Belgian Town

This area on the west bluff has for more than a century been identified as a focal point of Belgians and Belgian culture in Moline. Initially called “Fairmont,” this became one of the largest Belgian (mainly Flemish) settlements in the United States in the early 20th Century. The first Flemish newspaper in the United States was begun here in 1907.

At the core of the community is a business district that developed where the trolley line (established in 1889) coming from downtown on 18th Avenue intersects with 7th Street. Common neighborhood sights in the past were pigeon coops in back yards, Rolle Bolle courts behind commercial buildings, and Pik (Belgian darts) boards in taverns. Today’s reminders of this heritage include a Belgian Cultural Center and a Belgian Consulate; not to mention the “VanDeRubin” sandwich served at the Belgian Village Inn.

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