USA > Illinois > Madison County > Madison > Anniversary: City Of Madison, Illinois 1891-1966, 75th > Part 1
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75" ANNIVERSARY
CITY of MADISON
MADISON, ILLINOIS
1891 -1966
LE
CO
MADISON
189
1966
ORATION
OIS
MADISON,
ILLIN
YOUR BANK'S HISTORY
Away back in autumn of 1910, Granite City was already a bustling, busy community. George Kennedy was mayor and people every- where were talking about the new Mckinley Bridge which had just opened on No- vember 10.
In fact, so much was happening in Granite City those days that some citizens may have missed a rather modest notice in the Granite Press Herald. According to this item, a new bank would soon be opening in Granite City. And true to the forecast, on December 10, 1910, the Granite City Trust and Savings Bank celebrated its formal opening under the direction of C. F. Stelzel, its first president.
That first bank building looked a lot dif- ferent than the modern structure we have today. In fact, most things those days looked different.
January 10, 1912, marked the day when Fred Kohl, Sr. became the second president of your bank. 1912, too, was the year Granite City's new Public Library and Post Office were established.
In 1917 America was at war. The steel mills here were busier than ever. And when Granite City boys started marching away from draft offices, the war suddenly came closer. Bank loans took second place to Liberty Loans.
With the armistice came Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties. But here in Granite City, at least, there were other more signifi- cant events. Granite City recognized the farsightedness and accomplishments of the Granite City Park District. 1921 brought us a new community high school.
At the bank, on October 22, 1924, William Champion became the third president.
In Granite City, 1925 marked the year in which busses replaced street cars for intra- city travel . . . and the spring in which the cornerstone of the Y.M.C.A. building was laid. The Library, the City Hall and the High School Annex were being completed . . . fortunately, before October 29, 1929, the "black day" the Stock Market crashed and affected the economy of the entire nation. During those dark days of the early thirties, your bank was doing more than just "waiting-it-out."
Through the efforts of your bank, Wilson and Memorial Parks became a reality and the Park Board was created.
In 1937, a now familiar name appeared on
your bank's officer list-Henry D. Karandjeff became your bank's president. Mr. Karandjeff had started working at your bank in 1911, while still in his teens.
Things started getting better in the area. Industry was getting back on its feet. Produc- tion was speeded up tremendously and em- ployment was rapidly increasing. Your bank initiated an employee Pension Plan which was the first of its type in the area.
In September 1939, Hitler marched to war. Then suddenly and shockingly . .. on De- cember 7, 1941 . . . we were in the war too.
Eventually VE Day and VJ Day came along to make this war a memory and our industries began converting to peacetime production. And your bank completed the first GI business loan to be made in the Tri-Cities.
In 1947, the bank installed a year-around air conditioning and Granite City's $35 mil- lion canal project got under way. To keep pace with Granite City's progress, the bank, in the year 1952, had completed the major remodeling program undertaken at its present quarters.
In 1958, we received one of the finest com- pliments . . . recognition by the nation as an "All American City" . . . just about the time that Ernest A. Karandjeff, our president now, took over the operation of the bank, simul- taneously with the introduction of our new drive-in windows, walk-up window, parking area and the other modern features our cus- tomers enjoy today.
From its earliest beginnings in a humble office on Niedringhaus-to its present loca- tion on Edison-to the acquisition and expan- sion to adjacent buildings-to the three park- ing lots-to the "Quik Bank" on Delmar and its connecting tunnel-your bank has been in a constant situation of growth and expansion.
In 1910, just 9,903 people called Granite City "home." Now, one-half century later, our area's population has reached almost 70,000 residents. And your bank, Granite City Trust, is privileged to be serving more residents in the Tri-Cities than any other bank.
Today your bank is one of the finest and most complete financial institutions in the area. Granite City Trust is a commercial bank. That means . . . it accepts demand deposits (checking accounts) and it makes short term loans to business enterprises.
