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Brooklyn, Illinois

Brooklyn (popularly known as Lovejoy), is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. Located two miles north of East St. Louis, Illinois and three miles northeast of downtown St. Louis, Missouri, it is one of the oldest known black settlements in the United States. Its motto is "Founded by Chance, Sustained by Courage." The mayor is Mayor Vera Banks-Glasper.

A missionary AME Church was established in the new settlement in 1836. Now known as Quinn's Chapel AME, its congregation is believed to have supported the Underground Railroad and aided fugitive slaves to freedom, together with members of the Antioch Baptist Church established in 1838.

An early interracial community, it suffered from structural discrimination; transport lines were routed to bypass and isolate it rather than connecting it, and economic development projects passed over it, and indeed were set up in competition to it. In 2015, the county's state attorney Brendan Kelly described the village as a 'failed state.'

History
According to oral history tradition, by 1829 "Mother" Priscilla Baltimore led a group of eleven families, composed of both fugitive and free African Americans, to flee slavery in St. Louis, Missouri. They crossed the Mississippi River to the free state of Illinois, where they established a freedom village in the American Bottoms. "Mother" Baltimore was said to have purchased her freedom as an adult from her master. She also bought the freedom of members of her family. Born in Kentucky, she tracked her white father to Missouri and bought her mother's freedom from him. The earliest black families included Anderson, Sullivan, Singleton, Wilson, Cox, Wyatt, and Carper.

Miranda Yancey-Bailey, an archeologist working on a 21st-century project in Brooklyn, has found written evidence that Baltimore still lived in St. Louis in the 1830s; the first documentation of her associated with Brooklyn is from 1839. She may have been traveling between these locations for a time.

Baltimore had become a Methodist preacher and participated in the religious life of the new settlement. William Paul Quinn, then a missionary of the newly formed African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), visited the settlement in 1836 and helped found the Brooklyn AME church that year. He had been assigned as a missionary that year to what was then called the Northwest, including Indiana and Ohio. Quinn was also active in planting new congregations in Kentucky and Missouri; he later became the fourth bishop of the AME Church. Brooklyn AME Church is thought to be the first AME Church west of the Appalachian Mountains. It is now known as Quinn's Chapel AME Church in his honor.

In 1837, five white abolitionists platted the land and created an unincorporated nearly all-black town. Thomas Osburn was one of them, and he is documented as having lived in the area for decades. Priscilla Baltimore built a house on his former land, which she occupied from 1851 to 1872. In the 1840s and 1850s, the African-American population of the village was about 200.

From the beginnings of Brookyln, the ministers of the Quinn Chapel AME Church and Antioch Baptist Church (1838) used their churches as Underground Railroad stations to aid slaves escaping to freedom in Canada. William Paul Quinn and Priscilla Baltimore visited slaves in neighboring towns to inform them of the Underground Railroad's existence, and housed slaves in the churches before sending them to the next station. At one point, Quinn was captured by Missouri slave-catchers while on a missionary tour, but presented himself as a citizen of British India and was set free. Both of these church buildings have survived.

On July 8, 1873, Brooklyn was incorporated. By 1880, its population included 371 African-American and 203 European-American residents. In the late 19th century, its residents joined in taking new industrial jobs, commuting to those in East St. Louis and nearby areas. "Blacks who migrated to what became known as Brooklyn were attracted to the possibilities of working in an industrialized settlement that would enjoy race autonomy and self-determinism." In 1886, the African-American majority worked to register voters and gained political control of the village. As with most political enterprises, factions developed within the community.

Regional capital investment largely bypassed Brooklyn, taking place in the competing East St. Louis, Illinois, which gained the all-important railroad connection. Other white-majority towns also benefited by being part of the network of investment. "[A]lmost none of the all-Black towns obtained a railroad." The small village soon became all black.

In 1891, then-Mayor Evans dedicated the town's new post office with the name Lovejoy (after the abolitionist Elijah P. Lovejoy, who had been assassinated in Alton, Illinois, in 1837). The later high school was also named after him. Around the turn of the 20th century, the high school had a high reputation in the area.

20th century
Black autonomy did not automatically yield unity in the village. Tensions ran high with class and color conflicts by the early decades of the twentieth century, and evidence of political corruption. In addition, with the growth in number of young, single male workers, attracted to industrial jobs, the demographics changed and family life in the village declined. In 1915, two rival gangs attempting to declare themselves police chief had a shootout in front of a grocery store, resulting in three deaths. In 1933, the police chief ran an extortion ring and dissolved the city council at gunpoint, causing the county board of supervisors to replace the entire police force.

In 1940, it was reported that the town had fewer than ten white inhabitants, but the most prosperous businesses in the town were all white-owned. Furthermore, the local school had declined in quality. Black residents blamed a sense of fatalism.

Brooklyn was unaffected by the black nationalism movement in the 1960s, but in 1972, a small armed group called the United Front migrated from East St. Louis, professing a desire to create a sort of black nationalist intentional community. The mayor of the city, concerned that functions of city government might be usurped, deputized several men, who used the opportunity to gain social power in the city. Finally, in 1973, the mayor named a police chief in order to disarm the deputies, which resulted in one of them being shot dead after refusing to disarm. The chief was acquitted of murder in 1975.

With the decline of industry, from the mid-20th century on and the loss of jobs, Brooklyn has suffered high unemployment and problems similar to those of East St. Louis. It has struggled with persistent crime, and a limited economy and tax base. A cluster of bars and strip clubs provide a primary source of revenue in its limited economy. In June 2007, it was reported that three-quarters of Brooklyn's revenue of $380,000 comes through sales tax and a $30,000 licensing fee from the adult clubs.

Archeological and historic research
A state archeological survey was required before construction of the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge between St. Louis and Illinois, which would require realignment of part of Rte. 3 near the village. In 2002, work revealed extensive prehistoric artifacts, so many that the researchers named the site "Janey B. Goode" after the popular Chuck Berry song, "Johnny B. Goode". This site lies within Brooklyn's incorporated limits but just east of the historical residential part of town. It lies along the southern margin of the Horseshoe Lake meander just north of the East St. Louis Mound Group of earthworks. By the end of the 2007 field season, the team had excavated 7,000 prehistoric features, making this one of the largest sites ever excavated in the USA. Most of these features are associated with the Late Woodland Patrick phase and early Terminal Late Woodland Lloyd phase, approximately from 600 AD to 1200 AD. They suggest a more complex and dense indigenous community than researchers had known lived in the area.

In association with its work, the Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS) (formerly ITARP), a joint project of the state and the University of Illinois, conducted outreach with the village of Brooklyn, volunteering to survey some of the areas associated with its early 19th-century history. A team of archaeologists led by Dr. Joseph Galloy found evidence of early Afro-American occupation from 1830 to 1850, as well as material in other areas from 1850 to 1870. This discovery suggests that the remains of Mother Baltimore's Freedom Village survive beneath the surface in Upper Brooklyn. It also means that artifacts and other evidence of the town's founding may be revealed if additional excavations are conducted there in the future. This would enhance the town's historical significance and research potential.

Since the turn of the 21st century, residents have rallied around new work related to documentation of the village's rich historical past. They have worked to collect oral histories and personal accounts of the village. In 2007, residents founded the Historical Society Of Brooklyn, Illinois. The historical society, together with the ISAS' Drs. Joseph Galloy, Thomas Emerson and Miranda Yancey; Dr. Chris Fennell of the University of Illinois, and the Illinois State Museum, is working to preserve the history of Brooklyn.

ISAS also helped the historical society to review documents to locate "Mother" Priscilla Baltimore's unmarked grave at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis. In September 2010, the Brooklyn Historical Society installed a gravestone in her honor at the cemetery. In addition, ISAS will assist the village in surveying the Brooklyn cemetery to detect gravesites and try to document the history.

Surveys in 2008 revealed that "the archaeological record of Brooklyn lies intact beneath the extensive open spaces of current-day residential parcels." In the summer of 2009, an archaeological field study began to excavate Mother Priscilla Baltimore's freedom village. The results of this collaborative project are expected to yield material that will aid the town in gaining designation for an historic district to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Historical Society of Brooklyn and its collaborators are seeking national designation for three particularly significant sites: the late prehistoric Janey B. Goode archaeological site, identified as 11S1232; Brooklyn's historic cemetery, identified as 11S1233; and Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church. Built in 1836, Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church was the first of that newly formed, independent black denomination to be built west of the Appalachian Mountains, as well as the first in Illinois. The AME Church was founded as a denomination by free blacks in Philadelphia and its region in 1816.

