Editing Belleville, Michigan (section)

==History==
The community was named in honor of landowner James Bell by adroitly choosing the French word for "beautiful town".<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=21630 |title= Profile for Belleville, Michigan, MI |publisher= ePodunk|access-date=August 24, 2012}}</ref> The hamlet was platted in 1847 with the main thoroughfares still used today designated Main, Liberty, and High Street. About 1881, the Belleville depot on the Detroit line of the [[Wabash Railroad]] began serving travelers from across the region and the country.

Belleville was established as a village in 1905,<ref name="belleville1"/> when its governance separated from [[Van Buren Township, Michigan|Van Buren Township]] by an act of the State Legislature. Located on the [[Huron River (Michigan)|Huron River]] which was a natural trade route, the village had long been a thriving center for lumber businesses with saw mills located along the shores of the river. The large expanses of woodlands were removed to make way for farmland, industry and increasing population.

To generate more electrical power in the region, in early 1926 the [[Detroit Edison Company]] built the French Landing Dam on the river east of Belleville, thereby creating [[Belleville Lake]]. Belleville Lake is the largest inland lake in Wayne County, stretching 6 miles and covering 1,200 acres. The traditional downtown is nestled on the southern shore of Belleville Lake. Belleville achieved city status on 14 May 1946.