1937-1944

A modern police squad is organized when the department purchases its first two-wheeled motorcycles. These soon gave way to the three-wheeled variety. By 1951, the police force consisted of 85 officers and fifteen automobiles.

George Gruenewald, a druggist, is vice-president of the St. Clair County Republican Club.

1937 is known as the "Year of the Strike" in East Louis.   In March, W. T. Grant employees strike.  Three days later, the Sterling Steel workers strike for higher wages. After two hours off work, they received pay increases. Nationally, the minimum wage is raised to 51 cents an hour. Less than a week later, employees of Thom McCann Shoes, Western Auto and J&R Motor Supply went on strike. In April, the East St. Louis and Interurban Water Co. and employees of the Schulman Rubber Co. and the Kirkpatrick Truck Service all stopped work. On April 14th, the Missouri Bridge and Iron Co. workers strike for eight days and win a pay increase. Key Boiler avoided a strike by granting pay increases to 61 cents an hour. Certain-Teed Roofing Co. workers came back to work after a four day strike, with no increase in salary. Other strikes in a twelve month period included Model Laundry service employees (Etta Toombs helped organize Local #230 employees who were earning a mere 20 cents an hour), employees of Green Funeral Home (using horse-drawn hearses to picket), workers of J. Greenspoon Pipe Co. and WPA levee workers.

Park Board receives a federal WPA grant of $701,911 for the purpose of improving city parks.

Mary Martin Foundation purchases a two-story building at 1945 Market for the purpose of taking care of Negro orphans.

Nolkemper-Watkins Agency is started by Brad and Bert Watkins and Ernie Nolkemper at the Stock Yards.

Carl Electric moves to a new location at 2102 State. The firm was founded in 1918 by J. Chris Carl in the basement of his home. Carl's son, John, joined the firm in 1951. The building also houses an insurance and real estate firm, and two apartments. "Headquarters for House Power" is the firm's motto.

Florence Tockstein graduates from East Side and goes to Hollywood with the new name Candy Toxton. She meets and marries singer Mel (The Velvet Fog) Torme (you can read about it in his autobiography: "It Wasn't All Velvet"). After their divorce, she married Hal March of the "$64,000 Question." When she was in high school she worked as a ticket taker at the French Village Drive-in. There were two different lines going in and hers was always the longest because the guys were just dying to get a look at her. They said that she had a flashy smile - the kind that could melt small icebergs.

Froebel School (named for a German educator), at Second and Exchange, now becomes Carver School.

The Pennsylvania Railroad passenger engine, "Spirit of St. Louis," becomes the first to cross the newly constructed concrete auto subway at St. Clair Ave. near the entrance to the stock yards. The old crossing was one of the most dangerous in the city. Concrete pedestrian walkways are constructed on each side of the subway.

Leo W. Quick, belligerent labor leader and minor politician, is shot to death in the back yard of his home. The .38 revolver used in the shooting was found by a youth in Madison, and it was a gun that had been purchased by Quick himself. Police Commissioner A. P. Lauman speculated that Quick was shot by two men he had hired to kill another man with whom he had a labor dispute.  The trio had a falling out, and the two men shot Leo seven times and robbed him of a diamond tie pin and a roll of bills worth about $500.  Quick and his wife, Alma, had attended a basketball game the night before between "Quick's Boilermakers" and a team from Dupo.  After the game at the Knights of Columbus, he and his wife went to Dowling's Tavern at 1501 State, where he pulled out a roll of bills and bought drinks for everyone on the team.  He and his wife then went to another nearby tavern before returning to their home early Saturday morning.  Quick was shot shortly after he dropped his wife off at their home and he drove around back and finished parking his car in the garage.  Although Quick habitually carried a pistol, he apparently was unarmed when attacked by the two men while on his own property at 1802 North Park Drive.

Quick had been involved in bitter disputes with individuals and labor organizations the last few years, and had recently been defeated for re-election as the head of Central Trades and Labor union. Quick was killed in the same methodical manner in which his predecessor, Alden "Ollie" Moore was killed in 1932.  Quick's career was marked by controversy and violence.  He came from the old school of labor leaders who sought to achieve goals through violence and confrontation, instead of negotiations at the bargaining table.

John McDonnell establishes McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis near Lambert Field. Many East St. Louisans will find employment there.  When reporters ask Mr. McDonnell why he chose St. Louis, he told them that he figured a war was coming and that a location in the geographic center of the country would be the best place for a factory.

City officials crack down on The Valley when Scott Air Base officials threaten to declare the city off-limits due to large numbers of military personnel becoming infected with VD.