GRANITE CITY TRUST AND SAVINGS BANK
1909 Edison
Granite City
Madison Public Library Barcode 0003900258173
Madison Diamond Jubilee Corporation
Madison, Illinois
June 9, 1966
MAYOR STEPHEN MAERAS GENERAL CHAIRMAN
MIKE SASYK ACTIVE GEN. CHAIRMAN
EMMETT PAZIA HEADQUARTERS CHAIRMAN
LARRY PALKES PUBLICITY CHAIRMAN
ED DUBISH TREASURER
JACK FRIEDMAN, SPECTACLE DIVISION
JULIA VOLOSKI PARTICIPATION CHAIRMAN
HARRY THEBEAU SPECTACLE DIVISION
MAXINE COSTOFF REVENUE CHAIRMAN
HARRY JOHNSON SPECIAL DAYS CHAIRMAN
WAYNE SCANNALL PARTICIPATION CHAIRMAN
NORMAN OWCA SPECIAL EVENTS CHAIRMAN
AVERY SCHERMER SPECTACLE TICKET CHAIRMAN
Dear Fellow Citizens and Friends:
On this grand occasion the 75th Anniversary of the founding of our community, the City of Madison, Illinois, may I congratulate and thank each and everyone of you for the interest all of you have so splendidly manifested in our Diamond Jubilee Celebration.
I particularly want to thank the Committee Chairmen, the Madison School Board of Education, all Civic and Service Clubs, Church groups, the Boy and Girl Scout Organizations, Veteran Organizations, Fraternal Organizations, our Police and Fire Department, our Auxiliary Police Department, our Special Police- men and all others too numerous to mention, who labored long and strenously in order to make our Celebration the success that it has been. Last but certainly not the least, to our congenial and hard working Director, Mr. Robert Hulse of the Rogers Company, our sincere appreciation for his untiring help and counsel.
An extra special thanks to all the Merchants, Industries and the Businessman of our area, for their wonderful support both physical and financial, which is appreciated beyond verbal express- ion.
During this Celebration I have noticed the many assets that our Community possesses, that are of great importance quite naturally However, one of the most important assets I have noted very vividly, in my humble opinion is - PEOPLE - PEOPLE with public spirit. The type of spirit that creates togetherness. The type of spirit that makes them rally to the cause to promote their community. The type of spirit that has been shown by all to make this Celebration a success. A combination such as this is what makes a community thrive is what makes a community a better place in which to live. We are proud of our community, both past and present. We know that with this type of spirit our community will continue to grow and progress even more than it has in the past, thereby assuring the future not only for ourselves, but as well, for our future generations and for that I am deeply grateful to everyone from the bottom of my heart.
To our many visitors we want you to know that we greatly appreciate your visiting with us and certainly hope that you will come again and again. It was a delightful pleasure to have all of you.
Thanking all of you again and with my very best wishes for the years ahead, I remain,
Sincerely yours, Stephan marras
Stephen Maeras, Mayor and General Chairman
Sm/Jr
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THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON
May 23, 1966
Dear Mayor Maeras:
The President was pleased to learn from Congressman Price that Madison, Illinois is observing the seventy-fifth anniversary of its founding.
He has asked me to convey through you his warm congratu- lations to the people of your city. He appreciates the pride and satisfaction which must be yours as you reflect on the long and productive history of your community, and he hopes that the coming years will bring you continued progress and prosperity.
With kindest regards,
Sincerely,
James mayers James Moyers Assistant to the President
Honorable Stephen Maeras Mayor of Madison Madison, Illinois
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OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR SPRINGFIELD
OTTO KERNER GOVERNOR
Honorable Stephen Maeras Mayor City of Madison Madison, Illinois
Dear Mayor Maeras:
I would like to add my congratulations to the City of Madison upon its forthcoming 75th Anniversary celebration.
Your city has played an important and significant role in the history and development of Southwestern Illinois during the past three-quarters of a century and many of your citizens have made immeasurable contributions to our state and our nation.
I share your pride in your city's anniversary and in the accomplishments of its residents. Best wishes for a most successful celebration for a most deserving community.
Sincerely, Governor
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WRIGHT PATMAN, TEX., CHAIRMAN RICHARD BOLLING, MO. HALE BOGGS, LA. HENRY S. REUSS, WIS. MARTHA W. GRIFFITHS, MICH. THOMAS B. CURTIS, MO. WILLIAM B. WIDNALL, N.J. ROBERT F. ELLSWORTH, KANS.
