Editing Belvidere, Illinois (section)

==History==
[[File:Illinois - Belvidere - NARA - 23939555 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Belvidere, 1936]]
{{further|Belvidere North State Street Historic District|Belvidere South State Street Historic District}}

Before the arrival of the mostly Anglo-Americans in the 19th century, this area was long occupied by the [[Illinois Confederation]], a loose grouping of up to 12 to 15 Native American tribes. The main tribes were the [[Cahokia (tribe)|Cahokia]], [[Kaskaskia]], [[Mitchigamea|Michigamea]], [[Peoria tribe|Peoria]], and [[Tamaroa (tribe)|Tamaroa]].<ref name=":104">{{Cite web |title=Algonquian languages |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Algonquian-languages |access-date=2020-10-21 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref> After trading, warfare and other encounters with French traders, who entered this area before the Anglo-Americans, their numbers declined. In large part that was due to the high mortality from new infectious diseases, which adversely affected Native Americans across the continent.

The area that developed as Belvidere was first permanently settled by European Americans in 1835: Simon P. Doty and Daniel Hilton Whitney. They named this location next to the [[Kishwaukee River]] as "[[Elysium|Elysian Fields]]" from Greek mythology. As many new residents could not pronounce or spell the proposed name, the city was eventually named after Belvidere, Virginia, the former home of Ebenezer Polk, a railroad lawyer and major financial founder in the city.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 13, 1973 |title=Almost Named Elysian Fields |agency=Belvidere Daily Republican}}</ref>

Belvidere originally developed on the north side of the Kishwaukee River.  In 1851 the [[Galena and Chicago Union Railroad]] was built south of the river, stimulating relocation of much of the business section to the south side of the river, for access to the railway transportation. Belvidere's downtown is now on the south side.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mission statement |url=http://www.ci.belvidere.il.us/webpage/id/3 |access-date=2016-12-08 |website=Ci.belvidere.il.us}}</ref>

Major industries developed along the river and railroad, including the [[National Sewing Machine Company]], which operated here from 1886 to the 1940s. In 1906, former female sheriff Sarah Ames moved to South Dakota; she named the area where she settled after her home town. [[Belvidere, South Dakota]] still operates as a small town in Jackson County.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 22, 1926 |title=Sarah J. Ames woman of many strong traits of character |agency=Belvidere Daily Republican}}</ref>

===1967 tornado===
{{Main|1967 Belvidere tornado}}

On April 21, 1967, a devastating [[tornado]] struck Belvidere. Twenty-four people died as a result, many of them schoolchildren. The [[Fujita scale|F4 tornado]] struck at the end of the school day of [[Belvidere High School (Illinois)|Belvidere High School]], when many children, including those who attended area grade schools, were waiting outside the high school for school buses. Of the sixteen school buses outside the high school, twelve were overturned or thrown by the tornado.  The tornado did $22 million in damage, demolished over 100 homes, and injured 500 people.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grazulis |first1=Thomas P. |title=Significant tornadoes, 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events |date=1993 |publisher=Environmental Films |isbn=1-879362-03-1 |location=St. Johnsbury, Vermont |pages=1088}}</ref> In 2007 a statue was erected in front of Belvidere High School in memorial of the lives lost.

To this date, the Belvidere tornado remains the sixth worst weather disaster to happen at an American school.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Ten Worst Tornado Related Disasters in Schools |url=http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/topten3.htm |access-date=4 August 2024 |website=Tornado Project}}</ref>