Geography
Brooklyn, Illinois, is located at 38.6568°N, -90.16541°W.

According to the 2010 census, Brooklyn has a total area of 0.83 sqmi, all land.

Government
Brooklyn has an elected city council and mayor.

The town has a police department that in 2015 was described by the county prosecutor as having “gone from dysfunctional to nonfunctional.”

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 676 people, 267 households, and 166 families residing in the village. The population density was 801.9 PD/sqmi. There were 346 housing units at an average density of 410.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 0.59% White, 98.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.44% of the population.

There were 267 households, out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 16.9% were married couples living together, 39.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 30.3% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 68.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 60.8 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $16,630, and the median income for a family was $30,994. Males had a median income of $24,375 versus $21,108 for females. The per capita income for the village was $7,944. About 28.2% of families and 48.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.5% of those under age 18 and 74.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Brooklyn Unit School District 188 operates public schools.

Notable people

 * Hamiet Bluiett, saxophonist (1940–2018)
 * Prince Joe Henry, Negro league baseball player
 * Albert King, blues guitarist (1923–1992)

title: Brooklyn, Illinois


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Cahokia, Illinois

Cahokia is a settlement and former village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States, founded as a colonial French mission in 1689. Located on the east side of the Mississippi River in the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area, as of the 2010 census, 15,241 people lived in the village. On May 6, 2021, the village was incorporated into the new city of Cahokia Heights.

The name refers to one of the clans of the historic Illiniwek confederacy, who met early French explorers to the region. Early European settlers named the nearby (and long-abandoned) Cahokia Mounds in present-day Madison County after the Illini clan. But the UNESCO World Heritage Site and State Historic Park was developed by the Mississippian culture, active here from AD 900 to AD 1500 some connection to the clan is possible but unknown. The area was part of an extensive urban complex, the largest of the far flung Mississippian culture territory through the Mississippi and Ohio river valleys.

French Canadian colonists founded Cahokia village in 1696 as a Catholic mission. The historic Church of the Holy Family is the oldest continually active Catholic parish in the United States, as well as the oldest church west of the Allegheny Mountains. Other significant colonial and Federal-period buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places include the Cahokia Courthouse (c. 1740, in the French Colonial style); and the Jarrot Mansion (c. 1810).

Cahokia Mounds
Archeologists ascribe the earthwork mounds Cahokia complex to the Mississippian culture, an earlier indigenous people who are not believed to have been ancestral to the Illini. The city site reached its peak in the 13th century and was abandoned centuries before European contact.

The Cahokia Native Americans of the Illinois did not coalesce as a tribe and live in the Illinois area until nearly the time of French contact 300 years ago.

Pinet's Mission
Father Pinet founded a mission in late 1696 to convert the Cahokian and Tamaroa Native Americans to Christianity. Father Pinet and the Seminary of Foreign Missions of Quebec built a log church and dedicated it to the Holy Family.

18th-century settlement
During the next 100 years, Cahokia became one of the largest French colonial towns in the Illinois Country. It was centrally located for trading Indian goods and furs, and grew to about 3,000 inhabitants. Its thriving business district reflected a frontier society numerically dominated by needy males, as it had 24 brothels. The nearby town of Kaskaskia on the Mississippi River (founded 1703) became the region's leading shipping port, and Fort de Chartres (founded 1718) was developed by the French as a military and governmental command center. The 50 mi area of land between the two villages was cultivated by farming settlers, known as habitants, whose main crop was wheat. As settlement expanded, the relationship between the settlers and the Indians continued to be peaceful. Settlers were mostly Canadien migrants whose families had been in North America for a while.

French and Indian War
Cahokia declined after the French lost the French and Indian War in North America to the British in 1763, as part of the broader Seven Years' War in Europe. Only Fort Kaskaskia (built 1733) was destroyed in the conflict, and Cahokia remained regionally important for another four decades. In the treaty ending the war, France ceded large parts of what it called the Illinois Country east of the Mississippi River to the British, including the area of Canada. Many French-speaking residents of Cahokia and elsewhere in what had been Upper Louisiana moved west of the river to territory still controlled by the French rather than live under British rule. Many moved to Lower Louisiana, where they founded new Canadien villages on the west side of the Mississippi River, such as Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, and St. Louis.

The Odawa leader Pontiac was assassinated by other Indians in or near Cahokia on April 20, 1769.

American Revolutionary War
In 1778, during the American Revolutionary War, Virginian George Rogers Clark captured Kaskaskia and set up a court in Cahokia, making Cahokia an independent city state even though it was part of the British Province of Quebec. Cahokia (and Kaskaskia and the rest of Illinois County) officially became part of the United States by the Treaty of Paris (1783), by which the United States took over former British territory west of the Appalachian Mountains. The US soon designated this area as the Northwest Territory (and, after Ohio and Indiana became states, the Illinois Territory). Meanwhile, 105 Cahokia "heads of household" pledged loyalty to the Continental Congress of the United States.

Northwest Ordinance
After Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance in 1787 and established a governmental system for the territory, the Cahokia Courthouse was adapted for use as a United States territorial courthouse. Cahokia continued as a major political center for the next 24 years. Flood-prone Kaskaskia became the governmental seat of the Illinois Territory (1809–1818), until the territorial seat was moved to Vandalia, Illinois, and in 1809 became the county seat of Randolph County. Cahokia became the seat of St. Clair County, named by and after Arthur St. Clair, the first territorial governor. When St. Clair County was enlarged in 1801 and 1809, Governor William Henry Harrison (and later territorial secretary and acting governor Nathaniel Pope) named the Cahokia Courthouse as the legal and governmental center of a sizeable area extending to the Canada–U.S. border. By 1814, other counties and territories had been organized, and St. Clair County became its current size. The county seat was moved to the more centrally located Belleville, Illinois, (incorporated 1819 and as a city in 1850) when a local developer offered to donate land for a new county courthouse and seat.

Annexed territory
In the late 1950s, Cahokia annexed some population and territory, increasing its population by more than 15,000 in 1960.

Geography
Cahokia was located at 38.5619°N, -90.17288°W.

According to the 2010 census, Cahokia had a total area of 9.9 sqmi, of which 9.4 sqmi (or 94.95%) is land and 0.5 sqmi (or 5.05%) is water.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,391 people, 5,693 households, and 4,252 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,705.8 PD/sqmi. There were 6,213 housing units at an average density of 646.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 58.28% White, 38.69% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.25% of the population.

There were 5,693 households, out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 25.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.27.

In 2010, the population dropped to 15,241, with 61.30% being African American and 34.5% of the population being white alone.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 33.4% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $31,001, and the median income for a family was $35,582. Males had a median income of $31,806 versus $22,429 for females. The per capita income for the village was $14,545. About 22.8% of families and 24.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.0% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Cahokia is home to the St. Louis Downtown Airport, a general aviation facility.

Metro operates the #2 bus route to East St. Louis, Illinois, where connections can be made to the MetroLink light rail to St. Louis.

Education

 * Cahokia Unit School District 187 operates public schools.

Notable people

 * 18th-century settler Marie Josephte L'Archevêque, her daughter Marie Joseph La Marche (Mme. Le Comte), and granddaughter Marie Josette Languedoc from Cohakia inspired what Governor John Reynolds said was the "truthful" telling of Madam La Compt in Pioneer History of Illinois.
 * Terron Armstead - NFL player
 * Well Hungarians – country and rock band
 * Michael B. Whit - country singer-song writer

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Cahokia, Illinois


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Wikipedia talk:Spellchecking project

A few remarks: FvdP 18:36 Oct 18, 2002 (UTC)
 * is Ed Poor's section reserved to Ed Poor ? Since it has a format I like, I would be glad to use it too
 * spelling errors detection should be done automatically if possible. That is, a list of common misspellings should be periodically searched for in the articles, by an automatic "daemon", and the results be published for humans to correct (I'm wary of automatic correction).
 * in the meanwhile, what about using Ed Poor's list with "extinct" errors classified by date of last verification ? Errors are never really extinct, they are expected to eventually reappear ! So they should be rechecked periodically. Perhaps we could separate them in "common" and "uncommon" errors (according to how many of them are spotted on the same period of time; this information should be stored on the page as well.)

