But just eight miles east of the Gateway Arch is what a rchaeologists believe to be the ancient city of Cahokia. Activists who disputed the committee's conclusions about deaths argued that the true number of deaths would never be known because many black corpses were not recovered or did not pass through the hands of undertakers, who reported to the coroner. East Saint Louis, city, St. Clair county, southwestern Illinois, U.S. About 1797 a ferry station was established on the site by Captain James Piggott, a pioneer and Illinois territorial judge, and in 1818 a village was laid out. [1] The events took place in and near East St. Louis, Illinois, an industrial city on the east bank of the Mississippi River, directly opposite the city of St. Louis, Missouri. On 11 April we celebrated some of the outstanding citizens of East St. Louis. East Saint Louis Tourism: Tripadvisor has 769 reviews of East Saint Louis Hotels, Attractions, and Restaurants making it your best East Saint Louis resource. They carried signs that highlighted protests about the massacre. The East St. Louis Fire Department is dedicated to the saving of life and property through training and education. EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – East St. Louis Police are investigating reports of a rolling gun battle Sunday night. [6] Total property damage was estimated at $400,000[1] (nearly $8.5 million, in 2018 US Dollars). Ninety-five percent are black. EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) — Some residents are concerned that toxic chemicals may be polluting their air. [5] The neighboring communities of St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois, both became destinations for southern migrants. The period was one of frequent labor violence in industrial cities across the United States: employers used force to try to suppress organized labor and strikes, while workers struggled to gain increased wages and improved working conditions. "Target of Prejudice: The Negro", In, Leonard, Mary Delach. [20][page needed][21] More whites joined in. [25] While the local coroner had documented nine white deaths, the deaths of African-American victims were less clearly recorded. The trial was held in the county court of St. Clair County, Illinois. Things to Do in East Saint Louis, Illinois: See Tripadvisor's 769 traveler reviews and photos of East Saint Louis tourist attractions. Parking is easy, and nearby highways, such as US Highway 50, are very easy to drive to from any home in East Saint Louis. The representatives of the Department of Justice are so far as possible lending aid to the State authorities in their efforts to restore tranquility and guard against further outbreaks. Numerous witnesses said that the Guard initially joined in the attacks on blacks rather than stopping the riot. ", Heaps, "Target of Prejudice: The Negro", in. Du Bois, and groups in Harlem. These photographs were published in the November 1917 issue of The Crisis, the organization's magazine. When you think pyramids, you think of Egypt or Mexico — not Illinois. Concurrently African Americans began the Great Migration from the rural Southern United States to seek better work and education in the North, as well as to escape from lynchings and the discriminations of the Jim Crow era. The mission of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School is to prepare students who are career- and college-ready upon graduation. East St. Louis has a new public library at 5320 State St. The Red Cross Emergency Committee met daily with Acting Mayor Aloe, members of his administration, and representatives of the charities to discuss how to aid the refugees. Lebanon Flea Market is located approximately 17 miles from East Saint Louis. [16], The following day on July 3, 1917, a reporter from Post-Dispatch of St. Louis wrote: "For an hour and a half last evening I saw the massacre of helpless negroes at Broadway and Fourth Street, in downtown East St. Louis, where black skin was death warrant." Another 6,000 blacks were left homeless and the burning and vandalism cost approximately $400,000 ($7,982,000 in 2021) in property damage. Search and filter East St. Louis homes by price, beds, baths and property type. $500,000 GSK IMPACT Grant awarded to groups building healthy futures in East St. Louis READ MORE. In the spring of 1917, the mostly white workers of the Aluminum Ore Company in East St. Louis voted to strike. Ultimately the workers won a wage increase but the companies retained nearly 800 blacks, firing as many whites after the strike, according to the former president of the Central Trades and Labor Union of East St. [7] Ethnicities competed economically to survive. Dynegy, Inc. Four major interstates lead into East St. Louis: Interstate 70, I-55, I-255, and I-64. The names listed below are alumni who have been searched for on this site