JAMES W. KNOWLES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Congress of the United States JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE (CREATED PURSUANT TO SEC. 5(a) OF PUBLIC LAW 204, 79TH CONGRESS)
PAUL H. DOUGLAS, ILL., VICE CHAIRMAN JOHN SPARKMAN, ALA. J. W. FULBRIGHT, ARK. WILLIAM PROXMIRE, WIS. HERMAN E. TALMADGE, GA. JACOB K. JAVITS, N.Y. JACK MILLER, IOWA LEN B. JORDAN, IDAHO
April 14, 1966
The Honorable Stephen Maeras Mayor and General Chairman Madison Diamond Jubilee Corporation Madison, Illinois
Dear Mayor Maeras:
I am pleased to know that you are planning a week of celebration for Madison's diamond jubilee.
Such an anniversary is a good occasion for a city to take stock of accomplishments with pride and appreciation and to set its sights high for the future. It is a time when people's interest in the community and its history will be heightened. And projects for the future can be inspired by that interest.
The people of Madison County honored a beloved President when they chose the County's name in 1812. James Madison, before becoming our fourth President, had served the country in its earliest years with devotion, intelligence and integrity. He was a brilliant man and he served the people of the United States through all the adult years of a long life. I am sure his life is especially familiar and in- spiring to the people of Madison, whom I have always known to be strong believers in democratic principles.
With best wishes,
Faithfully yours, Tall Doylas Paul H. Douglas
PHD:pt
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MINORITY LEADER
EVERETT MCKINLEY DIRKSEN ILLINOIS
Alnited States Senate
To all of the proud citizens of Madison, Illinois, I wish to extend my most sincere and enthusiastic congratulations on the occasion of their celebration of the 75th anniversary of Madison's incorporation.
Madison, Granite City, and Venice, known as the tri-cities, are the heart of a great industrial area. In them, men and women who have been no strangers to hard work, to deep religious faith, and to an abiding love of country and community, have built churches, schools, and homes. An anniversary such as Madison's seventy-fifth year of incorporation gives to those who take seriously the duties of their citizenship an opportunity to express their pride in the history of their families and the history of their community.
Of course, there was extensive settlement here long before the incorporation of Madison, but it was in 1887 that the Madison Land Syndicate was formed, and the project of building the Merchants Bridge begun. The primary motive for this undertaking was the very high cost of bringing coal into St. Louis over the Eads Bridge. With the energy and organizational ability characteristic of the entrepreneurs of those days, the Merchants Bridge was built quickly and efficiently.
Capital was soon attracted to the Madison area by the Bridge. In 1891 the American Car and Foundry Company constructed its large plant. Houses were erected near the factory, and the village of Madison incorporated in the same year.
Only those who have lived in Madison during some portion of the seventy-five long years that have passed since then can know entirely the affection felt for the community by those who now celebrate this important anniversary. But I understand full well the deep sense of attachment to hearth and home that the citizens of Madison will experience on this anniversary as they think of the days of their childhood, and remember the faces of those dear ones who have passed to their eternal reward.
I wish you a fruitful and joyous seventy-fifth anniversary.
Everett Mckinley Dirksen Minority Leader United States Senate
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MELVIN PRICE 24TH ILLINOIS DISTRICT
MEMBER COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
JOINT COMMITTEE ON ATOMIC ENERGY
WASHINGTON, D.C., ADDRESS: 2468 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
HOME ADDRESS: 426 N. EIGHTH ST. EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL. 62201
Congress of the United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515
March 29, 1966
Honorable Stephen Maeras Mayor and General Chairman
Madison Diamond Jubilee Corporation Madison, Illinois
Dear Steve:
I would like to take this opportunity to extend to you and the City of Madison my heartiest congratulations on the occasion of their 75th Anniversary celebration.
The City of Madison should be commended for their progress and achievements during the past seventy-five years. I feel confident that through the guidance of its community officials, Madison will continue to prosper and grow.
Kindest personal regards.
