USA > Illinois > Madison County > Madison > Anniversary: City Of Madison, Illinois 1891-1966, 75th > Part 2
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There were two settlements which bore the name
of Madison located in Madison County, long before the present municipality was formed. The first was laid out in 1820 near the Village of Marine. It soon died of inactivity or was absorbed by the Village of Marine. The second Madison was lo- cated along the banks of the Mississippi in Chou- teau Township. For a time during the middle years of the 1800's it was a flourishing village. The re- morseless floodings and encroachments of the Mis- sissippi River have long since swept it away and as a result of changes in the channel of the river, the land on which it stood no longer exists.
In 1887 what is now the site of the present City of Madison was still nothing but low lying farm land. In that year a group of St. Louis industrialists met together for the purpose of discussing ways and means to lessen the high cost of bringing coal from the nearby southern Illinois coal mines into the St. Louis industrial district via the Eads bridge. As a solution to this problem they determined to build their own bridge which would considerably diminish the costs incurred using the Eads Bridge. They then promoted and immediately commenced the erection of the Merchants Bridge, for railroad traffic only, from St. Louis, across the Mississippi, with its eastern terminus on the present site of Madison. During the early stages of the construc- tion of the Merchants Bridge, foreseeing the great industrial potential of the land adjacent to the eastern approach of the bridge, and being desirous of obtaining sites for the erection of industries on the east side of the river, these industrialists formed the Madison Land Syndicate. In March, 1889, in furtherance of their project, the Madison Land Syndicate purchased the farm owned by William and Nancy Sippy for the sum of $117,800.00, and laid out the town site of Madison on it.
Two brothers, William J. Coudy and George E. Coudy, were the first persons to establish a business enterprise on the newly acquired site. They came here before the Merchants Bridge was opened for traffic. At that time there were only two small houses on this town site. The third house was built by William J. Coudy. It was located on State Street between Second and Third Streets, across from the old Terminal Railroad Depot, torn down years ago. In the early days the brothers engaged in the real estate and construction business and later estab- lished a hardware and lumber company on Second Street. It is said that George E. Coudy acted as the first postmaster of Madison and that for lack of a building in which to locate a post office he carried the mail on his person.
The Merchants Bridge was completed and ready for use in May, 1890, and it immediately served to divert St. Louis capital to the east side. A large switch yard was built in 1891, close to the eastern approach of the Merchants Bridge. The completion of the bridge and switch yard marked the begin- ning of the present Tri-City Industrial area. The decade of the "Gay Nineties" had begun and so had the construction of large industries, homes and business houses in Madison.
The first industry constructed was that of the Missouri Car and Foundry Company. It was erected in 1891, immediately west of State Street. It was later named the American Car and Foundry Com- pany and commonly called the "Car Shops." Some
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of its buildings still remain although it has not been in operation since 1930. The Standard Oil Com- pany erected a large barrel works near the Mer- chants Bridge approach the same year. Erection of the Terminal Railroad Round House, a large grain elevator and the Helmbacher Forge and Rolling Mill Company soon followed. This rolling mill was constructed immediately south of the American Car and Foundry Company plant and operated in connection with it. In later years the Kettle River Tie and Lumber Company and the Laclede Steel Company erected large plants at the southern limits of Madison, and the Tri-City Refrigeration Com- pany erected a large ice manufacturing plant im- mediately south of the Helmbacher Forge and Roll- ing Mill Company property.
After the acquisition of the site of Madison by the Madison Land Syndicate in 1889 and drawn there by the construction of the new large indus- tries, there began an influx of new residents into the area, creating a serious housing problem. Most of the employees of the first industries lived in St. Louis and were transported each day from there to Madison, over the Merchants Bridge by work- train. Disliking their daily ride and the loss of time and inconvenience occasioned going to and from their work some of the employees prevailed on the American Car and Foundry Company to erect two rows of small houses near the foundry to be used as residences. Rapid growth in the number of in- dustrial employees increased the housing problem, and although new homes, usually of an inexpensive type, were being continually constructed, there was always a shortage of dwellings which con- tinued for some years to come.
With the increase in population the need for an organized form of government was felt by all of the residents. Accordingly, on October 12, 1891, there was filed in the County Court of Madison County, a petition to incorporate Madison as a
Village, stating in the body of the petition that there were at least 765 inhabitants in the area. This petition was signed by Warren Champion, Patrick Coyle, H. F. Bussey, Robert McClew, J. A. Rose, W. J. Gordon, Henry C. Miller, J. P. Pearce, Charles Alkins, William East, S. Krumpew, C. J. Brenner, Fred Pierce, T. K. Dillman, J. R. Beale, O. M. Bagby, V. E. Compton, E. Sherman, E. F. Showman, Thomas Work, Larry Henson, Fred Schlep, Charles Lilly, Curtis Williams, E. G. Car- penter, A. S. Fries, Henry Jones, William H. Pell, M. T. Mahan, Adam Smith, James Rolens, Josch Vallein, Frank Lilly, A. W. Wise, Frank Malund, J. N. Ernest, Henry Stringfellow, James Browder, C. P. Barrn, C. S. Youree, Joe Lilly, John J. Allen, Doc Ponone, Frank Franklin and Charles Skeen.
