Belgium is a village in
Ozaukee County,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, United States. Located along
Interstate 43
Interstate 43 (I-43) is a Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Wisconsin, connecting I-39/I-90 in Beloit with Milwaukee and I-41, U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) and US 141 in Green Bay. State Trunk Highway ...
, the village is one of the northernmost communities in the
Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 2,245 at the
2010 census.
Beginning in the 1840s, immigrant farmers from
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
settled in Northern Ozaukee County and formed several rural communities, including Belgium as well as the neighboring hamlets of
Dacada,
Holy Cross, and
Lake Church. Although Belgium grew after a railroad was constructed through the community and incorporated as a village in 1922, the community remained primarily agricultural in the 20th century. As recently as 2015, the local
cannery
Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container ( jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although ...
, which processes fruits and vegetables harvested at area farms, was by far the village's largest employer.
The village continues to have strong cultural ties to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Members of the
Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg
The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg constitutes the House of Luxembourg-Nassau, headed by the sovereign Grand Duke, and in which the throne of the grand duchy is hereditary. It consists of heirs and descendants of the House of Nassau-Weilburg, w ...
have visited, and the Luxembourg Government sponsors the Luxembourg American Cultural Center and Museum in the community. Among other programs, the center assists Americans of Luxembourgian ancestry in applying for
dual citizenship
Multiple/dual citizenship (or multiple/dual nationality) is a legal status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a national or citizen of more than one country under the laws of those countries. Conceptually, citizenship is focused on ...
, and since 1987 the village has hosted an annual festival devoted to Luxembourgian food and culture.
Toponymy
Since its beginning, Belgium has had a large population of
Luxembourgian Americans. In 1857, the immigrant settlers submitted the name "Luxembourg" to the U.S. Postal Service for review. At the same time, a group of Belgian-American settlers in
Kewaunee County, Wisconsin
Kewaunee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,563. Its county seat is Kewaunee. The county was created in 1852 and organized in 1859. Its Menominee name is ''Kewāneh'', an a ...
, submitted the name "Belgium" as the name for their majority Belgian-American town. Due to a clerical error, the names were switched with the result that Belgium, Wisconsin, is a center of Luxembourgian-American settlement, and
Luxemburg, Wisconsin
Luxemburg is a village in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,515 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is part of the Green Bay, Wisconsin, Green Bay Green Bay metropolitan area, ...
, is a center of Belgian-American settlement.
History
Northeastern Ozaukee County, including the town and village Belgium, was inhabited by several Native American tribes, including the
Menominee
The Menominee (; mez, omǣqnomenēwak meaning ''"Menominee People"'', also spelled Menomini, derived from the Ojibwe language word for "Wild Rice People"; known as ''Mamaceqtaw'', "the people", in the Menominee language) are a federally recog ...
. The Menominee surrendered the land that would become Belgium to the United States Federal Government through the 1832
''Treaty of Washington''.
In the late 1840s, immigrants from
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
began to settle in what would become northeastern Ozaukee County. In 1848, the town of Belgium was created out of the town of Port Washington.
The Northwestern Railway Company set up a station in 1864.
The
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway began running through the community in 1872, spurring population growth. In the early 20th Century, Belgium was a stop on the
Milwaukee Interurban Line, which ran between Milwaukee and Sheboygan from 1908 until 1948. The population began to concentrate around the railroad station, and the community incorporated as the Village of Belgium in 1922.
In 1945, sixty German
prisoners of war from Camp Fredonia in
Little Kohler, Wisconsin were contracted to work at Krier Preserving Company in the village to make up for the loss of labor due to local men fighting in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. The camp was under the command of Captain Ray Thill, a native of the Village of Belgium.
The Ozaukee County line of the Interurban declined and ceased operation following World War II, but the village continued to grow in the mid-20th Century after the construction of
Interstate 43
Interstate 43 (I-43) is a Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Wisconsin, connecting I-39/I-90 in Beloit with Milwaukee and I-41, U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) and US 141 in Green Bay. State Trunk Highway ...
, connecting Milwaukee to Green Bay.
Since 1977, Belgium has been home to the Luxembourg American Cultural Society & Center, including the Roots and Leaves Museum, which is devoted to telling "the story of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, past and present, as well as Luxembourg immigration to America the impact of Luxembourg immigrants and their descendants on life in America."
In 1987,
Prince Henri, then-heir-apparent to the crown of Luxembourg, and
Princess Maria Teresa visited the village.
