Badger State Trail.
Belleville is a special place to visit because of its natural beauty, recreational activities and friendly people and atmosphere. Belleville was named 2013's "most affordable top-ranked suburb" of Madison by Madison Magazine, and rated number three top suburb overall.
To be able to grab this geocache, get your canoe or kayak out and travel through the canoe loop along the islands of Lake Belle View. You can only access this cache by water (or ice).
The cache is a large camo plastic jar container, with room for travel bugs and geocoins. It has a pen, but you should bring your own just in case. Permission for this geocache was granted by Jerry Butts, Belleville Public Works & Utilities Director.
