West Belleville 200 years

In this tale of two Bellevilles, local historian Bob Brunkow described the start, significance and demise of West Belleville. While the town has been gone for more than 100 years, its remnants are part of modern Belleville. It also was the cradle for the first national labor union. Bicentennial Belleville is a series of short documentaries about the southwestern Illinois city's history as it celebrates its 200th birthday.