Belgium, WI

Belgium is a small town located in the northeast corner of Wisconsin. The population was 1,898 at the 2010 census. Belgium is located on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin and is part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Belgium was first settled in 1849 by John A. Hennepin and his family. The town was named for Belgium, where Hennepin had been born. The first business in Belgium was a grocery store operated by John A. Hennepin's son-in-law, Jens Poulsen. By 1856 there were six businesses in town: a blacksmith shop, a wagon shop, a general store, a hotel, an inn and Poulsen's grocery store. In 1865 the railroad came to Belgium and began to bring people and businesses into the community. By 1870 there were twenty-one businesses in town: two banks (the Farmers' State Bank of Belgium and the Northern State Bank), four churches (Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Congregational), three newspapers (the Belgian Press Association Journal, the Republican Press Association Journal and The Reporter), two grain elevators, two sawmills, one flour milling company, one cheese factory, one brewery (the Belgian Brewery) as well as several other stores such as clothing stores and hardware stores.

The growth of Belgard continued through the early 1900s with new businesses opening including an ice plant (1902), an electric light plant (1903), a creamery (1906), another brewery (1907) as well as several other small businesses such as bakeries and meat markets. In 1916 Belgard had its first telephone line which connected it with Minneapolis across Lake Minnetonka; this line remained operational until 1984 when it was replaced by cable television service provided by Comcast Corporation..

During World War II many residents left Belgium for safer areas but soon after the war ended new residents began to move into town bringing with them new businesses such as pharmacies (1945), furniture stores (1950s) restaurants such as Dutch Bros., gas stations/convenience stores/liquor stores/garages etc...

In recent years there has been significant growth in both residential development along major roadways within town limits as well as outlying areas within easy commuting distance including Arden Hills Township to its south east; Brooklyn Center Township to its north west; Robbinsdale Township to its west; Crystal Bay Township to its north east; Eden Prairie Township to its south east among others... This growth has resulted in increased traffic congestion throughout all parts of town especially during peak hours...

Today there are over seventy business establishments operating within city limits including five banks with over thirty branches each plus numerous other financial institutions including national chain restaurants like Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar®, Starbucks®, Chili's® etc.; major department stores like Macy's®, Sears™ Roebuck & Co., Kohl's Department Store™ etc.; specialty shops like jewelry stores Anthropologie®, Lululemon Athletica®, Williams-Sonoma™ etc.; fitness centers like 24 Hour Fitness®, Gold's Gym® etc.; car dealerships like Chevrolet*, Ford*, Toyota* among others... Additionally there are numerous small mom & pop type establishments ranging from hair salons to clothing boutiques catering primarily to local residents but also serving tourists attracted by attractions within close proximity such as Mayo Clinic*, Minneapolis Institute of Arts* et al...

As you can see from this brief history Belgard has experienced significant growth both economically and socially over time… Today it is considered one of southeastern Wisconsin’s most vibrant communities offering something for everyone!