Bel-Nor, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Bel-Nor is a northern suburban village in St. Louis County
, Missouri
, United States
. The population was 1,499 as of the 2010 census. The events that were the basis for the 1971 novel and 1973 movie The Exorcist
have a connection to the village of Bel-Nor.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 1,598 people, 667 households, and 474 families residing in the village. The population density
was 2,555.5 people per square mile (979.4/km²). There were 689 housing units at an average density of 1,101.8 per square mile (422.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 57.20% White, 39.61% African American, 0.94% Asian, 0.25% from other races
, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population.
There were 667 households out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the village the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $57,857, and the median income for a family was $77,917. Males had a median income of $46,369 versus $32,625 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $46,534. There were .3% of families and 1.0% of the population living below the poverty line, including 1.0% of under eighteens and 3.4% of those over 64.
The University of Missouri–St. Louis
is partially within Bel-Nor. Bel-Nor is also home to Incarnate Word Academy.
The Normandie Golf Club, which claims to be the oldest public golf course
west of the Mississippi River
, is adjacent to the city. It was created in 1901 as the Normandy Country Club. Recently, village residents have been fighting in court to stop a planned redevelopment of Normandie Golf Course into residential housing.
. It consists of a small number of trained officers, and a fleet of three Dodge Charger
patrol cars and one Ford Explorer
patrol SUV. Bel-Nor officers are known for strict speed enforcement on Natural Bridge Road and are known to assist Bel-Ridge
officers on mutual aid
calls and traffic stops. Bel-Nor officers can also be seen regularly on the UMSL campus, as a section of this campus lies within Bel-Nor. Bel-Nor units are dispatched by the St. Louis County 2nd Precinct dispatch channel.
Bel-Nor operates a red-light camera on Natural Bridge Road, which contributes to the village's operating budget.
was based on an exorcism
that happened within the village of Bel-Nor in 1949.
St. Louis County, Missouri
St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area wherein the independent City of St. Louis and its suburbs in St. Louis County, as well as the surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois all...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,499 as of the 2010 census. The events that were the basis for the 1971 novel and 1973 movie The Exorcist
The Exorcist
The Exorcist is a novel of supernatural suspense by William Peter Blatty, published by Harper & Row in 1971. It was inspired by a 1949 case of demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University, a Jesuit school...
have a connection to the village of Bel-Nor.
Geography
Bel-Nor is located at 38°42′14"N 90°19′2"W (38.704001, -90.317353).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,598 people, 667 households, and 474 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,555.5 people per square mile (979.4/km²). There were 689 housing units at an average density of 1,101.8 per square mile (422.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 57.20% White, 39.61% African American, 0.94% Asian, 0.25% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population.
There were 667 households out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the village the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $57,857, and the median income for a family was $77,917. Males had a median income of $46,369 versus $32,625 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $46,534. There were .3% of families and 1.0% of the population living below the poverty line, including 1.0% of under eighteens and 3.4% of those over 64.
Overview
Bel-Nor incorporated in November 1937 and uses a village form of government with five elected trustees. Bel-Nor provides police service, street maintenance and snow plowing.The University of Missouri–St. Louis
University of Missouri–St. Louis
The University of Missouri–St. Louis is one of four universities in the University of Missouri System. Established in 1963, it is the newest university in the UM System. , it is the largest university by enrollment in the St. Louis area with 16,548 students...
is partially within Bel-Nor. Bel-Nor is also home to Incarnate Word Academy.
The Normandie Golf Club, which claims to be the oldest public golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, is adjacent to the city. It was created in 1901 as the Normandy Country Club. Recently, village residents have been fighting in court to stop a planned redevelopment of Normandie Golf Course into residential housing.
Police
The Bel-Nor Police Department (BNPD) is responsible for law enforcement and traffic control for the village of Bel-Nor and the city of GreendaleGreendale, Missouri
Greendale is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 651 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Greendale is located at ....
. It consists of a small number of trained officers, and a fleet of three Dodge Charger
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler. There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate...
patrol cars and one Ford Explorer
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a sport-utility vehicle sold in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990, as a replacement for the smaller but related Ford Bronco II. It is manufactured in Chicago, Illinois...
patrol SUV. Bel-Nor officers are known for strict speed enforcement on Natural Bridge Road and are known to assist Bel-Ridge
Bel-Ridge, Missouri
Bel-Ridge is a northern suburban village in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,737 at the 2010 census. Bel-Ridge is part of the Normandy School System and borders the affluent villages of Bel-Nor and Bellerive.-Geography:...
officers on mutual aid
Mutual aid (emergency services)
In emergency services, mutual aid is an agreement among emergency responders to lend assistance across jurisdictional boundaries. This may occur due to an emergency response that exceeds local resources, such as a disaster or a multiple-alarm fire. Mutual aid may be ad hoc, requested only when...
calls and traffic stops. Bel-Nor officers can also be seen regularly on the UMSL campus, as a section of this campus lies within Bel-Nor. Bel-Nor units are dispatched by the St. Louis County 2nd Precinct dispatch channel.
Bel-Nor operates a red-light camera on Natural Bridge Road, which contributes to the village's operating budget.
Film
The film The ExorcistThe Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
was based on an exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
that happened within the village of Bel-Nor in 1949.
Notable residents
This list may include persons born in the community, past residents, and current residents.- Mickey CarrollMickey CarrollMickey Carroll was an American actor and was one of the last surviving munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.-Early life and career:...
, a munchkin in the film The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (1939 film)The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs... - Donny HathawayDonny HathawayDonny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
, buried at Lake Charles Cemetery, Bel-Nor