Bellevue, NE

Bellevue is a city located in Douglas County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,527. Bellevue is home to the headquarters of Expedia and its subsidiary Orbitz Worldwide. The city is also home to the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Bellevue Hospital.

Bellevue was founded in 1871 when a group of settlers led by W.D. Woodard platted a site on the east bank of the Missouri River opposite present-day Omaha. The town was named for Bellevue Place in London where Woodard had been born and raised. The first post office opened in 1872 with John Hays as postmaster.

Bellevue's early economy was based on agriculture and livestock; however, by 1900 it had become an industrial center with plants producing flour, sugar beets, automobiles, and agricultural implements. In 1907 Bellevue became one of the first cities in Nebraska to install electric streetlights; this progressivism continued into the 1920s with such innovations as indoor plumbing (1915) and zoning (1927).

The Great Depression hit Bellevue hard; unemployment reached 25 percent in 1933 and businesses closed their doors left and right. However, by 1937 things were starting to turn around as new businesses began to open including a Chevrolet plant that employed 1,000 people by 1941. World War II brought even more growth as Boeing built two plants here employing 10,000 people each; after the war ended there were more than 20 factories operating in Bellevue employing over 50,000 people making everything from televisions to jet engines.

In recent years BellevUE has seen its share of challenges including high unemployment rates (8% as of 2010) due largely to decreased manufacturing activity within Nebraska's economy; however there have also been some positive developments such as increased investment from online retailers like Amazon which has created hundreds of jobs within local stores like Macy's and Sears/Kmart . Despite these challenges it remains an important community with many well-established businesses and organizations that contribute positively to its quality of life