 * I agree with all of the above, and I'm going to take off the "Ed Poor" heading. --Ed Poor

(Prefatory disclaimer: I'll attempt to word this as diplomatically as possible, but sometimes I'm not known for diplomacy, so please don't take it the wrong way.  I like the spellchecking project.  It's a great idea, and a very worthwhile application of system resources.  The project definitely needs to continue in some form.  I don't like spelling errors in the Wikipedia any more than anyone else.)

However, I think the current implementation of the project is seriously flawed.

Articles which contain spelling errors almost always contain other problems, related to grammar, content, etc. A good example of this is the article on Randomized controlled trial. This article, while containing sound factual material, nevertheless needed major grammatical and stylistic work which, despite its being visited three or more times for spelling correction, was never done.

I realize that we are all limited in the time we're able to spend on articles, but wish there was some mechanism by which we could mark an article that needs further work, or at least skim it to see if it does need further work.

I left the article on Janissaries alone for three reasons. One, it'll take some research to get straightened out, and again, we all have only a certain amount of time in a day to work on Wikipedia. Second, if a spell-check were run on the article, and all the spelling errors were fixed, it's possible that it would be quite some time before someone else stumbled onto it and discovered it has major problems.

Third, it stands as a perfect example of what I feel is the problem with the spellchecking project as it currently stands. Doesn't anyone even bother to look?

Sorry for ranting, as I said I don't mean it to be taken personally, or to disparage the spellchecking project on the whole. I'm done now. :)

Hephaestos 22:36 Jan 12, 2003 (UTC)

 * When I correct spelling in articles I do skim the article to make sure it's not horribly written or completely absent of links to other articles. -- goatasaur

 * As do I... it's rare that I make a spelling correction without hitting some formatting, linking, minor rephrasing or other wikification. Though, since the spellcheck feature has been unavailable, obviously I can only check errors as I spot them. You make a good point, though; an article filled with spelling errors is likely to have other problems too.

 * What we need is a List of commonly incorrect factual claims or List of common POV statements that could be matched by some kind of fuzzy-logic to articles which employ such techniques :) That may not happen until Wikipedia becomes sentient and takes over the world, though. There's only so much we can do... maybe there should be some kind of rating system, though. Whenever I edit an article that I am either not qualified or motivated to verify, correct, or otherwise fix, I make a comment in the edit summary that it needs more work (so at least future editors can check the history and see that comment). But it'd be great if there were a voting system whereby we could indicate how much work we think an article needs, regardless of easily-spotted errors like spelling. -- Wapcaplet 00:06 9 Jun 2003 (UTC)

title: Wikipedia talk:Spellchecking project


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Caseyville, Illinois

Caseyville is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,400	 at the 2020 census, an increase from 4,245 in 2010.

History
A wealthy man named Charles Harbour built a house here, and in 1845 built a sawmill. There were deposits of coal in the area, and Harbour was one of several members of the Illinois Coal Company, along with Zadok Casey, Walter Seates, Malcomb Robinson, Charles Barrett and John Roy. Casey had held several offices including United States Representative and Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. In 1849, the Illinois Coal Company founded the town and named it for Casey. Coal mining began, and in 1851 the company constructed a railroad to nearby Brooklyn to transport the coal. In 1850 there were about 40 people here, and by 1851 this had increased to about 150; by 1881 the population was approximately 800. The first post office was established here in 1856, and the village was incorporated in May 1869. A school was built in 1872, and a church in 1879.

Geography
Caseyville is located at 38.63306°N, -90.03278°W (38.633176, -90.032785).

According to the 2010 census, Caseyville has a total area of 7.168 sqmi, of which 7.01 sqmi (or 97.8%) is land and 0.158 sqmi (or 2.2%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,310 people, 1,686 households, and 1,126 families residing in the village. The population density was 694.0 PD/sqmi. There were 1,786 housing units at an average density of 287.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 89.30% White, 7.84% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 1.04% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.53% of the population.

There were 1,686 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $31,512, and the median income for a family was $36,429. Males had a median income of $30,943 versus $20,713 for females. The per capita income for the village was $15,467. About 6.8% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Larry Doyle, second baseman for the New York Giants and Chicago Cubs,
 * Yadier Molina, catcher for St. Louis Cardinals, resided here until 2015

title: Caseyville, Illinois


text:
Centreville, Illinois

Centreville was a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,309 in 2010, down from 5,951 at the 2000 census. On May 6, 2021, the city ceased to exist, being incorporated along with Alorton and Cahokia into the new city of Cahokia Heights.

Geography
Centreville was located at 38.58444°N, -90.10389°W (38.584583, -90.103768).

According to the 2010 census, Centreville had a total area of 4.287 sqmi, of which 4.23 sqmi (or 98.67%) was land and 0.057 sqmi (or 1.33%) was water.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,951 people, 2,125 households, and 1,476 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,373.3 PD/sqmi. There were 2,363 housing units at an average density of 545.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 95.46% African American, 3.38% white, 0.13% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.

There were 2,125 households, out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.5% were married couples living together, 35.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.38.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,500, and the median income for a family was $27,310. Males had a median income of $32,024 versus $23,528 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,150. About 28.7% of families and 34.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.4% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Edward Burch, alternative country musician
 * John Dettmer, pitcher for the Texas Rangers
 * Byron Gettis, outfielder for the Kansas City Royals
 * Jordan Goodwin, professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards
 * Cedric Harmon, executive director, speaker, writer, and activist
 * Reginald Hudlin, film director

Education
Some of the city was served by Cahokia Unit School District 187. Lalumier K-8 School is located in Centreville. Centerville K-8 is located in an unincorporated area near Centreville.

Some of the city was served by East St. Louis School District 189. Brown Elementary School is located in Centreville.

Poverty
Centreville was the poorest city in the state of Illinois, as well as one of the poorest cities in the nation. The town median household income was $17,441, while the typical home in the area is worth approximately $47,900. The city was located on a Mississippi River floodplain known as American Bottom, and experiences chronic flooding and raw sewage disposal problems due to the area's inadequate system of drainage ditches, levees and emergency pumps.

title: Centreville, Illinois


text:
Dupo, Illinois

Dupo is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,138 at the 2010 census, an increase from 3,933 in 2000. The village was settled in about 1750 and was incorporated in 1907. Its modern name, adopted in the early 20th century, is shortened from Prairie du Pont ("Bridge Prairie").

Geography
Dupo is located at 38.51583°N, -90.20806°W (38.515702, -90.207992). It is located in the American Bottom floodplain of the Mississippi River.

According to the 2010 census, Dupo has a total area of 4.42 sqmi, all land.

History

In the Mississippian period, Dupo was the site of one of several multi-mound communities in the floodplain near Cahokia. These mounds remained standing at least as recently as 1915.

The French village of Prairie du Pont was first settled around 1750 by townspeople moving out of Cahokia. It was located at a bridge over what is now known as Prairie du Pont Creek, on the trail from Cahokia to Kaskaskia, which was the first wagon road in Illinois. The settlement may have been motivated by Dupo being located 10–12 feet higher than Cahokia and thus being more protected from floods on the Mississippi River. The Sulpician mission established a mill near the bridge, which became the core of the town's development. By 1765 fourteen families lived in Prairie du Pont. The village's growth was further spurred by the prominent local citizen Antoine Girardin, who parceled off parts of the Cahokia commons to residents of Prairie du Pont.

The early French village at Prairie du Pont followed a tripartite system of land ownership that was common in the Illinois country: private houses in a row, "common fields" enclosed by a shared fence but divided into narrow strips owned and farmed by a particular family, and the actual commons used jointly by the inhabitants for grazing their livestock. The village elected a village council, or syndic, to maintain the fence around the common fields.

Among the early inhabitants of Prairie du Pont was the noted gunsmith Philip Creamer, who settled in the area in 1805. Some parts of the historic Prairie du Pont community, such as the Pierre Martin House, are now located in unincorporated North Dupo, Illinois.

A Prairie du Pont school district was established by legislative enactment in 1847, to be funded by leases of the village commons, but no school was actually held in the village until 1861, due to inadequate funds.

In the 1880s, the town of Prairie du Pont had about 50 inhabitants, of whom about 20% were African American.

The modern town of Dupo was platted in 1905 and incorporated in 1907. It grew around the Missouri Pacific Railroad switching yards. At the instigation of the railroad, the name was shortened from Prairie du Pont to Dupo.

In 1928, the Ohio Oil Company discovered oil in Dupo. This led to an oil boom in the town, in which oil wells were sunk in people's front yards. However, the oil boom was short-lived and the economy of the town returned to depending primarily on the rail yard.

