Bellevue History
An old river town, Bellevue sits between Newport and Dayton on a rise that has spared it the worst of several floods. Bellevue was originally part of the land owned by General James Taylor, founder of Newport. It is from his home that the city gets its name. His mansion, Bellevue still sits on East Third Street in Newport. Indians are said to have staged a massive three day battle in 1745 on the grounds where the city was founded.
In 1866 from a newspaper of that day; "The beautiful property lying just above Taylor Creek bridge, which has been advertised for some days past, has been laid off into town lots by our enterprising fellow citizen Mr. A S Berry. He had named it Bellevue in honor of the old Taylor estate, from which it formed an original part. Lots will be sold at public auction tomorrow. We predict that a beautiful town will soon spring up, as the property is only eight squares from the ferry and most handsome situated."
Albert S Berry was a four term congressman from Campbell County and a great grandson of General James Taylor. Berry used his connection only to name the city and Taylor Avenue, but other streets as well. Foote, O'Fallon, Van Voast and Ward were named after Taylor's sons-in-law and Berry Avenue was named for the congressman.
Bellevue was incorporated on March 14, 1870 with 380 residents. The first trustees met in homes and in a barn, later moving to Genoway's Hall on Berry Avenue, then to Blinn's Hall. The trustees spent $20 at the first meeting for a city map, a charter, an assessor's book and a table. The book was put to use quickly; the trustees approved a tax of 25 cents per $100 assessed property value.
Bellevue's first phone came in 1884. For 5 cents a call, G E Platz took calls at his drugstore, now 163 Fairfield Ave. Streetcars were running in the 1900s. In 1912 voters approved a bond issue for a sewage system which resulted in the loss of one of city's bathing beaches by 1920.
By the 1920s Bellevue became a baseball Mecca. Semi-pro and amateur teams played at the old ball park which had a 2500 seat grandstand. It was torn down in 1929. The Horseshoe Gardens, a nightclub located at the foot of Ward Avenue was destroyed in the 1937 flood. Bellevue celebrated its centennial in 1970 with a population of 9800.