It was said that the East St. Louis madams caused more casualties among East St. Louis men than the combined efforts of Fascist and Nazi guns.  After the war, much of the prostitution moves out to places on Route  111 near Horseshoe Lake and the Collinsville Road area.

After the death of coach Jack Nolen, Win Downing becomes head coach of football, wrestling and track.

Pick Delmer graduates from the University of Illinois as an All-American basketball player and becomes head basketball coach at East Side.

The School District abandons Douglas School on the Island. It had been destroyed and rebuilt after the cyclone of 1896.

The outbreak of war in Europe causes an economic renaissance for the city as abandoned factories are used to gear up for production of goods that will be sold to the Allies. This process greatly accelerates when the United States enters the war after Japan attacks Pearl Harbor.

Bishop Albert Zuroweste establishes the Catholic Youth Organization with offices at 2417 Ridge. The group will organize baseball and softball games, tours of art museums, dances, and other social and recreational programs for young people. Each parish had its own CYO and there were nineteen of them in the city.

Dizzy Dean, baseball Cardinal Hall-of-Famer, is forced to retire in 1938 due to a foot injury caused by a line drive hit by Earl Averill during the 1937 all-star game. He becomes a color commentary analyst for games that are broadcast over the radio. An East St. Louis High School English teacher writes a letter of complaint about his use of incorrect grammar, causing a storm of controversy. Dean is forced to quit his job, but then the teacher relents and says: "Dizzy can teach our youngsters about baseball, and I'll teach them proper English."

The political ticket of John Connors defeats the one led by John Karns and Alvin Fields. Connors is elected mayor and will serve in that capacity until 1951. The new commissioners are John English Sr. (police), Leo Daugherty, Abby Lauman and Joe Ganschinietz.

Lee and Lynn Wild graduate from East Side. They become singers and dancers and entertain on the Admiral and Bush's Steak House. They also sang with Bob Crosby, Ray Noble and Les Brown.

Noel Spannagel is the chairman of the Republican Central Committee.

St. Paul's Methodist at 43rd and Caseyville is started by 50 families.   In the mid '60s, Dr. Joseph C. Evers is the pastor.  In sheer numbers, the Methodist membership in the city ranks third, behind Catholics and Baptists.

David and Ida Seidel (Jewish), who started their business as a dry goods store on Trendley Ave., move to Collinsville Avenue, across the street from the Majestic.

The city has 31 Protestant churches and 20 Negro churches.

State Theater changes its name to Esquire.  The Range Theater at 321 Missouri Avenue opens.  It will later become the Liberty Theater and have two statues of Lady Liberty at the entrance.  When it closes, it becomes the Youth For Christ building.

The Waverly Theater is being managed by Charlie Bums at this time.   In the 1950s it is renamed "The Colony".  The rash of theaters opening in 1940 is due to the outbreak of war in Europe which is seen as good economic news that will end the Great Depression.

Census report shows that the population has increased to 75,609.

Cahokia Courthouse rebuilt from original wood on its original site through the efforts of East St. Louis businessman James Flannery, Republican Park Superintendent, Emmett P. Griffin and the St. Clair County Board of Supervisors. Most of the timbers come from the original courthouse that had been sitting in Chicago's Jackson Park, dating back to its sale after the Saint Louis World's Fair of 1904.  This project was first started in 1927 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of George Rogers Clark's capture of Cahokia, Kaskaskia and Vincennes.

Johnny Perkins, a nationally known comedian and master of ceremonies, teams with Roy Bruder, the owner of the Chicago Theater, to build the lavish $100,000 Playdium on Collinsville Ave.

Baseball's all-star game is played at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.

A federal report cites the Negro in East St. Louis as being the most educated and culturally advanced in the nation.  Negroes constitute about 1/5th of the city's population but will increase dramatically after World War II due to employment opportunities.

The Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House at 13th and Winstanley is dedicated. Lessie Bates is regional secretary for the Methodist Church Bureau of Missions. She launched her campaign for a new building in East St. Louis in 1926 and 14 years later, the new structure was named in her honor. The facility offers religious guidance, social services, and activities for teenagers.

Joe Triphamer, owner of Little Dutch's on Missouri Avenue, is questioned by the FBI. He is a member of the German-Amencan Bund and corresponds with Adolph Hitler.

American Zinc has imported so many low-wage Mexicans, they comprise 25% of Fairmont City's population.

East St. Louis is named as the induction center for southern Illinois to implement the nation's first peace time draft. The city has three draft boards that are required to fill a quota of three draftees each. Thirty volunteers more than fill the quota. The city's first seven inductees are: Courtney and Luther Jones (brothers), John T. Godlewski, Jack Sutton, Louis Eiskant, Albert Burton and Maurice Madden. Mayor John Connors appoints members to the "Army and Navy Recreation Committee." Those named include: Mel Stonecipher, Emmett Griffin, Dr. J. T. Murphy, Josephine Strautz and Charles Salmons. Miss Helen Lang becomes the city's first nurse required to report for duty.