Melvin Price Member of Congress
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FOREWORD
During March of 1966 | was consulted by the Committee in charge of the celebration to com- memorate the 75th Anniversary of the founding of Madison with reference to securing one of the residents of Madison to write a history of our muni- cipality since its incorporation as a Village in 1891. I immediately contacted Judge Austin Lewis, my friend and associate of many years, and requested him to collaborate with his wife Louise, now Presi- dent of the Madison County Historical Society, in writing such a history. I knew of none of our citi- zens more qualified to do so. Judge Lewis had served as attorney for the Village of Madison in various matters in litigation during the administra- tion of Village President Ferdinand A. Garesche. He was appointed Village Attorney by Robert Dron upon his election as Village President. He was one of the leaders in the campaign to incorporate Madi- son under the City form of government and was my first appointee upon my election as Mayor in 1942, serving as Corporation Counsel of the City continuously from that time until November, 1962 when he was elected Judge of the Probate Court of
Madison County. He is now an Associate Judge of the Circuit Court of the Third Judicial Circuit of Illinois. During his long tenure as Corporation Counsel of the City he was elected as States Attor- ney and also served as Public Defender of Madison County. In addition he was attorney for Venice Township and the Boards of Education of both Madison and Venice for many years. Judge and Mrs. Lewis were hesitant to grant my request point- ing out that in the short time allotted to them to write the history it would be impossible to do so without unknowingly and inadvertently omitting events and names of citizens that played an im- portant part in the history of the municipality. My powers of persuasion prevailed and Judge and Mrs. Lewis finally acceded to my request. "Madison Throughout the Years" is the result of their joint handiwork. I have immensely enjoyed reliving the past as I read the history. I know that all of the citizens of Madison will do likewise.
June 7, 1966
Stephen A. Maeras, Mayor of the City of Madison, III.
JUDGE AUSTIN LEWIS
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MADISON THROUGHOUT THE YEARS
By Judge and Mrs. Austin Lewis
The history of the City of Madison as it exists today is inseparably entwined with the history of the development of the great Mississippi Valley throughout ages long past. If it could have been possible for one to have lived during all of this time and to have written this history in all its fullness and with accuracy, unraveling all of the threads of the complex forces that resulted in the City of Madison as we know it today, what a history it would make! It would be a history of the conquest of this great river valley by men of the old and of the new worlds. Though the territory on which this drama has been played is limited, the motives and actions of those who lived in this area before our time have been infinite in their diversity. Always varying, always changing, such is the history of the present City of Madison, and of the land upon which it stands.
In times long past Spain, France and England struggled for possession of the territory of which it is a part before the opportunity to develop its resources was granted to the United States, but centuries before these happenings, many years before the first voyage of Columbus, this area was the home of a great Indian race known as the Toltecs, or Middle Mississippians and now com- monly called the Mound Builders, who lived here between 700 and 1500 A. D. Monuments of their civilization even today may be found within four miles of the city limits. Seventy-two mounds were constructed by these industrious people in this im- mediate area. The largest of these mounds is Cahokia Mound, or Monk's Mound as it is now called. Though many of these mounds have been destroyed by the inroads of civilization and indus- trial development, a number of them, including Cahokia Mound, still exist. It is the largest mound of artificial construction in the United States. As a result of never ending attacks made upon the Toltecs by roving bands of hostile Indian tribes the Mound Builders were finally forced to move slowly southward where they are believed to have united with the Aztec Indians in Mexico. The powerful "Father of Waters", whose course has had such an influence on the history of this area, has washed away most of the evidence of the Toltec civilization but the people now living here are the grateful legatees of the remaining vestages of their handi- work.
When the first French explorers came to this area during the late years of the 1700's they found in the immediate vicinity of what is now Madison, three Indian tribes, the Kaskaskias, Cahokias, and the Tamaroas, which were part of a confederacy of five Indian tribes known as the "Illinois" from which our State of Illinois takes its name. These three tribes had earlier come from northern Illinois and had been driven southward during the early 1700's by the fierce and dreaded Iroquois Indians who constantly raided their villages and carried many of their men, women and children into cap- tivity. The Kaskaskia, Cahokia and Tamarca tribes hunted and fished throughout this area although
their principal villages were located in St. Clair County and further south. During the eighteenth century all of these tribes were almost annihilated by raiding hostile tribes of Indians and by 1818, when Illinois became a State the Cahokia and Tamoroa had disappeared as distinct tribes, the survivors uniting with the Kaskaskias. While the remaining Indians still living in this area in 1818 were comparatively peaceful the danger was always present that they might take up the tomahawk and wage war against the early settlers and in fact there were several instances of massacres com- mitted by them in what is now Madison County.