In 1997, the town considered switching its name back to Prairie Du Pont to put the industrial period behind it and better attract tourism, but ultimately left its name unchanged.

In 2019, a Union Pacific freight train derailed at the Dupo Yard, leading to the evacuation of several neighborhoods in Dupo. The crash was caused by a 1.5 mi-long freight train breaking in half and the two halves then colliding. A tank car full of methyl isobutyl ketone caught fire.

Demographics
In 2010 there were 4,138 people, 1,650 households, and 1,142 families residing in the village. The Population Density was 655 people per square mile(252.8/km$2$). There were 1,863 housing units at an average density of 294.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 94.9% White, 2.3% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 1,650 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present with 10.8% of all households having a female householder with kids. 7.7% had a male householder with no husband present with 4.2% of all households having a male householder with no wife and kids. 30.8% of all households were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.91.

In Dupo, 25.3% of the population was under 18, 6.8% from 20 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64 and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years, For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. The median income for a household in the village was $45,203, and the median income for a family was $58,370. Males had an average income of $45,621 versus $32,628 for females. The Per Capita Income for the village was $24,404. About 14.0% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 and over.

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,933 people, 1,557 households, and 1,063 families residing in the village. The population density was 888.6 PD/sqmi. There were 1,668 housing units at an average density of 376.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 97.20% White, 1.17% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.

There were 1,557 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $43,036, and the median income for a family was $47,000. Males had a median income of $35,529 versus $24,135 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,505. About 2.9% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Dupo is served by Dupo Community Unit School District and has one high school, Dupo High School.

Notable people

 * Candace Jordan, television personality, Playboy Playmate December 1979

title: Dupo, Illinois


text:
East Carondelet, Illinois

East Carondelet is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 499 as of the 2010 census.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, East Carondelet has a total area of 1.673 sqmi, of which 1.21 sqmi (or 72.33%) is land and 0.463 sqmi (or 27.67%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 267 people, 94 households, and 68 families residing in the village. The population density was 213.5 PD/sqmi. There were 105 housing units at an average density of 84.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 92.51% White, 3.37% African American, 1.87% Native American, 0.37% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races.

There were 94 households, out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $36,071, and the median income for a family was $39,583. Males had a median income of $35,500 versus $21,875 for females. The per capita income for the village was $13,402. About 3.8% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under the age of eighteen and 8.3% of those 65 or over.

Historic sites
East Carondelet is the site of the Martin–Boismenue House, a c. 1790 house owned by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

title: East Carondelet, Illinois


text:
East St. Louis, Illinois

East St. Louis is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. It is directly across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis, Missouri, and the Gateway Arch National Park. East St. Louis is in the Metro East region of Southern Illinois. Once a bustling industrial center, like many cities in the Rust Belt, East St. Louis was severely affected by the loss of jobs due to the flight of the population to the suburbs during the riots of the late 1960s. In 1950, East St. Louis was the fourth-largest city in Illinois when its population peaked at 82,366. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,469, less than one-quarter of the 1950 census and a decline of almost one third since 2010.

A recent addition to the city's waterfront is the Gateway Geyser. On the grounds of Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, the fountain is the second-tallest in the world. Designed to complement the Gateway Arch across the river in St. Louis, it shoots water to a height of 630 ft, the same height as the arch.

History
Native Americans had long inhabited both sides of the Mississippi River. The Mississippian culture rulers organized thousands of workers to construct complex earthwork mounds at what later became St. Louis and East St. Louis. The center of this culture was the urban complex of Cahokia, located to the north of present-day East St. Louis within Collinsville, Illinois. Before the Civil War, settlers reported up to 50 mounds in the area that became East St. Louis, but most were lost to 19th-century development and later roadbuilding.

East St. Louis lies within the fertile American Bottom area of the present day Metro-East area of St. Louis, Missouri. This name was given after the United States acquired the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and more European Americans began to settle in the area. The village was first named "Illinoistown".

East St. Louis was founded in 1797 by Captain James Piggott, a Revolutionary War veteran. In that year Piggott began operating a ferry service across the Mississippi River, connecting Illinoistown with St. Louis, which had been founded by ethnic French families. When Piggott died in 1799, his widow sold the ferry business, moved to St. Louis County and remarried. One of the Piggotts' great-great-granddaughters became known as actress Virginia Mayo (Virginia Clara Jones).

The municipality called East St. Louis was established on April 1, 1861. Illinoistown residents voted on a new name that day, and 183 voted to rename the town East St. Louis. Though it started as a small town, East St. Louis soon grew to a larger city, influenced by the growing economy of St. Louis, which in 1870 was the fourth-largest city in the United States.

Great Railroad Strike of 1877
A period of extensive industrial growth followed the American Civil War. Industries in East St. Louis made use of the local availability of Illinois coal as fuel. Another early industry was meatpacking and stockyards, concentrated in one area to limit their nuisance to other jurisdictions.

In the expansion, many businessmen became overextended in credit, and a major economic collapse followed the Panic of 1873. This was due to railroad and other manufacturing expansion, land speculation, and general business optimism caused by large profits from inflation. The economic recession began in the East and steadily moved West, severely crippling the railroads, the main system of transportation. In response, railroad companies began dramatically lowering workers' wages, forcing employees to work without pay, and cutting jobs and paid work hours. These wage cuts and additional money-saving tactics prompted strikes and massive unrest.

While most of the strikes in the eastern cities during 1877 were accompanied by violence, the late July 1877 St. Louis strike was marked by a bloodless and quick takeover by dissatisfied workers. By July 22, the St. Louis Commune began to take shape, as representatives from almost all the railroad lines met in East St. Louis. They soon elected an executive committee to command the strike and issued General Order No. 1, halting all railroad traffic other than passenger and mail trains. John Bowman, the mayor of East St. Louis, was appointed arbitrator of the committee. He helped the committee select special police to guard the property of the railroads from damage. The strike and the new de facto workers' government, while given encouragement by the largely German-American Workingmen's Party and the Knights of Labor (two key players in the organization of the Missouri general strike), were run by no organized labor group.

The strike also closed packing industry houses surrounding the National Stock Yards. At one plant, workers allowed processing of 125 cattle in return for 500 cans of beef for the workers. Though the East St. Louis strike continued in an orderly fashion, across the river in St. Louis there were isolated incidents of violence. Harry Eastman, the East St. Louis workers' representative, addressed the mass of employees:

"Go home to your different wards and organize your different unions, but don't keep coming up here in great bodies and stirring up excitement. Ask the Mayor, as we did, to close up all the saloons ... keep sober and orderly, and when you are organized, apply to the United Workingmen for orders. Don't plunder ... don't interfere with the railroads here ... let us attend to that."

The strikers held the railroads and city for about a week, without the violence that took place in Chicago and other cities. The federal government intervened, and on July 28 US troops took over the Relay Depot, the Commune's command center, and the strike ended peacefully.

Great Cyclone of 1896
On May 27, 1896, a tornado struck St. Louis and East St. Louis. It stands as the deadliest tornado to ever hit the cities. In approximately 20 minutes, this tornado resulted in destruction that killed 137 people in St. Louis and 118 in East St. Louis. The tornado's destruction spanned 10 mi, including the railyards and commercial districts of East St. Louis. During the storm, 311 buildings were destroyed and 7,200 others were severely damaged. The cost of this loss was estimated to be between $10 million and $12 million. In 1896 this was a considerable amount of money, as a two-story brick house could be purchased at that time for $1,500.

East St. Louis riots of 1917
East St. Louis in 1917 had a strong industrial economy boosted by America's economic participation in demands related to World War I; although war was declared in April, the nation did not meaningfully enter the war until that fall. Industry was dominated by European immigrant workers, who had been coming to industrial cities since the late 19th century. Here and across the country, they repeatedly tried to organize in efforts to gain better wages and working conditions. In the summer of 1916, 2,500 white workers struck the nearby meat packing plants of National City. Companies recruited black workers, sometimes importing them from the South. While the white workers won a wage increase, the companies retained some black workers, firing white ones. Such economic competition raised tensions between the groups in a period when the number of blacks in East St. Louis had increased dramatically due to the first Great Migration, when African Americans left poor rural areas of the South to escape Jim Crow oppression and seek jobs in the industrial cities of the North and the Midwest. From 1910 to 1917, the black population nearly doubled in East St. Louis.