The Key Company at 2700 McCasland Ave, begins making plans to expand its plant in anticipation of making six inch brass shells for the Army. The federal

government announces that a $2 million defense plant will be built in the city to produce valves and fittings and is to be operated by Walworth Valve, a subsidiary of Wescott Valve.

Lee and Lynn Wild, two twin Lana Turner look alikes, who grew up in Lansdowne and graduated from East Side in 1939, are "discovered" by a producer in Hollywood. They go on to star in about fourteen movies, including "Double Trouble" with Mickey Rooney. They married two brothers in a band, Tom and Jim Cathcart.

Rain, hail, and a windstorm of near cyclone proportions damages the front doors and unroofs part of St. Paul's Methodist Church on Caseyville Ave. Total damage throughout the city amounts to $75,000.

Despite earlier promises and efforts, The Valley is still flourishing.    Police Commissioner John English renews efforts to close things down.   He is vigorously opposed by madam Bessie Newman of the Deluxe Hotel.  She promises to run him out of office and out of the city, but it is Bessie who leaves town.   By the end of the war the VD rate at Scott Field is lowest in the country.

Thousands of patriotic East St. Louisans sign up for the war effort after the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. East St. Louis units of the 209th Artillery Division of the Illinois National Guard are mobilized. Their places were quickly taken by "home guard" volunteers.

German war prisoners, housed in Waterloo, are brought to the American Bottom to work in the tomato and horseradish fields. Factories are retooled for the war effort. Army tanks are made in nearby Granite City.

Frank Rukavina, a native of Yugoslavia, opens a real estate business at 714 St. Louis Ave. He will retire in 1959. He was a life member of the Chamber of Commerce and co-founder and president of the Jaycee baseball league for boys.

The population of East St. Louis grows slowly during the '40s due to a huge increase in growth in nearby cities, villages in adjacent territories such as Rosemont and Washington Park.

City Council approves purchase of a site between 29th and 31st and State for a new armory. The cost is $25,000.

Land for Lake Side Airport, east of Horseshoe Lake on Route 111, is purchased. It is hoped that someday it will become a major airport in the area. This never materializes and the strip will be used only for small private planes.

Edgemont Bowling Lanes is built by Tommy Hayden at 89th and State Street. Lansdowne Lanes were built by George Lutz and operated many years by his wife. The place was converted to a skating rink in 1959.

Levee District hires a police force to protect the levees and pumping station from sabotage by Axis saboteurs or sympathizers.

Mel Price, a former reporter for the Journal who covered Browns and Cardinal baseball games, campaigns unsuccessfully for Congress. He is defeated in the primaries by Democratic rival, Harry Odum. Calvin Johnson, a Republican, wins the seat for a two year term.

East St. Louisans are limited to one pound of sugar every two weeks as rationing begins. Coffee, gasoline, shoes, meat, butter, cheese, lard and flour will eventually be added to the list.

Armanag and Albert Magarian buy Home Theater from a Mr. Davis who works at Obear-Nester Glass. They will remodel it and change the name to Gaty Theater.

Lady of the Lake pageants are discontinued due to the war.

A Nazi sub sneaks into the port of New Orleans and discharges eight trained spies who are assigned varying industrial targets to destroy with explosives. All of them are captured by the FBI and it is revealed that the Aluminum Ore plant in East St. Louis, the only one of its kind in the nation, was one of the targets.

The Lindbergh Bridge, sometimes called Jefferson Barracks Bridge, is built across the Mississippi near Columbia, Illinois.

Dorothy Spannagel is appointed by Superintendent M. E. Bruse as the first Director of Audio Visual Education for Dist. #189 schools.

The bridge at Chester, Illinois, collapses during a storm with high winds. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is called in to clear the debris to keep river traffic flowing during wartime.

City has 10 parks, 64 churches and 52 schools.

Bing Crosby stars in the movie "Going My Way." The character he plays on the silver screen wears a St. Louis Browns' baseball cap and is from East St. Louis.

The village of Alcoa is incorporated. Its name will be later changed to Alorton. which is a contraction of Aluminum Ore Town. At the time, the village only had a population of about 2,000 residents. Most of the people living there moved in from East St. Louis. In 1954, the placed doubled its size when it annexed a two-mile square tract which included Cahokia Downs race track.

The school district, organized on the 6-3-3 plan, is described as maintaining a progressive system "well up in the first rank of American cities."