In the affidavit attached to the petition, Charles Skeen stated that at that time there were not less than 500 inhabitants in the area sought to be in- corporated, and not less than 30 legal voters resid- ing therein. The petition was sworn to by Mr. Skeen before Hartley Lanham who was then County Clerk of Madison County, and presented to Honorable William H. Krome, then County Judge. Upon pre- sentment of the petition to him, Judge Krome ordered an election to be held in the area on Oc- tober 31, 1891, at the office of T. B. Rhodes, who appears to have been the first attorney having an office in Madison, although he was primarily en- gaged in the sale of real estate. Judge Krome appointed Warren Champion, Charles Skeen and John Beale as Judges of the election. The election was duly held, and on November 2, 1891, the votes at the election were canvassed by Judge Krome, assisted by Elliett W. Mudge and John Hobson who were Justices of the Peace residing in Madison County. The results of the canvass showed that only 53 voters had cast their ballots at the election, and that of the 53 votes, five were defective. The remaining 48 voters cast their ballots voting unani-
Dr. C. S. Youree, first mayor of Madison, and his wife standing on their porch at Third and Wash- ington, the present home of Daisy Malone.
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mously in favor of the incorporation of the village. Judge Krome then entered an order on that day declaring Madison to have been incorporated as a Village under the General Law. At the same time he ordered that an election be held on Friday, November 27, 1891, to select a Village President and six members of the Board of Trustees of the new village. Al Moork, J. P. Pearce and John Burns were appointed as Judges of the election. The elec- tion was duly held on that date and on the next day, Saturday, November 28, 1891, the votes cast at the election were canvassed by Judge Krome and Justices of the Peace E. W. Mudge and John Hobson. The results of the official canvass showed that Dr. Charles S. Youree received 60 votes and Frederick Pierce 20 votes for the office of Village President. For the six offices to be filled as mem- bers of the Board of Trustees, Warren Champion, received 60 votes; Charles A. Skeen, 58 votes; Gabriel Pepper, 52 votes; Patrick Coyle, 55 votes; Owen Bagby, 50 votes; John R. Beale, 43 votes; William F. Skeen, 36 votes; John T. Peck, 29 votes; Charles W. Lehman, 27 votes; William A. Dar- niele, 19 votes; Charles Alkins, 19 votes, and Wil- liam Mohan, 18 votes. For the office of Village Clerk, Robert McClew received 39 votes and Frank K. Dillman received 32 votes. After the votes were canvassed, the Canvassing Board declared the first duly elected Village President of the Village of Madison to be Dr. Charles S. Youree, the first duly elected members of the Board of Trustees to be Warren Champion, Charles A. Skeen, Gabriel Pep- per, Patrick Coyle, Owen Bagby and John R. Beale, and the first duly elected Village Clerk to be Robert McClew.
At different times during the past years articles have been written by various persons stating that the first Village President was Charles Skeen. According to the official records of the County Clerk of Madison County, found in Probate Journal "P", at Page 292, these are erroneous. In fact, Mr. Skeen was not a candidate for the office of Village President at this election, but instead was a candi- date for member of the Board of Trustees, and was elected as one of the first six members of that board. In this respect it is interesting to note that of the first six members of the Board of Trustees, three of them, Charles Skeen, Warren Champion and Patrick Coyle later became Village Presidents. It is also noteworthy that there were sixteen candi- dates for office at this first election and that of the forty-five persons who signed the petition to incorporate Madison as a Village, ten became can- didates for the various offices to be filled. Inasmuch as Madison had at least 765 inhabitants at that time it may seem that only a small number turned out to vote. When it is considered, however, that women could not vote in those days, that there were a considerable number of children, and that as yet many of the new residents had not lived in Madison for a sufficient period of time to satisfy the resi- dential qualifications of a voter, the vote appears to have been fairly large.
Among the first appointments made by the newly elected Village President was that of Patrick Mc- Cambridge as the first Chief of Police. Mr. McCam- bridge was a deputy sheriff of Madison County before coming to Madison. He remained as Chief of Police continuously up to the time of his death during the administration of Village President Ferd-
inand A. Garesche.
An ordinance was adopted by the first Board of Trustees providing for the office of Police Magis- trate and after an election in 1892, C. L. Gibbs became the first Police Magistrate.
Bruce Champion, son of Warren Champion, born in 1891, was the first child to be born on the town site of Madison. He was the first child to commence school in the first grade in Madison and continue in the Madison School System as a pupil until his graduation from High School. As an adult he en- gaged in the real estate and insurance business. He was appointed by Mayor Stephen Maeras as the first Chief of the Fire Department after Madi- son became a City in 1942. After living many of his years in Madison he moved to Sparta, Illinois, several years ago where he now resides.