In 2016,
Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (''Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie''; born 11 November 1981), is the heir apparent to the crown of Luxembourg since his father's accession in 2000.
Early life and education
Prince Guillaume wa ...
and
Stéphanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg visited Belgium on a trip to the United States.
Geography
The Village of Belgium is located at (43.500735, -87.846897).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, Belgium has a total area of , all of it land.
The village is surrounded by the
Town of Belgium and is located two miles (3 km) west of
Lake Michigan and adjacent to conjoined
Interstate 43
Interstate 43 (I-43) is a Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Wisconsin, connecting I-39/I-90 in Beloit with Milwaukee and I-41, U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) and US 141 in Green Bay. State Trunk Highway ...
-State Highway 32.
The village is located in the
Southeastern Wisconsin glacial till plains that were created by the
Wisconsin glaciation
The Wisconsin Glacial Episode, also called the Wisconsin glaciation, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleated in the northern North American Cord ...
during the most recent ice age. The
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin charged with conserving and managing Wisconsin's natural resources. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has the authority to set policy ...
considers the village to be in the Central Lake Michigan Coastal ecological landscape.
Before white settlers arrived in the area, the Belgium area was a mixture of upland and lowland forests. The upland forests were dominated by
American beech and
sugar maple
''Acer saccharum'', the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the prim ...
trees, while the lowland conifer forests and swamps were dominated by
white cedar White cedar may refer to several different trees:
* Bignoniaceae
** ''Tabebuia heterophylla'' - native to Caribbean islands and also cultivated as an ornamental tree
* Cupressaceae:
** ''Chamaecyparis thyoides'' – Atlantic white cypress
** ''Cup ...
and
tamarack
''Larix laricina'', commonly known as the tamarack, hackmatack, eastern larch, black larch, red larch, or American larch, is a species of larch native to Canada, from eastern Yukon and Inuvik, Northwest Territories east to Newfoundland, and als ...
. Much of the original forest was cleared to prepare the land for agriculture.
As land development continues to reduce wild areas, wildlife is forced into closer proximity with human communities like Belgium. Large mammals, including
white-tailed deer
The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...
,
coyotes
The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological nich ...
, and
red foxes can be seen in the village.
The rural areas surrounding the village are also home to several bird habitats, including
Harrington Beach State Park
Harrington Beach State Park is a Wisconsin state park on the shore of Lake Michigan in the Town of Belgium. In addition to a mile-long beach, the park contains a white cedar swamp surrounding a lake that used to be a stone quarry. The park p ...
which is located on the shore of Lake Michigan and is one of two Wisconsin Important Bird Areas in Ozaukee County. The open fields in the western part of the park are a breeding ground for
upland sandpiper
The upland sandpiper (''Bartramia longicauda'') is a large sandpiper, closely related to the curlews. Older names are the upland plover and Bartram's sandpiper. In Louisiana, it is also colloquially known as the papabotte. It is the only member ...
s.
The region struggles with many invasive species, including the
emerald ash borer
The emerald ash borer (''Agrilus planipennis''), also known by the acronym EAB, is a green buprestid or jewel beetle native to north-eastern Asia that feeds on ash species. Females lay eggs in bark crevices on ash trees, and larvae feed undern ...
,
common carp,
reed canary grass
''Phalaris arundinacea'', or reed canary grass, is a tall, perennial bunchgrass that commonly forms extensive single-species stands along the margins of lakes and streams and in wet open areas, with a wide distribution in Europe, Asia, northern ...
, the
common reed
''Phragmites australis'', known as the common reed, is a species of plant. It is a broadly distributed wetland grass that can grow up to tall.
Description
''Phragmites australis'' commonly forms extensive stands (known as reed beds), which may ...
,
purple loosestrife
''Lythrum salicaria'' or purple loosestrifeFlora of NW Europe''Lythrum salicaria'' is a flowering plant belonging to the family Lythraceae. It should not be confused with other plants sharing the name loosestrife that are members of the family Pr ...
,
garlic mustard
''Alliaria petiolata'', or garlic mustard, is a Biennial plant, biennial flowering plant in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). It is native to Europe, western and central Asia, north-western Africa, Morocco, Iberian Peninsula, Iberia and the ...
,
Eurasian buckthorns, and
honeysuckle
Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both conti ...
s.
