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| 1887 - Melbern Malcom
Stevens, a former engineer for the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad and current alderman,
is elected mayor for the first time and will serve until 1895. He was a Bowman supporter
and is elected on the strength of his promise to clean up the corruption in the city, run
the government on a cash basis, and elevate East St. Louis street levels. During his era,
the city will be called "The new East St. Louis." He abolishes the issuance of
scrip (paper money printed by the city). People with script were often forced to accept
only half of its face value. He will be elected four different times and is credited with
raising the city out of the mud, establishing sewers, lighted streets, a new library, new
high school, a new city hall, fire house, and several elementary schools. |
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A mob gathers outside City Hall and threatens to lynch
Mayor Stephens for pushing through the high grade ordinance (12-20 feet) for fear of the
high taxes required to pay for it. A bond issue for an unheard of $900,000 is floated to
finance the undertaking. Some say this put the city in a financial bind from which it
never fully recovered because it was never paid off. A new police force was installed,
gambling dens closed, and young toughs were dealt with harshly. M. M. Stephens is
remembered as the city's greatest mayor. |
Bellevillian/East St. Louisan Mike Mulconnery is the engineer of the
train that brings the President of Mexico, Porfirio Diaz, from DuQuoin, through East St.
Louis, across the Eads Bridge to St. Louis.
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The murder of former mayor John Bowman is still
unsolved, so his son uses the $5,000 reward money to commission a bust of Bowman which is
displayed in the public library. It was stolen from its pedestal around 1991.
The fire department moves into the police station and policemen assume
an added duty of performing the work of firemen.
President Grover Cleveland comes through East St. Louis by train to
view the annual Veiled Prophet Pageant in St. Louis. |
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