The United States established a draft which would bring in many workers to the military. As the war prevented immigration from Europe even before the U.S. entered the war, major companies had begun to recruit black workers from the South to fill demand. When white workers went on strike in April 1917 at the Aluminum Ore Company, the employer hired blacks as strikebreakers. The American Steel Company also recruited blacks. They were available in part during this period because the U.S. Army initially rejected many black volunteers in the years before an integrated military. This was also the period of resentment on both sides and the arrival of new workers created fears for job security at a time of union organizing and labor unrest, and raised social tensions. At a large labor meeting of white workers held in City Hall on May 28, men also traded rumors of fraternizing between black men and white women. An inflammatory speaker said, "East St. Louis must remain a white man's town." Three thousand ethnic white men left the meeting and headed as a mob for downtown, where they randomly attacked black men on the street. The Illinois governor called in National Guard to prevent further rioting, but rumors circulated that blacks were planning an organized retaliation and tensions remained high.

On July 1, 1917, a black man allegedly attacked a white man. After hearing of this, whites drove by black homes near 17th and Market and fired shots into several of them. When police came to investigate a gathering of a large group of local black residents, their car was mistaken for that of the attackers, and several in the crowd at 10th and Bond fired on the police, killing two detectives. The next morning, thousands of whites mobbed the black sections of the city, indiscriminately beating, shooting and killing men, women and children. The rioters burned entire sections of the city and shot blacks as they escaped the flames. They also hanged several blacks. They destroyed buildings and physically attacked people; they "killed a 14-year-old boy and scalped his mother. Before it was over 244 buildings were destroyed." Other sources say 300 buildings were destroyed.

The city had 35 police officers, but they were seen to be doing little to suppress the violence. The governor called in National Guard troops to try to control the situation; they arrived July 3, but several accounts reported that they joined in the rioting. Most of the violence ended that day, but reports continued afterward of isolated assaults of blacks. Afterward the city Chamber of Commerce called for the resignation of the Police Chief and greater oversight of police operations. Losses in property damage were high, including railroad warehouses and carloads full of goods that were burned, as well as railroad cars.

Though official reports suggested that the East St. Louis race riot resulted in the deaths of 39 blacks and 9 whites, other estimates put the figure much higher, with estimates of 100 to 250 blacks being killed.

W. E. B. Du Bois of the NAACP came to investigate the riots personally. His organization's photographer published photos of the destruction in the November issue of The Crisis. Congress also held an investigation.

In New York City on July 28, 10,000 black people marched down Fifth Avenue in a Silent Parade, carrying signs and protesting the East St. Louis riots. The march was organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), W. E. B. Du Bois, and groups in Harlem. Women and children were dressed in white; the men were dressed in black.

20th century
East St. Louis continued to have an economy based on industry. Through and after World War II, many workers could make decent livings. It was named an All-America City in 1959 by the National Civic League. East St. Louis celebrated its centennial in 1961. It was known as the "Pittsburgh of the West". Its population had reached a peak of 82,366 residents in the 1950 census, the fourth-largest city in Illinois at the time.

Through the 1950s and later, the city's musicians were an integral creative force in blues, rock and roll and jazz. Some left and achieved national recognition, such as Ike & Tina Turner. The jazz great Miles Davis, who became internationally known, was born in nearby Alton and grew up in East St. Louis. The 1999 PBS series River of Song featured these musicians in its coverage of music from cities along the Mississippi River.

The city suffered from the mid-century restructuring of heavy industry and railroads, which cost widespread loss of jobs. As a number of local factories began to close because of changes in industry, the railroad and meatpacking industries also were cutting back and moving jobs out of the region. This led to a precipitous loss of working and middle-class jobs. The city's financial conditions deteriorated. Elected in 1951, Mayor Alvin Fields tried funding measures that resulted in raising the city's bonded indebtedness and the property tax rate. More businesses closed as workers left the area to seek jobs in other regions. The more established white workers had an easier time gaining jobs in other localities, and the city population became increasingly black. "Brownfields" (areas with environmental contamination by heavy industry) have made redevelopment more difficult and expensive.

Street gangs appeared in city neighborhoods. Like other cities with endemic problems by the 1960s, violence added to residential mistrust and adversely affected the downtown retail base and the city's income.

The construction of freeways also contributed to East St. Louis' decline. They were constructed through and broke up functioning neighborhoods and community networks, adding to the social disruption of the period. The freeways made it easier for residents to commute back and forth from suburban homes, so the wealthier people moved out to newer housing. East St. Louis adopted a number of programs to try to reverse decline: the Model Cities program, the Concentrated Employment Program, and Operation Breakthrough. The programs were not enough to offset the loss of industrial jobs due to national restructuring.

In 1971, James E. Williams was elected as the city's first black mayor. Faced with the overwhelming economic problems, he was unable to make much of a difference. In 1975, William E. Mason was elected mayor; his term marked a return to patronage politics and the city sank deeper into debt and reliance on federal funding. In 1979, Carl Officer was elected as mayor (the youngest in the country at that time, at age 25). Despite hopes for improvement, conditions continued to decline. Middle-class citizens continued to leave the city. People who could get jobs moved to places with work and a decent quality of life. Lacking sufficient tax revenues, the city cut back on maintenance, sewers failed, and garbage pickup ceased. Police cars and radios stopped working. The East St. Louis Fire Department went on strike in the 1970s.

Structure fires destroyed such a significant number of consecutive blocks that much of the post-Armageddon film Escape from New York was filmed in East St. Louis.

In 1990, the State of Illinois passed (65 ILCS 5/Art. 8 Div. 12) The Financially Distressed City Law. Under this law, Illinois Governor James R. Thompson provided $34 million in loans to East St. Louis, with the stipulation that an appointed five-member board, called the East St. Louis Financial Advisory Authority, manage the city's finances. In 1990 the state legislature approved riverboat gambling in an effort to increase state revenues. The opening of the Casino Queen riverboat casino generated the first new source of income for the city in nearly 30 years.

In 1991, Gordon Bush was elected mayor. Several major industries operating in the area had gained separate incorporation as jurisdictions for the land where their plants are sited. These "communities" have virtually no residents, and the shell jurisdictions are outside the tax base of East St. Louis. Residents of the city, however, suffer from contaminated air and other adverse environmental effects of these sites. At the same time, the city's tax base is too poor for it to maintain its infrastructure, including the sanitary sewers, many of which have broken and overflowed in residential neighborhoods and schools.

21st century
Since 2000, the city has completed several redevelopment projects: in 2001 it opened a new library and built a new city hall. Public-private partnerships have resulted in a variety of new retail developments, and housing initiatives. The St. Louis MetroLink light rail connects the city by transit to St. Louis, which has a stronger economy, and such efforts have sparked renewal.

Because of depopulation, the city has many abandoned properties and extensive urban blight. Sections of "urban prairie" can be found where vacant buildings were demolished and whole blocks have become overgrown with vegetation. Much of the territory surrounding the city remains undeveloped, bypassed by developers who chose more affluent suburban areas. Many old "inner city" neighborhoods abut large swaths of corn and soybean fields or otherwise vacant land. In addition to agricultural uses, a number of truck stops, strip clubs, and semi-rural businesses surround blighted areas in the city.

In 2010, the East St. Louis community gardening movement began to develop plots for "urban farming", as has been done in North St. Louis. Inspired by Detroit's planned use of vacant land for green development, community associations, nonprofits and universities have collaborated to spark green development in East St. Louis.

Archeological remains
In the early 1990s, archeological surveys and excavations prior to construction of Interstate 55/70 revealed evidence of important prehistoric structures in the East St. Louis area. Both sides of the river had earlier been reported as having numerous earthwork mounds when Europeans and Americans first settled in the area. Unfortunately, most of these cultural treasures in St. Louis and on the east side were lost to development.

Illinois researchers discovered the remains of several earthwork mounds. In the East St. Louis area, 50 mounds had been mapped before the Civil War, and seven remain visible today. The largest is estimated to have been originally 40 ft high and would have nearly covered a football field. Around the remains of this mound, researchers have discovered evidence of burial mounds, a large plaza, a wooden defensive palisade and several other Mississippian culture structures. These indicate that it was a ritual center. The 500 acre prehistoric site is now called the East St. Louis Mound Center. The state and University of Illinois are trying to develop coordinated projects with East St. Louis and businesses to use the mounds and artifacts as attractions for heritage tourism.

It was built by the Mississippian culture, which extended throughout the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. It reached its peak in this region about AD 1100–1200 at the nearby major center of Cahokia, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site within the present-day boundaries of Collinsville. A complex urban center estimated to have had a population of perhaps 20,000, this site is about 5 mi from East St. Louis.