Some of the wetlands in the Town of Belgium are especially affected by reed canary grass, with the invasive species accounting for more than 50% of plant coverage along some stretches of Sucker Creek and the Onion River.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2010, there were 2,245 people, 817 households, and 608 families residing in the village. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was . There were 848 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 94.5%
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.4%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.4%
Native American, 0.9%
Asian, 2.9% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.8% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 5.2% of the population.
There were 817 households, of which 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.0% were
married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.6% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.24.
The median age in the village was 35 years. 29.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 33.8% were from 25 to 44; 23.5% were from 45 to 64; and 8.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 51.0% male and 49.0% female.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 1,678 people, 582 households, and 444 families residing in the village. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 1,163.0 people per square mile (449.9/km
2). There were 592 housing units at an average density of 410.3 per square mile (158.7/km
2). The racial makeup of the village was 96.31%
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.48%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.42%
Native American, 0.18%
Asian, 1.49% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.13% from two or more races. 4.11% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 1582 households, out of which 44.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.9% were
married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 31.8% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 36.1% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $53,523, and the median income for a family was $59,375. Males had a median income of $40,152 versus $25,609 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the village was $20,659. About 1.8% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Culture
Northern Ozaukee County — including the Belgium community — was a center of
Luxembourgian-American settlement in the United States in the 19th century, and the Village of Belgium continues to have strong cultural ties to the
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
. Banners along Main Street read "Wëllkomm," which means "Welcome" in
Luxembourgish
Luxembourgish ( ; also ''Luxemburgish'', ''Luxembourgian'', ''Letzebu(e)rgesch''; Luxembourgish: ) is a West Germanic language that is spoken mainly in Luxembourg. About 400,000 people speak Luxembourgish worldwide.
As a standard form of th ...
.
Since 1977, Belgium has been home to the Luxembourg American Cultural Society & Center, which is sponsored by the Luxembourg Government Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Economy. The society facilitates a program to help Americans of Luxembourgian ancestry get
dual citizenship
Multiple/dual citizenship (or multiple/dual nationality) is a legal status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a national or citizen of more than one country under the laws of those countries. Conceptually, citizenship is focused on ...
, organizes guided tours of the Grand Duchy, and maintains a museum devoted to the history of Luxembourg and Luxembourgian immigration to the United States. Since 1987, the society has also organized an annual Luxembourg Fest featuring tradition cuisine such as
träipen.
Many of the Luxembourgers who settled in northern Ozaukee County were
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and established Catholic parishes in rural parts of the county. The hamlets of
Dacada,
Holy Cross, and
Lake Church in the Town of Belgium formed around Catholic parishes that primarily served Luxembourger farmers.
The Village of Belgium is also home to two
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
churches — Belgium Community Church and Christian Life Church — as well as St. Mark Lutheran Church, which is affiliated with the
Missouri Synod
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas to th ...
.
Economy
Law and government
Belgium is organized as a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...
governed by an elected village board, comprising a village president and six trustees who are elected to three-year terms. The current president is Pete Anzia, who was elected to his first term in April 2014.
As part of
Wisconsin's 6th congressional district
Wisconsin's 6th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in eastern Wisconsin. It is based in the rural, suburban and exurban communities between Madison, Milwaukee, and Green Bay. It also ...
, Belgium is represented by
Glenn Grothman
Glenn S. Grothman (; born July 3, 1955) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 6th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected to his seat in 2014.
Grothman r ...
(R) in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
, and by
Ron Johnson
Ronald Harold Johnson (born April 8, 1955) is an American accountant, businessman, and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Wisconsin, a seat he has held since 2011. A Republican, Johnson was first elected to the U.S. S ...
(R) and
Tammy Baldwin
Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin (born February 11, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Wisconsin since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she served three terms in the Wisconsin St ...
(D) in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
.
Duey Stroebel
Sherburn Duane "Duey" Stroebel Jr. (born September 1, 1959) is an American politician and businessman. He is a Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 20th district since 2015. He previously served in the Wisconsin Assembly, ...
(R) represents Belgium in the
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...
, and
Robert Brooks
Robert Darren Brooks (born June 23, 1970) is a former American football wide receiver who attended University of South Carolina and played for the Green Bay Packers (1992–1998) and the Denver Broncos.
Biography Early life
Brooks sta ...
(R) represents Belgium in the
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...
.
The village is served by the Belgium Volunteer Fire Department, which operates one fire station in the village. The department does not have its own ambulances an relies upon the neighboring
Village of Fredonia's fire department for ambulance service.
