1889

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1889 - The population of East St. Louis reaches 14,272. East St. Louis becomes the fastest growing city in America. Its population will double every decade for the next thirty years.

First copy of the four-page East St Louis Journal is published by James W. Kirk. Kirk, the city comptroller, started the paper to gather support for the high grade proposal made by Mayor Stephens. A little over a year later, the newspaper will be printed daily instead of weekly. In its early years, the newspaper will be highly partisan and support the mayor and his party.

The first electric street-car crosses Eads bridge.

The city buys a farm called Pecan Grove. It is turned into a tree-filled park off Broadway between Sixth and Ninth that becomes the site of celebrations of national holidays.

C. C. Molla starts Molla Coal and Ice business at 817 Bond Avenue where residence, stables, barns and office are all located. One of the sons, John Molla opened a similar business at First and Missouri.

Real Estate Exchange organized by J. T. McCasland, H. D. Sexton and J. W. Renshaw.

Franklin School at 700 Bond replaces school built in 1869. Webster School is built on 10th and St. Louis.

St. Mary's parish is organized for French, Irish and English families who live south of Broadway or on the Island. It is the third Catholic church in the city. A new church of Gothic style is built on Converse in 1892 at a cost of $35,000. The 1896 cyclone inflicted great damage but it was restored within a year.

The Madison County Ferry, Wiggins Ferry, Eads Bridge (and the Merchants Bridge a year later) are brought under unified control through the creation of the Terminal Railroad Association. They never pay dividends to any proprietary line and operate as a joint facility using available revenues solely for operating, maintenance and improvement of the association. Some of the trunk line railroads that form the association include the following: Ohio & Mississippi; Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis; (Big Four, now a part of the New York Central system) and the Louisville & Nashville.

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City appropriates an astounding sum of $200,000 to be spent on street improvements. Total income for the city is $552,932. The city's indebtedness is $99,675.

The assessed valuation of property in the city is $3 million.

East St. Louisan Everett Murphy serves as warden of the state penitentiary at Menard in Chester from 1889-92. He will serve the district in Congress from 1895-97.

 

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