Belle Rive is a village in Jefferson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 361 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Mount Vernon Micropolitan Statistical Area. History In 1852, Edmund P. Grant bought about of federal land grants around what was to become Belle Rive. Grant was a wealthy land speculator from Montgomery County, Tennessee. At that time there was a corporation in Mt. Vernon that was attempting to build a rail line from St. Louis to Evansville, Indiana. It seems likely that Grant was buying land in anticipation of the construction of the railroad, intending to build a town. This early attempt at building a railroad failed during a recession in the mid-1850s. Grant died in 1863, after being chased from Mt. Vernon by a mob objecting to his Confederate politics. Belle Rive was founded in 1871, coinciding with the opening of the St. Louis & Southeastern Railroad. Belle Rive got its name from Louis Groston de Saint-Ange de Bellerive, who surrendered Illinois to the British in 1765. It is not clear if he was ever associated with the area near the village. See List of commandants of the Illinois Country. Joseph Wall was one of the early settlers of Belle Rive. The Wall farm was to the southeast of the town. Joseph Wall was married to Edmund P. Grant's niece. Belle Rive is home to the regionally renowned Wilkey's Cafe. Serving a homestyle buffet, Wilkey's is a popular lunch spot for local farmers. Notable people: Chelsea Cross, born and raised Landon James, 2016 SIJHSAA Class S State Cross Country Champion Geography Belle Rive is located in southeastern Jefferson County at . Illinois Route 142 passes through the village, leading northwest to Mount Vernon, the county seat, and southeast to McLeansboro. According to the 2010 census, Belle Rive has a total area of , all land. The village is drained by tributaries of Auxier Creek, an east-flowing stream in the Little Wabash River watershed. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 371 people, 147 households, and 109 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 164 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.57% White, 0.54% African American, 0.81% Native American, and 1.08% from two or more races. There were 147 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of