from East St Louis Lincoln High Schoolin East St. Louis, Illinois.If you see your name among the East St Louis Lincoln High School graduates, someone is looking for you! [19] After the massacre, the St. Louis Argus said, "The entire country has been aroused to a sense of shame and pity by the magnitude of the national disgrace enacted by the blood-thirsty rioters in East St. Louis Monday, July 2. The median household annual income is less than $20,000. [citation needed], Following the May disorder, the East St. Louis Central Labor Council requested an investigation by the State Council of Defense. In addition to the high death toll, the massacre had caused extensive property damage to city businesses and houses. [17]. was ejected from a car and killed on Interstate 55/70 in East St. Louis overnight, Illinois State Police say. Patrick, "The Horror of the East St. Louis Massacre". East Saint Louis is reasonably transit friendly due to many train stations on the Blue Line and Red Line, and about 10 nearby bus lines. The girls were brandishing clubs and calling upon the men to kill the woman. [19], Political cartoon about the East St. Louis massacre of 1917. City of East St. Louis 301 River Park Drive East St. Louis, IL 62201 Phone: 618-482-6600; (East St. Louis, Ill.) 1966-1985. The East St. Louis Riots were a series of outbreaks of labor- and race-related violence by White Americans who murdered between 40 and 250 African-Americans in late May and early July 1917. "Reconsidering the East St Louis Race Riot of 1917". We have reviews of the best places to see in East Saint Louis. While it attracts a few visitors who come mainly for gambling, East St. Louis is definitely not your typical travel destination. Getting around by car is also very convenient in this city. (East St. Louis, Ill.) 1958-1964: East St Louis Probate Records. A number of black people left the city permanently; black enrollment in public schools in the area had dropped by 35% by the time schools opened in the fall. Bundy, along with 34 other defendants, of whom 10 were white, was convicted and sentenced to prison in connection with the riot. "[citation needed], Hearings on the massacre before the Committee on Rules and the House of Representatives began on August 3, 1917. "[31], Congressman Leonidas C. Dyer (R-Mo. The lack of frenzy and of a large infuriated mob made the task easy. The July 1917 epis… East St. Louis, IL Used to Be an Ancient City with Pyramids. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in February. - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about. [4], In 1917, the United States had an active economy boosted by World War I. Black residents, possibly assuming this car held the original attackers, opened fire on the car, killing one officer instantly and mortally wounding another. Its report said that "southern negroes were misled by false advertisements and unscrupulous employment agents to come to East St. Louis in such numbers under false pretenses of secure jobs and decent living quarters". [15] From there they rushed into the black sections of town, south and west of the city, and began rioting. Browse photos, see new properties, get open house info, and research neighborhoods on Trulia. This complex of 174 townhomes for rent is located in East St. Louis' Emerson Park neighborhood. Invests $200,000 into East St. Louis. QuickFacts provides statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more. What are the best ways to get around in East Saint Louis, IL? [26], The ferocious brutality of the attacks and the failure of authorities to protect innocent lives contributed to the radicalization of many blacks in St. Louis and the nation. On 11 April we celebrated some of the outstanding citizens of East St. Louis. Racial tensions began to increase in February, 1917 when 470 African American workers were hired to replace white workers who had gone on strike against the Aluminum Ore Company. On Jan. 13, police in East St. Louis … Next Previous. Where can I find information about the laws of the City? Roosevelt also was reported to say, "I will go to the extreme to bring justice to the laboring man, but when there is murder I will put him down. [5] Non-whites were initially a small minority: in 1910, approximately 6,000 African Americans lived in East St. Louis, out of a total population of 58,000; by 1917, the black population had increased to 10,000, or one-sixth of the total population of 60,000. [5], Governor Lowden ordered in the Illinois National Guard, who arrived on July 3. A famous urban destination spot for the St. Louis metropolitan with gentlemen clubs and nightclubs, but the Ill Side, which represents St Louis’ only section that is in the state of Illinois, is a community that has many misunderstandings, especially within the East St Louis … Nearby National City had stockyards and