Belgium's law enforcement officer is the
village marshal. Unlike a municipality with a police department, the village marshal does not provide 24-hour law enforcement, and the village is served by the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Department when the marshal is off duty and in emergency situations.
Education
The village is served by the joint
Cedar Grove-Belgium School District. Students attend Cedar Grove-Belgium Elementary School for kindergarten through fourth grade, Cedar Grove-Belgium Middle School for fifth through eighth grades, and
Cedar Grove-Belgium High School for ninth through twelfth grades. All of the district's schools are located in
Cedar Grove,
Sheboygan County, north of the Village of Belgium. The district is governed by a seven-member elected
board of education.
Transportation
Interstate 43
Interstate 43 (I-43) is a Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Wisconsin, connecting I-39/I-90 in Beloit with Milwaukee and I-41, U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) and US 141 in Green Bay. State Trunk Highway ...
runs parallel to the village's eastern municipal boundary with access via Exit 107.
Ozaukee County Transit Services' Shared Ride Taxi provides a public transit option for Belgium residents. The taxis operate seven days a week and make connections to Washington County Transit and Milwaukee County Routes 12, 49 and 42u. Unlike a typical taxi, however, the rider must contact the service ahead of time to schedule their pick-up date and time. The taxi service plans their routes based on the number of riders, pick-up/drop-off time and destination then plans the routes accordingly.
The
Ozaukee Interurban Trail, which is for pedestrian and bicycle use, passes through Belgium and connects the village to the neighboring communities of
Port Washington and
Cedar Grove, and continues north to
Oostburg
Oostburg ( Zeelandic Flemish: ''Wòstburg'') is a city in the south-western Netherlands. It located in the municipality of Sluis, in the province of Zeeland. As of 1 January 2015, its population is 4731, down from 5008 in January 2005. It received ...
and south to
Milwaukee County.
The
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
operates a freight rail line running parallel to the Ozaukee Interurban Trail in the village, but Belgium currently does not have a passenger train station.
Parks and recreation
The Village of Belgium maintains six public parks with amenities including baseball and softball diamonds; basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts; an ice-skating rink; picnic shelters; playgrounds; soccer fields; a
splash pad
A splash pad or spray pool is a recreation area, often in a public park, for water play that has little or no standing water. This is said to eliminate the need for lifeguards or other supervision, as there is little risk of drowning.
Typical ...
; a three-acre fenced
dog park
A dog park is a park for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners.
Description
Dog parks have varying features, although they typically offer a 4' to 6' fence, separate double-gated ...
; and walking trails. Grand Duke Henri Plaza, located between the village hall and the Luxembourg American Cultural Center, contains the "Wisconsin's Luxembourgers" State Historical Marker as well as a statue of
Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg,
who visited the village in 1987.
Harrington Beach State Park
Harrington Beach State Park is a Wisconsin state park on the shore of Lake Michigan in the Town of Belgium. In addition to a mile-long beach, the park contains a white cedar swamp surrounding a lake that used to be a stone quarry. The park p ...
, the only Wisconsin State Park in Ozaukee County, is located directly east of the village on the shore of Lake Michigan.
The
Ozaukee Interurban Trail runs through the village, following the former route of the
Milwaukee Interurban Rail Line. The southern end of the trail is at Bradley Road in
Brown Deer which connects to the
Oak Leaf Trail (), and its northern end is at DeMaster Road in the Village of
Oostburg
Oostburg ( Zeelandic Flemish: ''Wòstburg'') is a city in the south-western Netherlands. It located in the municipality of Sluis, in the province of Zeeland. As of 1 January 2015, its population is 4731, down from 5008 in January 2005. It received ...
Sheboygan County (). The trail connects the community to neighboring
Port Washington and
Cedar Grove.
Notable people
*
Nicholas J. Bichler - Wisconsin State Representative
*
William J. Bichler - Wisconsin State Senator
*
Henry Ellenbecker - Wisconsin State Representative
See also
*
List of villages in Wisconsin
List of incorporated villages in Wisconsin, arranged in alphabetical order. As of January 1, 2021, there were 415 villages in Wisconsin.Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. ''State of Wisconsin Blue Book 2007-2008'', p. 758.
__NOTOC__
List ...
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Belgian-American culture in Wisconsin
Luxembourgian-American culture in Wisconsin
Villages in Wisconsin
Villages in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin