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East St. Louis is a city located in St. Clair County, Illinois, USA, directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 31,542. One of the highlights of the city's waterfront is the Gateway Geyser, the world's tallest fountain, which spews water to a height of 600 feet and is designed to mirror the Gateway Arch across the river in St. Louis.

East St. Louis is one of the more impoverished communities in Illinois. The decline of industrial activity has brought about widespread unemployment in East St. Louis. The city is still de facto segregated with a large African American population. In addition, East St. Louis is consistently ranked among the most crime-ridden cities in the nation.

Registered historic places

History

Several destructive tornadoes have hit East St. Louis, the deadliest being the St. Louis-East St. Louis Tornado of 1896 which killed at least 255, injured over 1000, and incurred an estimated $2.9 billion in damages (1997 USD).

The East St. Louis Riots of 1917

East St. Louis in 1917 had a strong economy boosted by World War I. In response, many African Americans were recruited to work at the Aluminum Ore Company and the American Steel Company. However, resentment on the part of whites planted a fear of job security in the population, which eventually manifested itself in rumors at a labor meeting on May 28 of black men and white women fraternizing. Immediately, 3000 people from the meeting rushed downtown, beating every African American in sight. They destroyed buildings and attacked people, but no one was killed. The National Guard was called in, preventing further rioting, but rumors continued to circulate about an organized attack from the blacks.

On July 1, 1917, a black man shot his white attacker, which was retaliated with a drive-by shooting. When police came to investigate, the African American who had been attacked returned fire, thinking them to be the drive-by shooters from before. The next morning, thousands of white spectators who saw the bloodstained automobile marched to the black section of town and started rioting. After cutting the hoses of the fire department, the rioters burned entire sections of the city, shooting the inhabitants as they escaped the flames. Claiming that "Southern niggers deservea genuine lynching,"1 they hanged several blacks. Guardsmen were called in, but several accounts reported that they joined in the rioting rather than trying to stop it. Almost everyone participated, including "ten or fifteen young girls about 18 years old, [who chased a negro woman at the Relay Depot at about 5 o'clock. The girls were brandishing clubs and calling upon the men to kill the woman."2

See also: St. Louis, Missouri

Famous residents

After surviving the 1917 race riots in East St. Louis, Josephine Baker ran away at 13 to dance in vaudeville, on Broadway and, eventually, with the Folies Bergère in Paris, where she became one of the best-known entertainers in Europe. During World War II she gathered intelligence for the French Resistance.

A dancer, choreographer, anthropologist and author, Katherine Dunham introduced U.S. and European audiences to Caribbean- and African-based dance movements. East St. Louis is home to the Katherine Dunham Museum, which houses collections of African and Caribbean folk and contemporary art and items documenting the life and works of Katherine Dunham. It is operated by the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities, a non-profit multi-disciplinary arts organization founded by Dunham. The organization promotes and preserves Dunham's legacy of anthropological writings, films and works of visual arts. The Centers also operate a year-round arts training program for children age 6-17 and an annual two-week seminar in the Dunham Technique through its Institute for Inter-cultural Communication, which attracts dancers, choreographers and scholars from around the world. All of the programs emphasize Dunham's unique concept of "humanization and socialization of individuals and communities through the arts."

One of the great silent screen stars, Lillian Gish was nominated for an Oscar in 1946 for "Duel in the Sun" and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute in 1984.

  • Reginald Hudlin wrote and directed the 1990's films "House Party", as well as directing "Serving Sara," and "The Ladies Man."
  • Ike Turner met Tina Turner in 1956 at the Club Manhattan in East St. Louis. She then joined his band and they married.

Recent East St. Louis

East St. Louis retained a modicum of prosperity into the 1950's, when a number of local factories began to close. The financial reversals occurred ironically just as Black migration from the south was reaching its peak. Mayor Alvin Fields, who had been elected in 1951, resorted to judgment funding procedures to try to buy the city out of its financial morass. The scheme increased the city's bonded indebtedness and the property tax rate. More businesses closed and crime increased. Street gangs such as the War Lords, Black Egyptians, 29th Street Stompers and Hustlers appeared in Black neigborhoods. In September of 1967, rioting occurred in the predominantly-Black South End, and in the summer of 1968, a still-unsolved series of snipings took place. These actions further destroyed the downtown retail base and the city's income. Desperation led to East St. Louis being something of a "guinea pig" for every new Federal program that came along-the Model Cities program, the Concentrated Employment Program and Operation Breakthrough. The programs did little to prevent the inevitable. The noted architecht R. Buckminster Fuller suggested putting the entire city under a geodesic dome. In 1971, James Williams was elected as the city's first Black mayor, but he, too failed to slow the city's skid. By the election of Carl Officer as mayor in 1978, many said the city had nowhere to go but up, yet, incredibly, things grew even worse. Sewers failed, garbage pickup ceased because the city could not pay the haulers. City Hall was awarded to the plaintiff in a lawsuit against the city. Police cars often didn't work, and neither did their radios. This state of affairs continued until the state imposed a financial advisory board over the city in exchange for a bailout. The election of Gordon Bush as mayor in 1991 and the coming of the Casino Queen gambling casino provided the first new income for the city in nearly 30 years. Sporadic efforts at redevelopment occur from time to time, but the city has lost more than half of its population since 1960, and people are continuing to leave. Furthermore, many beautiful and historic buildings are crumbling and will soon be lost forever.

Geography

East St. Louis is located at 38°36'56" North, 90°7'40" West (38.615550, -90.127825).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 37.4 km² (14.4 mi²). 36.4 km² (14.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.56% water.

East St. Louis usually experiences cold winters and warm summers. On July 14, 1954 the temperature at East Saint Louis unexpectedly rose to 117°F (48°C), the highest temperature ever recorded in Illinois.

Crime

East St. Louis is one of the most crime-ridden cities in the nation. According to FBI's data of 2002, its murder rate hit 53.9 per population of 100,000, surpassed that of murder-infamous cities such as New Orleans, Louisiana (53.2 per pop. 100,000), Washington, D.C. (46.1), Detroit, Michigan (42.3), and Camden, New Jersey (41.3). Their data also showed East St. Louis' very high rape rate, which exceeded 200 per pop. 100,000.

The following table shows East St. Louis' crime rate in 6 crimes that Morgan Quitno uses for their calculation for "America's most dangerous cities" ranking, in comparison of those of St. Louis, Missouri and New York City.

Source: City-Data.com, Year: 2002

CrimeEast St. LouisSt. LouisNew York
murder53.931.97.3
rape225.139.121.1
robbery852.8809.3340.0
assault5,037.71,273.4428.7
burglary3,617.42,027.3375.9
auto theft3,420.82,824.6337.6

Transportation

East St. Louis is home to 4 St. Louis Metrolink Stations; East Riverfront, 5th and Missouri, Emerson Park, and JJK Center.

Demographics

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 is 866.2/km² (2,242.9/mi²). There are 12,899 housing units at an average density of 354.2/km² (917.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 1.23% White, 97.74% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 11,178 households out of which 33.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 21.9% are married couples living together, 40.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% are non-families. 27.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.80 and the average family size is 3.42.

In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 81.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 72.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $21,324, and the median income for a family is $24,567. Males have a median income of $27,864 versus $21,850 for females. The per capita income for the city is $11,169. 35.1% of the population and 31.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 48.6% of those under the age of 18 and 25.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Trivia

  • East St. Louis was mentioned on an episode of The Simpsons as one of the 300 most liveable cities in America coming in right below Springfield as number 300.
  • Another The Simpsons episode mentions East St. Louis when Homers flees the country to open a Casino on a tropical island.
  • On another episode of the Simpsons, Homer mistakenly brings Barney to the AAA rather than the AA. Homer then inquires about a trip to East St. Louis, stating "Is there any other St. Louis"
  • On That 70's Show Kitty states that Red is going to turn their home into East St. Louis with his drug dealing
  • On a recent episode of WWE RAW Vince McMahon stated that he thought he was in hell, but his driver just made a wrong turn into East St. Louis
  • Father Charles O'Malley of "Going My Way" and "The Bells of St. Mary's" was from East St. Louis, and sang the "East St. Louis High" alma mater ("Hail alma mater, thy time-honored halls shall echo with our praise till we die, and round our hearts are the ivy-covered walls of East St. Louis High.") in "Going My Way".

References

  • 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 051758221X
  • "Race Rioters Fire East St. Louis and Shoot or Hang Many Negroes; Dead Estimated at from 20 to 76." New York Times 3 July 1917.

External links

African American culture | Cities in Illinois | Communities on U.S. Route 66 | St. Clair County, Illinois | Twin cities

Ист-Сент-Луис | East St. Louis (Illinois) | Saint-Louis de l'Est | East St. Louis, Illinois | イーストセントルイス | East St. Louis

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "East St. Louis, Illinois".

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