meatpacking plants, attracting more workers. [12] The tensions between black workers and white workers quickly formed again as no solutions to their economic challenges were agreed upon. Read a message from East St. Louis Mayor Robert Eastern III. EAST ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) - A 15-year-old girl from Barnhart, Mo. The New York Times reported that "ten or fifteen young girls about 18 years old, chased a negro woman at the Relay Depot at about 5 o'clock. Lookup People, Phone Numbers, Addresses & More in East Saint Louis, IL. After cutting the water hoses of the fire department, white rioters burned entire sections of the city and shot black residents as they escaped the flames. [6] The renowned journalist Ida B. They were outraged about the rioting and accused the mayor of having allowed a "reign of lawlessness." In 2014 Delta Epsilon Lambda in partnership with Metro East St Louis Community Initiative will celebrate 14 Years of the Lights of Alpha program. In East St. Louis, local politicians, company foremen, and labor union officials fanned the resentment; the approval of the local police and National Guard were later considered important in helping to escalate the rioting. [21][24] The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) estimated deaths at 100–200. ", referring to President, Malcolm McLaughlin, "Reconsidering the East St Louis Race Riot of 1917. To stay updated on the latest news and events, please subscribe to the East Side Aligned email newsletter. Read a message from East St. Louis City Manager Brooke Smith. ), a representative from a St. Louis urban district, asked for a federal investigation. EAST ST. LOUIS — The family of the 24-year old woman who was found shot to death on her front porch in East St. Louis says it wants better communication … Many workers were immigrants from Europe. Conversely, industry owners hired blacks as replacements or strikebreakers, deepening existing segregation and inter-racial hostility. The police chief estimated that 100 African Americans had been killed. McLaughlin, Malcolm. Illinois Governor Frank Orren Lowden called in the National Guard to suppress the violence. [6], Major industries in East St. Louis included Aluminum Ore Co., American Steel Foundry, Republic Iron & Steel, Obear Nester Glass and Elliot Frog & Switch (a frog was part of a railroad switch), with many facilities located just outside the city limits to escape paying taxes. Blacks were arriving in St. Louis at the rate of 2,000 per week during the spring of 1917. St Louis is home to a variety of attractions, activities & events for all ages. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: All the impartial witnesses agree that the police were either indifferent or encouraged the barbarities, and that the major part of the National Guard was indifferent or inactive. East St. Louis has a population of 26,000. More than two-thirds of the city’s children live in poverty. Black people make up half the confirmed COVID-19 cases in St… "Race Rioters Fire East St. Louis and Shoot or Hang Many Negroes", Mass racial violence in the United States, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, List of incidents of civil unrest in the United States, "The NEGRO SILENT PROTEST PARADE organized by the NAACP Fifth Ave., New York City July 28, 1917", "Race hatred, workforce tensions explode in East St. Louis in 1917", "NAACP | Silent Protest Parade Centennial", Oscar Leonard, "The East St. Louis Pogrom", "The East St. Louis Race Riot Left Dozens Dead, Devastating a Community on the Rise", Danny Wicentowski, "Remember the East St. Louis Race War", "The Silent Parade of 1917: Why the Forgotten March Matters", "Look Back 250: Worker struggles, racial hatred in East St. Louis explodes in white rioting", "Calculate the value of $400,000 in 1917", "Primary Sources: The Conspiracy Of The East St. Louis Riots", Look Back 250: "Worker struggles, racial hatred in East St. Louis explodes in white rioting", Riot at East St. Louis, Illinois : hearings before the Committee on Rules, Democratic National Convention protest activity, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=East_St._Louis_riots&oldid=1005564241, Racially motivated violence against African Americans, United States home front during World War I, White American riots in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2020, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from September 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, White mobs angered by the increasing numbers of Southern, African-Americans beaten to death, shot, lynched and driven into burning buildings by whites, Heaps, Willard A. We use cookies on this site to enhance the experience. [32] Another source said that a total of nine whites and twelve blacks were convicted of serious crimes and sent to prison. How can I