In 2012, archeological work prior to construction of the Stan Musial Bridge across the Mississippi discovered artifacts and evidence of a formerly unidentified 900-year-old suburb of Cahokia in present-day East St. Louis. This site had not been mapped in the 19th century, and was unknown. The Mississippian culture site is in a present industrial wasteland. Researchers found evidence of more than 1,000 dwellings and the base of an earthen pyramidal mound. It would have been one of dozens of mounds when the community was active, based on the size of the residential population of this site. Discovery of the site led scholars to increase their estimates of the total population of the Mississippians at Cahokia and in the area, now thought to have been about 20,000. They did not have the time to excavate the entire area. It is on private land and subject to risk of destruction by development.

Geography
East St. Louis is located at 38.61667°N, -90.13333°W (38.616, −90.133).

According to the 2010 census, East St. Louis has a total area of 14.37 sqmi, of which 13.99 sqmi, or 97.36%, is land and 0.38 sqmi, or 2.64%, is water.

Climate
East St. Louis, like all of Southern Illinois, is classified as humid subtropical by the Köppen classification, having hot, humid summers and cool winters. On July 14, 1954, the temperature in East St. Louis allegedly reached 117 F, the highest temperature ever recorded in America east of the Mississippi River. It is not considered a formal record, however, as the city had no weather station.

Transportation
East St. Louis has five St. Louis MetroLink stations: East Riverfront, 5th & Missouri, Emerson Park, JJK Center, and Washington Park.

Interstate 55, Interstate 64, Interstate 70, and U.S. Route 40 run through East St. Louis and are linked to St. Louis by the Poplar Street Bridge and Stan Musial Bridge. Prior to its decommissioning, the fabled U.S. Route 66 also shared a concurrency with these Interstate highways. In addition, U.S. Route 50 also shared a concurrency prior to its being rerouted to run concurrently with Interstate 255.

The closest airport is the St. Louis Downtown Airport located in nearby Cahokia, Illinois, just south of East St. Louis.

2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,542 people, 11,178 households, and 7,668 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,242.9 PD/sqmi. There were 12,899 housing units at an average density of 917.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 97.74% Black or African-American, 1.23% White, 0.19% Native American, 0.08% Asian-American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.73% of the population.

There were 11,178 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 21.9% were married couples living together, 40.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.80 and the average family size was 4.02.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.8% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,324, and the median income for a family was $24,567. Males had a median income of $27,864 versus $21,850 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,169. About 31.8% of families and 35.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 48.6% of those under the age of 18 and 25.2% of those ages 65 and older.

Government and infrastructure
The city is governed by an elected mayor and city council.

Several social services organizations operate in East St. Louis, including Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House, Catholic Urban Programs, Christian Activity Center, and The Delta Childcare Center of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, East St. Louis Alumnae Chapter, and The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation.

The Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center, operated by the Illinois Department of Corrections, is located near East St. Louis and provides some jobs.

Fire department
The city of East St. Louis is protected by 31 paid, professional city firefighters. They are organized into three divisions of operations: Administration, Firefighting/Hazard Mitigation, and Fire Prevention/Arson Investigation. The department operates from three fire stations in the city: Engine 422 at 17th St. and Lincoln Ave., Engine 425 and Ladder 419 at 17th St. and Central Ave., and Engine 426 at 72nd St. and State St. The Chief of Department is Jason Blackmon.

The East St. Louis Fire Department has struggled to provide protection and service while having to undergo repeated budget cuts due to city problems. It laid off some 22 firefighters in May 2013. According to a National Fire Report, approximately 49 percent of all emergency calls the East St. Louis Fire Department responds to are structural fires.

Education
The city is served by the East St. Louis School District 189. As of 2017, the district operates an early childhood learning center, 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and one high school, East St. Louis High School. Until 1998, East St. Louis Lincoln High School also served portions of the city.

There is one Catholic K–8 school under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville, Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School. There were previously four Catholic elementary schools: St. Joseph, St. Martin of Tours, St. Patrick, St. Philip, Holy Angels and St. Adalbert. In 1989 they consolidated at the St. Philip location as Bowman.

Starting in 1894, St. Teresa Academy was established by the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood, as a high school for young women. The school closed in 1974.

In 1929 Central Catholic High School for Boys was established with the name being changed to Assumption High School in 1953. Women were welcomed to Assumption in 1974 after St. Teresa Academy closed. Later, Assumption closed in 1989.

Media
One television station is licensed to, but does not operate from, the city: Ion Television affiliate WRBU (Channel 46), which serves the entire St. Louis market. In the past, it served as St. Louis's UPN and MyNetworkTV affiliate. On FM, sports station WXOS (101.1) and non-commercial Contemporary Christian music station WCBW (89.7) are licensed to East St. Louis.

The Metro-East Journal, originally the East St. Louis Journal, was published in the city from 1888 to 1979. The East St. Louis Monitor was established in 1963. It provides community news and event updates.

Crime
A 2007 study in the journal Homicide Studies noted that "East St. Louis has consistently experienced a high violent crime rate and continues to report a substantial number of annual homicides." In 2013, the per capita homicide rate in East St. Louis was about 18 times the national average, and had the highest homicide rate of any city in the United States.

According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports, in 2015 East St. Louis (with a population of 26,616), had 19 cases of murder and non-negligent manslaughter, 42 cases of rape, 146 cases of robbery, 682 cases of aggravated assault, and 12 cases of arson. In 2016, NeighborhoodScout released rankings indicating that East St. Louis had the highest murder rate of any city in the United States.

Other sources

 * Heaps, Willard Allison. "Target of Prejudice: The Negro". Riots, U.S.A., 1765–1970. New York: The Seabury Press, 1970. 108–117.
 * Kozol, Jonathan. "Life on the Mississippi". Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools. Crown, 1991. 7–39. ISBN 0-517-58221-X
 * "Race Rioters Fire East St. Louis and Shoot or Hang Many Negroes; Dead Estimated at from 20 to 76". The New York Times, July 3, 1917.

title: East St. Louis, Illinois


text:
Fairview Heights, Illinois

Fairview Heights is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States within Greater St. Louis. It is an eastern suburb of St. Louis. The population was 17,078 at the 2010 census. Fairview Heights is a dominant shopping center for Greater St. Louis and Southern Illinois and includes numerous shopping plazas and St. Clair Square mall.

Geography
Fairview Heights is located at 38.5939°N, -89.99665°W.

According to the 2010 census, Fairview Heights has a total area of 11.497 sqmi, of which 11.42 sqmi (or 99.33%) is land and 0.077 sqmi (or 0.67%) is water.

French Village, Illinois is an unincorporated community (Class Code U4) located immediately west of Fairview Heights at 38.6003°N, -90.0501°W.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 15,034 people, 6,026 households, and 4,206 families living in the city. The population density was 1,348.6 PD/sqmi. There were 6,310 housing units at an average density of 566.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 78.40% White, 17.07% African American, 0.17% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.92%.

Of the 6,026 households 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 26.6% of households were one person and 10.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00.

The age distribution was 23.4% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.

The median household income was $49,131 and the median family income was $56,161. Males had a median income of $38,287 versus $27,218 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,614. About 4.2% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Three elementary/middle school districts serve Fairview Heights: Grant-Illini District 110 covers the west side of the community, and Pontiac William Holliday School District 105 covers the east side of town. A small portion on the northeast corner of the community is covered by O'Fallon District 90 and another portion on the far western edge is served by East St. Louis District 189. Trade colleges in Fairview Heights, IL include the Regency Beauty Institute and formerly Vatterott College. The Grant-Illini District 110 sends students almost exclusively to Belleville Township High School East.

title: Fairview Heights, Illinois


text:
Fayetteville, Illinois

Fayetteville is a village on the Kaskaskia River in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 384 at the 2000 census.

Geography
Fayetteville is located at 38.37694°N, -89.795°W (38.376957, -89.795023).

According to the 2010 census, Fayetteville has a total area of 0.32 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 384 people, 138 households, and 105 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,503.7 PD/sqmi. There were 157 housing units at an average density of 614.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 99.22% White, 0.26% Asian, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.

There were 138 households, out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.5% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $35,417, and the median income for a family was $37,500. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $22,045 for females. The per capita income for the village was $12,163. About 16.7% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

title: Fayetteville, Illinois


text:
Freeburg, Illinois

Freeburg is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. Located within Greater St. Louis, it is a southeastern exurb with many residents commuting to Downtown St. Louis or the Belleville area for employment. , Freeburg had a population of 4,354.

