Belgian Americans

There were also Southern Netherlands colonies in Connecticut, Delaware, and Pennsylvania established primarily by Walloons, many of whom arrived with the Dutch West India Company (founded by Willem Usselincx, a Fleming).

[citation needed] The first major wave of people from Belgium arrived to the United States during the 19th century to look for better economic and social conditions for their families (in common with other Western Europeans).

[citation needed] During this era, most Belgians coming to the United States were farmers, farm workers, or miners; craftsmen (such as masons, cabinetmakers or carpenters); or other persons engaged in commerce (such as lace-makers or glass blowers).

[4] During the 19th century most Belgians settled in places that offered greater access to employment, establishing significant communities in West Virginia; Detroit, Michigan; Door, Brown and Kewaunee Counties, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.

There are also substantial communities of Belgian Americans in Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, Washington and Oregon.

Many towns and cities across the United States bear the names of their counterparts in Belgium: Liège, Charleroi, Ghent, Antwerp, Namur, Rosiere and Brussels.

[citation needed] Wisconsin and Michigan have the United States's largest Belgian American settlement, located in portions of Brown, Kewaunee and Door counties adjacent to Green Bay.

A number of elements demonstrate the Belgian American presence: placenames (Brussels, Namur, Rosiere, Luxemburg, Charleroi), a local French patois, common surnames, unique foods (booyah, trippe, jutt), and the Kermesse harvest festival and architecture.

Many original wooden structures belonging to Belgian Americans were destroyed in the Peshtigo fire, a firestorm that swept across southern Door County in October 1871; a few stone houses (made of local dolomite) survived.

The Sisters of Notre Dame, from Namur, established bilingual schools in 14 of those states, and the Benedictines built missions in the West.