ascertain if an item is going before the Council. Contact Us. [10][14], The next day, thousands of white spectators gathered to view the detectives' bloodstained automobile. At a labor meeting held in City Hall on May 28 and made up mostly of white workers, rumors circulated of black men fraternizing with white women. The march was organized by the NAACP (then based in New York), leader W. E. B. East St Louis School Records. A Congressional Investigating Committee, which met in the fall of that year, concluded that no precise death toll could be determined, but reported that at least 8 whites and 39 African Americans died. Some 6,000 African Americans were left homeless after their neighborhoods were burned. An hour later, a Ford containing four people, including a journalist and two police officers (Detective Sergeant Samuel Coppedge and Detective Frank Wadley), passed through the same area. "The Horror of the East St. Louis Massacre. [15] The mob beat and shot blacks on the street indiscriminately, including women and children. It lies along the Mississippi River opposite St. Louis, Missouri. [citation needed], In October the state tried 25 blacks and 10 whites on charges related to the massacre, including homicide and incitement to riot. EAST ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) – A St. Louis man is facing charges after a body was found near the Poplar Street Bridge earlier this month, police say. East St Louis Lincoln High School Alumni Class List . A federal investigation was eventually opened. Labor agencies recruited some workers for specific jobs, especially as strikebreakers, but labor demand was sufficient that migrants moved on their own, having heard about the new employment opportunities created by the wartime economy. He was formally charged with inciting a riot. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions. He said that an investigation was needed in order to place blame. St. Clair and Madison Counties Evening Journal. Included among the defendants was Dr. LeRoy Bundy, a black dentist and prominent leader in the East St. Louis black community. When industries became embroiled in labor strikes, the traditionally white unions often sought to strengthen their bargaining positions by hindering or excluding black workers. To the youths who march onward and upward to the light. Women and children were dressed in white; the men were dressed in black. [30], In a mass meeting in Carnegie Hall on July 12 in New York City, Samuel Gompers, the president of the American Federation of Labor, tried to diminish the role in the massacre attributed to trade unions. In the summer of 1916, 2,500 white employees of the meatpacking industry near East St. Louis went on strike for higher wages, and the companies imported black workers to replace them. Information. Read More. While in New Orleans on a lecture tour, Jamaican black nationalist Marcus Garvey, who founded the UNIA in 1916, became aware that Louisiana planters and the city's Board of Trade were worried about losing their labor force, as he recounted in a speech the following year. The city of East St. Louis, Illinois was the scene of one of the bloodiest race riots in the 20th century. Whitepages is the largest and most trusted online phone book and directory. "[22][10], Few photographs exist of the events, as rioters attacked photographers and destroyed their cameras, and city police harassed journalists. [10] Claiming that "Southern negros deserve[d] a genuine lynching", some whites hanged several blacks. East St. Louis The Short East St Louis Ghetto Story . Theodore Roosevelt, former president of the United States, responded, "Mr. Gompers, why don't I accuse afterwards? CALLAWAY COUNTY — A woman from East St. Louis was fatally struck Friday night by a vehicle on Interstate 70 in mid-Missouri, authorities said. The caption reads, "Mr. President, why not make America safe for democracy? [citation needed], The massacre was precipitated by fatal errors. [27] Marcus Garvey, black nationalist leader of the UNIA from Jamaica, declared in a July 8 speech that the riot was "one of the bloodiest outrages against mankind" and a "wholesale massacre of our people", insisting that "This is no time for fine words, but a time to lift one's voice against the savagery of a people who claim to be the dispensers of democracy. The events took place in and near East St. Louis, Illinois, an industrial city on the east bank of the Mississippi River, directly opposite the city of St. Louis, Missouri. The multi-day massacre has been described as the "worst case of labor-related violence in 20th-century American history",[2] and among the worst racial massacres in U.S. history. Find homes for sale and real estate in East St. Louis, IL at realtor.com®. Interstate 64 takes the most direct route into the city center. No organized effort was made to