History
Freeburg lies in the fertile and rolling southern Illinois plains between the Kaskaskia and Mississippi Rivers. It was platted in 1836 as the town of Urbana by immigrants to this area from Virginia around 1800. The first European settlers of Freeburg were of English and Irish ancestry.

There were five migratory Native American tribes that crisscrossed each other in Illinois; the Peorias, Cahokias, Kaskaskias, Tamaroas, and Michiganics. It is said that Turkey Hill to the north of town was a popular Native campground that also attracted many early settlers because of the view it provided of the surrounding countryside. The last Indian tribes left this area by 1820.

Attracted by the abundance of coal, the availability of cheap and fertile farmland, as well as the proximity to the frontier city of St. Louis, which was located only 20 miles to the northwest of the area, large-scale German migrations to the area began around 1830 and continued at a consistent rate for the rest of the century.

The old "Plank Road" was built in the 1850s, and, for 35 cents, travelers could ride from Belleville to Freeburg in "comfort" without potholes on what is now known as the old Freeburg Road. Abraham Lincoln is said to have used this road on at least one occasion.

In 1851, the post office came, and when it was found that there was another town of Urbana in Illinois, the city fathers changed the name in 1859 to Freeburg after the city of Freiburg in the region of Baden, Germany, from which some of the early settlers had come.

The town was incorporated in 1867 with 808 residents. The railroad came in 1869 and exchanged owners several times before being sold to the Illinois Central.

In the heyday of independent coal mines, as many as 1500 miners lived here, and in 1874, there were 10 hotels for them to choose from if they could not find more permanent lodging. With the closing of the Peabody River King Mine just east of Freeburg in 1989, coal no longer played a dominant role in the local economy.

The River King Mine Train at Six Flags St. Louis was named for the River King Coal Mine located in Freeburg. The 2,000-acre mine site was operated by Peabody Coal (now named Peabody Energy) from 1957 to 1989. After the closure of the large mine in 1989, Peabody donated some 1,800 acres of the 2,000-acre site to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in 1994. The site is now the state owned and managed Peabody-River King State Fish and Wildlife Area and is open to the public for use by anglers, hunters, and other outdoor enthusiasts for recreational opportunities in the southeastern portion of Greater St. Louis.

Today, Freeburg remains a community with a highly diversified business economy that also serves as a bedroom community for Belleville and the St. Louis metroplex, while still providing essential services needed in any small community.

Geography
Freeburg is located at 38.42694°N, -89.91056°W (38.426949, -89.910451).

According to the 2010 census, Freeburg has a total area of 7.025 sqmi, of which 6.77 sqmi (or 96.37%) is land and 0.255 sqmi (or 3.63%) is water.

Freeburg has historically been a farming community, but as the nearby cities of Belleville and Fairview Heights have grown, parts of Freeburg have been developed with subdivisions that resemble a suburb.

Freeburg enjoys a low crime rate, particularly compared to the cities immediately to its north, and land values have attracted some commuters who live in Freeburg and work the short distance to St. Louis, Missouri.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Freeburg, IL has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,872 people, 1,414 households, and 1,063 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,215.1 PD/sqmi. There were 1,485 housing units at an average density of 466.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 98.55% White, 0.15% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.11% of the population.

There were 1,414 households, out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $51,434 and the median income for a family was $57,632. Males had a median income of $37,857 versus $27,929 for females. The per capita income for the village was $19,851. About 6.1% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

 * Freeburg Elementary School
 * Freeburg Community High School
 * St. Joseph Catholic School
 * Public library

Notable people

 * Danny Cox, former pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals
 * Dutch Hoffman, outfielder for the Chicago White Sox

In film
Jeanies, a now-demolished cafe on the northern outskirts of the town, was used for the filming of In the Heat of the Night.

title: Freeburg, Illinois


text:
Lebanon, Illinois

Lebanon is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,691 at the 2020 census It is a part of the Metro East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. Lebanon is home to McKendree University, the oldest college in Illinois.

Registered historic places

 * Emerald Mound and Village Site
 * Lebanon Historic District
 * Mermaid House Hotel

Geography
Lebanon is located at 38.60333°N, -89.81139°W (38.603398, -89.811271).

According to the 2010 census, Lebanon has a total area of 2.474 sqmi, of which 2.46 sqmi (or 99.43%) is land and 0.014 sqmi (or 0.57%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 5,523 people, 1,275 households, and 804 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,641.4 PD/sqmi. There were 1,389 housing units at an average density of 647.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 78.46% White, 18.45% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.53% of the population.

There were 1,275 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 18.6% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,042, and the median income for a family was $48,711. Males had a median income of $30,597 versus $21,341 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,125. About 9.8% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Lebanon is home to the oldest founded college in the state of Illinois, McKendree University, and is also home to Lebanon Grade School And Lebanon High School (home of the Greyhounds).

Newspapers
There have been at least a dozen newspapers that have called Lebanon home. The Lebanon Advertiser has operated there since 1911. On December 26, 2013, it was purchased by David Porter. The former owner, Harrison Leon Church, owned the newspaper for 40 years. Except for a few months between Harrison and his father, Leon Church, the Church family owned the newspaper for 75 years.

Notable people

 * Christine Brewer, Grammy Award-winning operatic/classical singer, graduate of McKendree University, has resided in Lebanon, Illinois for many years
 * Ed Busch, MLB shortstop for St. Louis Browns and Philadelphia Phillies
 * Bill Cofield, former University of Wisconsin basketball head coach, graduate of McKendree University
 * Mark Consuelos, daytime soap actor, known for playing Mateo Santos on All My Children, and Hiram Lodge on Riverdale. Married to Kelly Ripa and, since 2023, co-hosts with his wife the morning talkshow Live with Kelly and Mark
 * Neal Cotts, relief pitcher for 2005 World Series champion Chicago White Sox, also for Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs
 * Craig Virgin, two-time world cross-country champion, nine-time Big Ten champion and three-time Olympian in track and field

title: Lebanon, Illinois


text:
Lenzburg, Illinois

Lenzburg is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, USA. The population was 521 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Lenzburg is located at 38.2891°N, -89.8167°W.

According to the 2010 census, Lenzburg has a total area of 1.296 sqmi, of which 1.19 sqmi (or 91.82%) is land and 0.106 sqmi (or 8.18%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 577 people, 217 households, and 169 families residing in the village. The population density was 467.2 PD/sqmi. There were 235 housing units at an average density of 190.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 99.13% White, 0.17% Native American, 0.17% Asian, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.

There were 217 households, out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 18.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.7% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 29.8% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $30,417, and the median income for a family was $35,769. Males had a median income of $29,844 versus $21,023 for females. The per capita income for the village was $13,505. About 14.5% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Warren Hacker, pitcher mostly for the Chicago Cubs and was a resident of Lenzburg at the time of his death.
 * Mickey Haefner, pitcher for the Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox and Boston Braves

title: Lenzburg, Illinois


text:
Marissa, Illinois

Marissa is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,979 at the 2010 census.

History
Before 1700, the Marissa area was inhabited by various Native American tribes. Among them were Kaskaskias, Peorias, Cahokias, Iroquois, and Michiganies. However, the most prevalent in the immediate area were probably the Tamaroas. It is known that just south of Marissa Cemetery, on a hill at 321 Doza Creek Road, a settlement existed as many artifacts have been recovered over the years. Also, there are still the remains of a trail that was used by the tribes as they traveled east and west. Evidence of this can still be seen just north of the dwelling at 132 Doza Creek Road. The three feet deep trench running through the woods was worn by foot and horse traffic, some pulling two pole skids carrying possessions. During the early 1700s, settlers first made their appearance in the region. French hunters and trappers ventured into the area in quest of its plentiful game. One of the first was Elexe Doza, who gave his last name to a creek that lies just south of the village.

The first settlers came to the area around 1805. John Lively had moved his family here from South Carolina and built a log cabin about two miles east of Marissa near Risdon School Road. A second family moved into the area four years later and they too were followed by others. The encroachment of the Indians’ land had begun and, as could be expected, conflicts began to surface. Because of the hostilities, small wooden forts were built by the settlers that afforded them a place to retreat when threats of attack loomed. One of these was constructed on Doza Creek about a ¼ mile north of where it is crossed by the Risdon School Road. Crumbling remains of the fort were reportedly still in existence in the early 1960s, but were destroyed by strip mining. A steady stream of settlers continued, and in 1818, Illinois was granted statehood. The first elementary school opened in the area in 1831.