The site of the present City of Madison lies in the heart of the great flood plain known as the "American Bottoms", which many years ago was the river bed of the powerful Mississippi. Its land surface throughout years past was subject to de- structive inundations of this great river. It has been only in the past few decades that these floods have been eliminated by the erection of the immense levees now existing and the program of flood con- trol carried on by local, state and national agencies. The early settlers of the area were constantly beset by fears that the Mississippi would overflow its banks and destroy what they had labored so hard to build.
The first European to come to this vicinity, of whom historians have any knowledge, was a French- man, Jean Baptiste Cardinal. He arrived here in 1783 and if we exclude other Frenchmen of whose temporary occupancy there are traces, the first permanent settler in Venice Township, of which Madison is a part, was Dr. George Cadwell, who came here about 1804. He combined the practice of medicine with farming.
John Anthony came to the Township in 1815. His was the first home built on the later platted site of the old village of Venice. Anthony kept lodgers and served meals to travelers. He kept a number of skiffs which he hired out to parties desiring to cross the river. By 1826 Anthony's skiff proved to be unequal to demands and Matthew Kerr, a merchant from St. Louis, and for whom Kerr's Island, (now sometimes mistakingly called Carr Island), is named, commenced operation of a horse ferry. From that time on, except in times of flood, a ferry was continuously in operation as a means of crossing the Mississippi until the Mc- Kinley Bridge was built in 1910. Among other early settlers was Abraham Sippy who came to Venice Township in 1818 from Pennsylvania. It was from his descendants that the land was purchased upon which the City of Madison now stands.
As more settlers arrived a struggling hamlet came into being in 1826, on Kerr Island southwest of what is now Madison. It was platted of record in 1841 and named Venice. Kerr Island at that time was a large island extending between the present Mckinley Bridge and Merchants Bridge. The waters of the Mississippi now flow over most of the land area which was then Kerr Island. Be-
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tween the east side of Kerr Island and what is now Main Street in Venice flowed Kerr Slough. In 1842 Lt. Robert E. Lee, then of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and later Commander in Chief of the Confederate Forces in the Civil War built a dyke near what is now West Madison, running from Kerr Island to the head of nearby Bloody Island. A bridge was built connecting Kerr Island to the main- land over Kerr Slough. "The National Road", the great wagon road connecting the eastern part of our nation with the west passed through what is now Madison and terminated on Kerr Island. From these travellers, stock and farm produce were fer- ried across the Mississippi into St. Louis.
From the time of the arrival of the first early settlers until 1887, the territorial area of what is now Madison was used primarily for farming al- though to a great extent it was low and swampy with sloughs and inlets from the Mississippi. In the springtime these sloughs and inlets would gener- ally overflow and cover parts of the area.
The great flood of 1844 completely inundated all of Venice Township to a depth of twelve feet. Again in 1851 the mighty Mississippi flooded the entire township to a like or greater depth, sweeping away almost everything in its path. Much of Kerr Island was washed away and the former terminus of the "National Road" was far out in the Missis- sippi, and with the exception of one or two buildings nothing remained of Venice. Recovery of the entire area was slow. A small number of new business buildings were constructed on the remaining part of Kerr Island and to the eastward and Venice was gradually rebuilt.
Despite the ever present danger of floods, T. W. Blackman, an enterprising resident of St. Louis, decided to lay out a town site, north of Venice. He laid out the Town of Newport and platted it of record on April 27, 1858. This was the origin of what is now West Madison. Only a few people purchased land there and at best it consisted of only a few dwellings. It soon reverted to farm land and remained as such until it was later included as part of the territory of Madison when it was in- corporated as a Village.
Venice had gained sufficiently in size and popu- lation to incorporate as a Village in 1873. What is now Madison still consisted of nothing but farm land traversed by the railroads that had been constructed up to that time. By 1882 there were fourteen miles of railroad track in Venice Town- ship. The area was by no means untravelled, how- ever, for many St. Louis residents came across the Mississippi by ferry to Venice each week-end to picnic and enjoy fine fishing in the small ponds and sloughs in and about what is now Madison and in Horseshoe Lake which at that time covered part of the area now known as Eagle Acres. Its northern shoreline was then within a half mile of the present southern limits of Madison, extending to the pres- ent Illinois Terminal railroad yards. A large resort building and recreation area was later constructed at Horseshoe Lake near the junction of the present Bend Road and Route 203 and given the name of Eagle Park. The building stood there for many years and many of Madison's present residents will remember it.
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