protect the Negroes or disperse the murdering groups. "E. St. Louis Riot.". Adjacent to a MetroLink station and just blocks from the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, it is the first phase of more than 400 units of affordable rental and 100 units of for-sale housing. The July 1917 episode in particular was marked by white-led violence throughout the city. Get Engaged. Another 6,000 black people were left homeless[1] and the burning and vandalism cost approximately $400,000 ($7,982,000 in 2021) in property damage. Lena Cook survived an attack to testify against two white men, who had killed her husband, Ed Cook, and son, 14-year-old Lurizza Beard; they were convicted of murder. East St. Louis, commonly abbreviated as "ESL", is a city in Southern Illinois directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis.It is a sprawling city with 26,708 inhabitants (2012). "Race Rioters Fire East St. Louis and Shoot or Hang Many Negroes". The Southern Railway Company's warehouse was burned, with the loss of more than 100 car loads of merchandise, worth more than $525,000 to the company; some 44 freight cars, and 312 houses were also burned. [9] Tensions between the groups escalated. December 26, 2016. [19] St. Louis institutions worked to assist the refugees, including the St. Louis chapter of the Red Cross, the Provident Association, and the Jewish Education and Charitable Association, as well as related charities. On July 1, a black Ford Model T[13] occupied by white males drove through a black area of the city; passengers fired several shots into a group on the street. Regarded as one of the best Flea Markets in East Saint Louis area, Lebanon Flea Market is located at 126 E McAllister St. Their current phone number is (618) 537-2509. 83 Homes For Sale in East Saint Louis, IL. 1772-1999 Illinois, Wills and Probate Records Ancestry . East St. Louis UnSung Heros. QuickFacts East St. Louis city, Illinois. He said: "I am informed that the attorney general of the State of Illinois has gone to East St. Louis to add his efforts to those of the officials of the county and city in pressing prosecutions under the State laws. [18], Hundreds of blacks fled across the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River to St. Louis to escape the violence, while 1,500 sought refuge in city buildings. Patrick, James. Although rumors circulated that blacks were planning retaliatory attacks,[10] conditions eased somewhat for a few weeks. [27] The NAACP had arranged for journalists to photograph the destruction in East St. Louis left behind after the massacre: houses, stores, churches, and brick warehouses were all left in ruins. [5] This result only exacerbated the growing racial tension. [3], At the end of July, some 10,000 black citizens marched in silent protest in New York City in condemnation of the massacre. East St. Louis, a city in Southern Illinois, is commonly abbreviated ESL.. Get in [] By road []. He said that Mayor Mollman of East St. Louis was also visiting the city that week, and city leaders asked for his assistance to help discourage black migration to the North.[6]. [citation needed]. "[23], After the massacre, varying estimates of the death toll circulated. Many would-be workers were drafted or enlisted into military service, creating a shortage of labor for industrial employers in major cities, which had long been destinations for European immigrants. Read a message from East St. Louis City Manager Brooke Smith. Louis. I'll answer now, when murder is to be answered." Selena Templeton. "[6][28], In New York City on July 28, ten thousand black people marched down Fifth Avenue in a Silent Parade, protesting the East St. Louis Massacre. East St. Louis 2 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in East St. Louis, Illinois White workers often resented black newcomers due to competition for jobs and housing and fear they would be undercut by black workers who were willing to accept lower wages. Male Mentoring in the Metro East St. Louis Area. The company recruited hundreds of black workers to replace them. Wells reported in The Chicago Defender that 40–150 African-American people were killed during the July massacre. In the aftermath, the East St. Louis Chamber of Commerce called for the resignation of the local police chief because officers were told not to shoot white citizens and were unable to suppress the violence and destruction. The East St. Louis Riots were a series of outbreaks of labor- and race-related violence by White Americans who murdered between 40 and 250 African-Americans in late May and early July 1917. It was a rough industrial city where saloons outnumbered schools and churches. President Woodrow Wilson wrote to him on July 28, saying that special agents of the Department of Justice could not find enough evidence to justify federal action in the matter.