Bellevue Historical Plaque – Bellevue, IA - Iowa Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

This historical marker is found in the city park overlooking the Mississippi River. The text reads:

On the south-west corner of this intersection stood the “Brown Hotel,” a two story log structure, which was the scene of the famous “Bellevue War” which took place April 1, 1940. W.W. Brown had in his hire a large band of woodchoppers who were implicated in horse thieving and other crimes in this frontier country.

After much provocation, the citizenry of the town of Bellevue, then only five years old, decided to serve a warrant on Brown and his men “en masse.” A sheriff’s posse was formed and marched on the hotel.

Before the warrants of arrest could be served, gun fire broke out and a very short “war” ensued. When it subsided, four of the posse lay dead and three of the Brown gang, including Brown himself.

The next day the remaining outlaws were, after a vote of the citizenry, given whippings, and set adrift on the Mississippi River and told never to return. Law and order was thus restored to this frontier town.

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