===2009 explosion===
On December 7, 2009, an explosion occurred at an [[Nihon Dempa Kogyo|NDK America]] building, when a large [[pressure vessel]] ruptured during a [[quartz|crystal]]-growing process. Pieces of debris, some weighing several tons, were flung over a wide area. One piece struck an automotive supply building and injured an employee inside. [[Chesterfield, Indiana|Chesterfield]] native Ronald Greenfield, a truck driver refueling at the nearby Belvidere Oasis [[truck stop]], was struck and killed by a 7-foot support beam. The shockwave was felt over a wide area. No NDK employees were injured in the incident.<ref>{{cite web |author=ABC 7 |date=November 14, 2013 |title=Final report issued on fatal Belvidere explosion; Feds say plant ignored safety warning before 2009 explosion |url=https://abc7chicago.com/archive/9325717/ |access-date=July 3, 2021 |publisher=ABC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Wheeler, Jennifer |date=November 14, 2013 |title=Overlooked inspections caused Belvidere's NDK explosion |url=https://www.rrstar.com/article/20131114/NEWS/131119638 |access-date=July 3, 2021 |publisher=Rockford Register Star}}</ref>

The [[USCSB|Chemical Safety Board]] investigated the incident, issuing their final report in 2013. The CSB found that [[stress corrosion cracking]] had occurred, unnoticed, in one of the crystal-growing [[autoclaves]], leading to the catastrophic failure. They also found that NDK management had been warned multiple times over the years that the dangerous levels of hot [[sodium hydroxide]] inside the vessels would corrode the steel walls. However, NDK management insisted buildup of [[byproduct]]s from the crystal-growing process would form a protective layer against the corrosion. Furthermore, during the factory's construction, the local government had been made aware that NDK's crystal-growing vessels were in violation of several state codes; when confronted, NDK had persuaded them to grant a special exception, and to hitherto allow them to conduct their own onsite inspections without outside interference. However, the vessel that ruptured had never been internally inspected to test the "byproduct buildup" theory, during its many years of service. After a smaller leak occurred in January 2007, NDK was warned about safety concerns again, this time by insurance investigators, who were ultimately ignored. Finally, the CSB determined the method for growing crystals used at NDK's Belvidere facility was prohibitively dangerous in the first place, pointing out such methods had been already abandoned by other crystal-growing facilities in favor of safer, lower-pressure and lower temperature processes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Falling Through the Cracks - Safety Videos - Multimedia &#124; the U.S. Chemical Safety Board |url=http://www.csb.gov/videos/falling-through-the-cracks/ |access-date=2016-12-08 |website=Csb.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2013-11-14 |title=Falling Through the Cracks |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo7H_ILs1qc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/uo7H_ILs1qc |archive-date=2021-12-11 |access-date=2016-12-08 |publisher=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Following their own 2010 investigation, the [[Occupational Safety and Health Administration]] fined NDK more than half a million dollars for willful disregard for legal requirements, and "unacceptable" indifference to safety and health. The NDK facility was demolished in 2015, with no plans to rebuild.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 1, 2010 |title=Crystal Manufacturer Fined $510,000 for Fatal Explosion |url=https://ohsonline.com/articles/2010/06/01/crystal-manufacturer-fined-after-bystander-killed.aspx?admgarea=ht.PlantMaintenance |access-date=July 3, 2021 |publisher=Occupational Health and Safety Administration}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Stanley, Ben |date=March 11, 2015 |title=Vacant 10-story NDK tower in Belvidere, site of 2009 explosion, is coming down |url=https://www.rrstar.com/article/20150311/NEWS/150319829 |access-date=July 3, 2021 |publisher=Rockford Register Star}}</ref>

===2023 tornado===
{{main|Belvidere Apollo Theatre collapse}}

On March 31, 2023, an [[Tornado outbreak of March 31 – April 1, 2023|EF1 tornado]] struck Belvidere.  It caused the [[Apollo Theatre (Belvidere, Illinois)|Apollo Theatre]] to collapse during a concert for the Floridian [[Death Metal]] band [[Morbid Angel]] and Brazilian [[Death Metal]] band [[Crypta]]. The concert proceeded despite advanced notice of severe conditions expected that day. The collapse led to over 40 injuries; leaving at least four in critical condition and one fatality.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Ogle-Boone tornado leaves one dead |url=https://abc7chicago.com/amp/illinois-tornadoes-belvidere-concert-roof-collapse-apollo-theatre-jb-pritzker/13070263/ |access-date=1 April 2023 |website=www.abc7chicago.com}}</ref>