Introduction

Bellevue was officially incorporated on March 21, 1953. It has evolved from a small suburb of Seattle to a fairly large city with its own industry. Originally farmland and forests, it is now the home of companies such as Expedia and T-Mobile. As of the year 2000, the population was 109,569 people, 45,836 households and 29,060 families. The demographics break down as follows; 74.33% White, 1.99% African American, 0.32% Native American, 17.39% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 2.54% from other races, and 3.19% from two or more races. 5.32% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.



		Bellevue was officially incorporated on March 21, 1953. It has evolved from a small suburb of Seattle to a fairly large city with its own industry. Originally farmland and forests, it is now the home of companies such as Expedia and T-Mobile. As of the year 2000, the population was 109,569 people, 45,836 households and 29,060 families. The demographics break down as follows; 74.33% White, 1.99% African American, 0.32% Native American, 17.39% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 2.54% from other races, and 3.19% from two or more races. 5.32% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

By the 1920’s the downtown Bellevue area had been logged exposing fertile soil. Japanese immigrants had farmed the area since the 1900’s, but with the exposure of such fertile soil more people began cultivating crops. By the late 1920’s Bellevue had become known for its strawberries. A three day strawberry festival was started. This continued until 1942 when many of the local Japanese strawberry growers were forced into internment camps.
	Bellevue did not remain a farming community forever. By the 1940’s the land cleared for farming in what is now downtown Bellevue was being developed into homes and shopping centers. After the construction of Lake Washington ’s two floating bridges in 1940 and 1963 Bellevue became the prime area to own a home for automobile commuters. (Nearby Kirkland previously held this title because of their ferryboats.) By 1949 the tolls came off the first Lake Washington Bridge and the commute across the water became free and easy.