A History of Belleville
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L I E) RAR.Y OF THE UNIVERSITY Of ILLINOIS 377. 389 Na7K SURVei ILL. HIST. A HISTORY OF BELLEVILLE BY Alvin Louis Nebelsick, B.S.; A.M. Head of Department of Social Studies Township High School and Junior College Belleville, Illinois rv ' /v ^ DEDICATION This work is affectionately dedicated to the Pioneers and Progressive Citizens of Our City of Belleville, Illinois. ^ o^ VI PREFACE This volume is largely the result of an inspiration for writing acquired as co-author of two magazine articles, one in our state professional magazine, "Illinois Education," May, 1937, and the other in a national professional magazine, "Social Studies," February, 1939. I have discovered that there is an appalling lack of information about local communities among the citizens as a whole. I believe community interest should always be encouraged. Surely we need not be reminded that the very foundation of democratic government is to be found in the communities and in the ability of the citizens to deal success- fully with their local problems. To understand these problems is a complicated matter so we must plan intelligently. This I believe impossible without a knowledge of our past. Our history is so much alive and growing that I find it hard to see how anyone can think of it as dead and dry. History always looks forward, not backward; it is dynamic, not static. Out of the world of yesterday, the world of today has grown; out of the world of today, will come the world of tomorrow. It is impossible to understand fully the present without a knowledge of the conditions which have brought it about; and it is equally impossible to make intelligent decisions for the future as we have only an uncomprehending view of the age in which we live. We are not only citizens of the United States, or citizens of Illinois, but citizens of Belleville as well.. In the study of "Belleville" we have travelled from the larger unit to the smaller; from the continent, to the nation, to the state, and finally to the city itself. This was not an easy task and required steady application and untiring energy. My ambition was to give a well rounded picture of Belleville from the earliest day of our country to the present. vu I would be ungracious indeed not to acknowledge the very great debt I owe to those who encouraged me to write, and to those who helped me when writing this book. Grateful ac- knowledgment is due to our Public Librarians, Bella Steurnagel and Maude Underwood, who were always ready to furnish me with the desired books and newspapers and give their valuable criticism and suggestions. There were others who did not have ready access to the reference shelves but were most welcome for their suggestions and knowledge of local history as well as the proofreading they did. Among these were William U. Halbert, lawyer and his- torian; Robert L. Kern, editor and publisher of the News- Democrat; Frederick Merrills, lawyer and secretary of the high school board of education for the past thirty years; Meta Stenger and James Clark, instructors of English; H. A. Kanzler, instructor of Latin; L. N. Nick Perrin, Jr., lawyer and former city attorney; Hugo Ehret, president of the Oakland Foundry; Herman G. Wangelin, our past city postmaster; Oliver Muser and Richard Hampleman, grade school teachers; P. K. Johnson, St., lawyer and a former mayor of our city, and Herbert W. Dey, a former teacher and now a successful attorney in Litch- field, Illinois. It gives me great pleasure to give public recognition to the following students who were ever willing to help me with typing and proofreading the manuscripts: Norma Alves, Dorothy Ellis, Shirley Falk, Georgia Goepfert, Milton Goepfert, William Hassall, Eleanor Hess, Wayne Kissel, Joseph Krieg, Doris Malzahn, Robert Meier, Helen Moser, Catherine Novoselec, Jeanette and Joanne O'Banion, Alice Peters, Doris Schneeberger, Shirly Seiffertt, Lillian Sobcyak, Shirley Stock, Walter Thouvenin, Gloria Webster, Rita Zar- charski, Alice Kock, Jenrose Raetz, Ruth Newton, Alice Miller, Charles T. Meyer, Joseph A. Johnson, and Margaret, Virginia and Dolores Hirbe. Let us hope that the good work they did for their city will not end but continue on into the future. vin TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I Three Foreign Flags Claimed by Spain 1492-1673 1 Settled by the French 1673-1763 1 Ruled by the British 1763-1783 4 CHAPTER II Independence Established We Became a Part of the U. S. 1783 7 Our Indian Troubles 8 St. Clair County Created 1790 10 Illinois Territory 1809-1818 11 Illinois Becomes a State 1818 12 CHAPTER III Our City Is Born The Independent Pioneer 1 700- 1800 15 The Birth of Our City 1814 21 The Pubhc Square 24 CHAPTER IV Early Life The Log Cabin 