Starting in the late 1800s and continuing to the present day, one of the largest local industries has been the mining of steam coal. Currently most of the coal mined here is burned to generate electricity.

Geography
Marissa is located at 38.24611°N, -89.75278°W (38.246011, -89.752899).

According to the 2010 census, Marissa has a total area of 3.523 sqmi, of which 3.35 sqmi (or 95.09%) is land and 0.173 sqmi (or 4.91%) is water.

Demographics
Marissa is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,979 at the 2010 census.

Traditions
The Marissa Coal Festival is held each year on the second weekend of August. The activities begin Friday evening and run through Sunday night with the crowning of the Festival queen. Sunday afternoon also features a parade that begins at 4:00 pm.

The "Toast of Marissa" is an annual wine tasting event that occurs in November and is sponsored by the Marissa Chamber of Commerce and participating Wineries. Included in the activities is a 5k Grape Stomp Run, a Grape Stomp contest, and a Cookie bake-off.

Notable people

 * Warren Hacker, pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Redlegs, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago White Sox
 * Robert S. Hamilton (1865-1940), Illinois state senator and lawyer
 * Bob Heil (October 5, 1940) sounds and radio engineer most well known for creating the template for modern rock sound systems.

title: Marissa, Illinois


text:
Mascoutah, Illinois

Mascoutah is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,754 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Metro East region of Greater St. Louis. The city was named for the Mascoutens, a tribe of Algonquian-speaking Native Americans.

History
The town of Mascoutah was originally established in 1837 as Mechanicsburg. This was disputed with the establishment of a Post Office; the inhabitants were informed that another township in Illinois was already named Mechanicsburg. The town was renamed after the Mascouten tribe, and was officially designated Mascoutah in 1839.

Mascoutah was considered a progressive town near the turn of the 20th century. The town saw steady growth thanks to the construction of a train depot in 1870, courtesy of the St. Louis and Southeastern Railway (later the Louisville and Nashville). The largest Turner Hall in Southern Illinois was established in Mascoutah in 1873 which served as the center of town social life, and the town constructed its own citizen owned power plant in 1894. The Mascoutah Herald was established in 1885 and remains in production to this day. In 1903 the Belleville And Mascoutah Electric Railway Company planned an electric rail system to Belleville that was delayed and never completed.

The train depot shut down, the Turner Hall eventually became the chamber of commerce, and the municipal power plant now houses the city's fleet and equipment maintenance department.

Geography
The Mascoutah Civic Center is located at 38.49167°N, -89.79667°W (38.4922, -89.7968).

According to the 2010 census, Mascoutah has a total area of 9.65 sqmi, of which 9.5 sqmi (or 98.45%) is land and 0.15 sqmi (or 1.55%) is water.

Demographics
Mascoutah was the United States center of population point in 1970. As of the census of 2000, there were 5,659 people, 2,162 households, and 1,571 families residing in the city. The population density was 655.1 PD/sqmi. There were 2,309 housing units at an average density of 267.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 91.73% White, 4.19% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.97% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.75% of the population.

There were 2,162 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,451, and the median income for a family was $55,018. Males had a median income of $37,182 versus $23,156 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,569. About 6.3% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Location
Mascoutah is located about 7 km (4 mi) south of Interstate 64 (Exit 23) on Highway 4 at Highway 177. It is about 46 km (29 mi) east St. Louis, Missouri. Mascoutah is accessible to St. Louis and Lambert Airport by Metrolink from its Shiloh station a few miles northwest of town. Mascoutah is home to Mid America Airport. Nearby Scott AFB is a major employer and base residents attend school in Mascoutah. Downtown St. Louis is 30 minutes away, West County St Louis is 45 minutes away, and South County St Louis is 35 minutes away.

Parks
There are three parks in town that offer a wide array of activities. Scheve Park has two swimming pools, 6 baseball diamonds (2 with lights), a large dog park, lit sand volleyball court, lit horseshoe pits, two soccer fields, a disc golf course with 18 tee boxes shooting to 9 targets, a skate park, ten pavilions varying in size, and several playground areas. Scheve Park also has a restored train caboose and dining car that visitors can tour. Maple Park is equipped with outdoor basketball facilities, a ball playing area, playground equipment, and a family sized pavilion. Prairie Park has two fishing lakes, 3 lighted colored fountains, picnic tables with grills and a pavilion.

Education
Mascoutah Community Unit School District serves the city. There are five schools in the district: Mascoutah Community High School, Mascoutah Middle School, Mascoutah Elementary School, Scott Air Force Base Elementary School, and Wingate Elementary School.

Holy Childhood School is the private Catholic school in Mascoutah. It offers preschool through eighth grade.

People

 * Benno Lischer

title: Mascoutah, Illinois


text:
Millstadt, Illinois

Millstadt is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States, located at the crossing of Illinois Routes 163 (locally, "Jefferson Avenue") and 158 (locally, "Washington Avenue"). The village is known for its German heritage, with more than half its people of German descent. The population was 4,011 at the 2010 census, but a more recent study in July 2018 estimated the number at 3,885.

History
During a barn raising in 1836, it was proposed that a town be incorporated on land belonging to Henry Randleman. The name "Centerville" was proposed, as the site was equidistant from Belleville, Columbia, and Pittsburg Lake. The town was platted on March 13, 1837. In 1880, its name was changed to Millstadt, as the name Centreville was in use by another nearby town.

Another account (Millstadt School website): "The story of how Millstadt developed out of 'Centerville' goes something like this. The current Centreville and our Centerville each had a post offices through which a great deal of mail became confused and mis-delivered. Our town's forefathers, upon applying for formal organization through the state, supposedly decided on the name 'Mittlestadt' or 'Middlestadt,' which means literally 'center city'; somehow the state misread the writing and sent back the papers reading 'Millstadt.' As you can guess, the governing group decided to keep that name as we had several mills at that time and the name fit."

In 1874, a German immigrant farm family was killed in a farming hamlet known as Saxtown, just south of the town. It made national headlines and became the subject of the book The Ax Murders of Saxtown.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,794 people, 1,148 households, and 813 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,511.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,196 housing units at an average density of 1,075.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 99% White, 0% Native American, 1% Asian, 0% from other races, and 0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0% of the population.

There were 1,148 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $47,824, and the median income for a family was $56,378. Males had a median income of $40,893 versus $27,196 for females. The per capita income for the village was $21,914. About 3.2% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the village has a total area of 3.58 sqmi, of which 3.41 sqmi (or 95.25%) is land and 0.17 sqmi (or 4.75%) is water.

The town center is formed by the intersection of two state highways. Illinois Route 158, or Washington Avenue, leads west to Columbia and east to Belleville. The other main street is Jefferson Avenue, the north part of which forms the southern end of Illinois Route 163, leading north to Centreville, where it intersects highways providing access to East St. Louis. The south end of Jefferson Avenue, as it leaves Millstadt, becomes Floraville Road.

Economy
A 25.5-kW solar array on a barn at Magill Farms came into service in 2021.

Schools, churches, cemeteries

 * Elementary schools:
 * Millstadt Primary Center -
 * Millstadt Consolidated School - www.millstadt.stclair.k12.il.us
 * St. James Catholic School - www.stjames.pvt.k12.il.us
 * High schools: (all are in nearby Belleville, Illinois)
 * Althoff Catholic High School - www.althoff.net
 * Belleville High School-West - www.bths201.org
 * Churches in Millstadt:
 * Christian Assembly Church (non-denominational)
 * Concordia United Church of Christ (United Church of Christ) -
 * Countryside Family Church
 * St. James Catholic Church (Roman Catholic)
 * Trinity Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) -
 * Zion Evangelical Church (Evangelical Association)
 * Cemeteries:
 * Millstadt Cemetery (aka Centreville Cemetery)
 * Mount Evergreen Cemetery
 * St. James Catholic Cemetery

Notable people

 * William N. Baltz, U.S. Representative and Millstadt mayor.
 * Miles Dewey Davis Jr., father of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis
 * Fred J. Kern, U.S. Representative
 * Edward P. Petri, Illinois state representative, sheriff, and businessman
 * Kevin Schmidt, Illinois state representative
 * Austin Seibert, Current kicker for the New York Jets, former Oklahoma Sooner, set record for most points by a kicker in FBS history
 * Admiral Waldemar F. A. Wendt, United States Navy

Sister cities

 * Groß-Bieberau (Germany)

title: Millstadt, Illinois