Belleville founder John Frederick traveled from his native Canada to arrive in the beautiful Sugar River Valley searching for a site with water power in the hope of building a saw mill. He immediately recognized the agricultural and commercial potential of this area and chose a site along the Sugar River as it curved through area wetlands and prairie. Today Belleville is home to five parks and 70 acres. Belleville's Community Park is the largest of these parks, home to Lake Belle View, a culmination of the main and west branches of the Sugar River. Many of Belleville's parks feature softball and soccer playing fields, a variety of jungle gyms and horseshoe pits, while nearby trails showcase the many attractions of the surrounding wetlands and prairie environment.