28 Pioneer Dress 29 Early Social Life 31 Early Education 1700-1865 34 Early Doctors 1700-1901 41 The Pioneer Makes a Living 1814-1850 45 Village Life 1819-1850 48 CHAPTER V Outstanding American Pioneers A Distinguished Citizen 57 American Pioneers 1818 62 Noted German Immigrants 75 CHAPTER VI The Growth of Our City Transportation 87 Postal Service 100 City Water 104 Fire Department 108 Police Department 111 IX CHAPTER VII Local Institutions Public Buildings 1814-1942 116 Churches and Affiliated Societies 123 St. Peter's Cathedral 1814-1944 127 Leading Protestant Churches 1819-1944 129 Parochial Schools 1814-1951 135 Public Schools 1865-1951 137 History of Public Library 1836-1951 151 St. Elizabeth's Hospital 1881 157 CHAPTER VIII Industry and Labor Early Industries 1814-1850 160 Later Industries 1850 166 Present Industries 1837-1944 175 Business Establishments 187 The Labor Unions 198 CHAPTER IX A Century of Progress Sports 1839-1951 201 Culture and Recreation 208 Fifty Years of Progress 1850-1900 217 CHAPTER X In War Scott Field 1917-1944 229 Our Part in War 1783-1944 235 CHAPTER XI Our Contributions Natural Resources 242 Newspapers 244 City Officials 248 Noted Visitors 251 Noted Places and Events 254 CHAPTER XII Looking Ahead What Makes a Good City 262 How to Improve our City 267 CHAPTER 1 Three Foreign Flags Claimed by Spain 1492-1673 i:_ HE WRITTEN HISTORY of the American continent dates back only four centuries, yet within that comparatively short period of time, valuable additions to the world's stock of know- ledge have been added. In the opinion of archeologists, our area was the location of one of the most densely populated Indian setdements in North America, one of the largest being Cahokia. It supported a greater population than anything Columbus had seen, but only the ruins remained when the first white man arrived here. Spanish claims to this region were, of course, based on the discovery of America by Columbus in the year 1492. The claims of the Spanish were further strengthened in 1541 when De Soto landed in the Mississippi River area. His indefinite claim included Illinois, since it was located in the valley of that river. SETTLED BY THE FRENCH (1673-1763) When the white men came to Illinois in 1673, they found it to be the domain of the Illinois Indian confederacy of five tribes, namely, the Metchigans, Kaskaskians, Peorias, Cahokias, and the Tammarois. In our area were the Cahokias. The Tam- marois lived a little farther to the southeast. They did not remain here, however, for the other Indian tribes made raids against them until ultimately, our Illinois Indians were decimated, and THREE FOREIGN FLAGS the fragment of these tribes found refuge for a time in the American bottoms. The first white men to look upon the territory which now includes St. Clair County were two Frenchmen from Canada, Marquette and Joliet. Looking for a route to Asia, they went down the Mississippi as far as the Arkansas; but when they learned that the river flowed into the Gulf of Mexico, they went back, and camped for a while in St. Clair County near the vicinity of Cahokia. The next Frenchman to follow was La Salle. He sailed along the Illinois River to its mouth in 1679 and named it after the tribe of Indians which he found living along its banks. It is derived from the Algonquin Indian word, Illini, signifying perfect and accomplished men. The suffix "ois" is purely French, and denotes a tribe of superior men. The first French settlement was made at Cahokia by Father Pinet in the year 1700. Their predominant traits were their lack of ambition, their sociability, their devotion to the Catholic Church, and their tendency to eat, drink, and be mevTy. Being amicable they didn't have much trouble with their neighbors, the Cahokias. Their sociability was well shown by the way they settled the county. They were never willing to live on separate farms, but preferred the village where they were in close contact with one another. Their meeting place was usually the ballroom where came the priest, the patriarch of the village, the jolly benedicts, the talkative patrons, the quick-eyed youths, and the radiant maidens. Old and young, rich and poor, came together in a common bond of merriment. Sunday morning found every good Frenchman in church and the afternoon and night in the ballroom. Hospitality and generosity reigned supreme. A small but hardy breed of horses had been brought by them from Canada. These horses had degenerated in size because they had not been given proper care. The French worked them THREE FOREIGN FLAGS sometimes singly, sometimes in pairs, and sometimes one hitched before the other. Reins were not apphed in driving, but the whip of the driver with a handle about two feet long and a lash two yards long was used most effectively.