In 1891 a three story hotel was erected by Pleasant Ward and George Latch became the pro- prietor of the first saloon.
Members of various faiths held religious services at homes of the members between 1891 and 1894. In that year the Presbyterian congregation erected a large church building, the first in Madison, at the corner of Third Street and Ewing Avenue.
The new Village administration was beset by many problems, not the least of which was that of housing. New residents were arriving almost daily. All of the streets of the village were unpaved, there was no street lighting, and policing the community soon became a major problem. During wet weather the dirt streets would become a quagmire and at times almost impassable. There were no sidewalks. Instead the business men used long wooden planks nailed together as walkways in most of the business section and many a young girl and boy of those days and for a number of years to follow had the unpleasant and painful experience of digging splin- ters from these board walks out of their bare feet during the summer months when all children went barefoot. These conditions continued for the next fifteen years, for it was not until 1905 that the first street was paved and the first sidewalks laid.
To make matters worse, if such a thing was possible, the Mississippi River unexpectedly over- flowed its banks in 1892, completely flooding the entire new village, causing considerable damage and bringing all business to a halt. The water re- ceded after covering the village for several days. The residents of the village then cleared away the mud and silt and repaired the damage. Within a few months everything was back to normal. More people kept coming in, more business buildings and residences were being built and more and more men were being hired at the "Car Shops", and in the other industries of the village.
After the completion of Dr. Charles S. Youree's tenure as Village President and during the remain- ing years of the "Gay Nineties", Charles Skeen, Warren Champion and Patrick Coyle served as Village Presidents.
S
About the time of the incorporation of the vil- C lage, a two-story brick building was erected at 1513 t Second Street. It still stands and takes its place in f the history of Madison for the reason that the first r school room in Madison was on the second floor of a
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First school room in Madison located at 1413 Second Street.
the building. Susan Richardson taught the first Madison school children in this room. This was the beginning of the Madison Public School System. Later in 1894 the erection of a six room school house was commenced on the site of the present playground of the present new Harris School at the northwest corner of Sixth Street and Alton Avenue. It was the first Harris School. Louis Baer became its first principal and he, assisted by Susan Rich- ardson and Mollie Brown taught the 63 children of school age who were in attendance that year.
In 1894 the village purchased its first fire fight- ing equipment, a hand-drawn hose cart at a cost of about $250.00.
The first five years of the "Gay Nineties" had been hectic ones for the new village and as time went on they became more so. By 1895 there were approximately 2500 men employed in the industries in Madison. Due primarily to the housing shortage the majority of them resided in St. Louis and in surrounding communities. The last years of the "Nineties", the population of the village having reached 1979 in 1900, and the early 1900's saw a steady increase in new arrivals. Many of these new residents had formerly lived in Indiana and in the Ozark region of southern Missouri. Their num- bers were augmented by a considerable number of negroes from the south who settled in West Madi- son. Drawn by the prospect of steady employment at the "Car Shops" and in the other local industries, large numbers of Europeans also began to settle in Madison. They came from all parts of Europe. The majority were Polish, but there were many Bulgar- ians, Macedonians, Roumanians, Croatians, Rus- sians, Lithuanians, Czechs, Yugoslavs, Hungarians, Greeks, and a number of Mexicans, and other na- tionalities along with a small number of Jewish families. The first European arrivals were for the most part men, who after obtaining employment fand saving up sufficient money for their passage,
would send for their families in Europe to join them here. At first these men would obtain lodging along State Street, near the "Car Shops", and on Madison Avenue. Upon arrival of their families they moved to sections of the village common to their national groups. These new arrivals from Europe experi- enced more difficulties in the early days than any other group. Very few of them knew how to speak English. Generally the first words they learned were "Car Shops" and when asked questions the only answer they could give was "Car Shops". However this was self-explanatory. Some of these early arriv- als and many of their descendants still reside in Madison, having contributed much as business men, public officials and in many other capacities for the civic betterment of the community.
The heterogeneous nature of the population to- gether with the large number of people who came to Madison daily from St. Louis and surrounding communities to work in the industries and on week- ends to fish in nearby Horseshoe Lake, Long Lake, and Cahokia Creek and the "boom" nature of the times made early Madison a fertile ground for the development of businesses specializing in the var- ious vices in an attempt to separate the unwary from their money.
A race track was constructed by St. Louis in- terests in the middle "Nineties" at the southern village limits at the north end of property now owned by the Laclede Steel Company. The races attracted hundreds of patrons from St. Louis and other communities, so much so that special trains were run over the Merchants Bridge to accommo- date them. Numerous saloons came into being, mostly along State Street where gambling and other forms of vice flourished. Houses of III-Fame operated openly along State Street either in con- nection with the saloons or in buildings adjacent to them. Some of the local residents participated in these activities, either as owners or patrons, but
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1903 Flood, Levee broke near Merchants Bridge.
large numbers of non-residents were drawn to Mad- ison, as if by a magnet, to satisfy their desires for gaming, wine, women and song. After a few years the race track was closed as the result of the activi- ties of a few irate citizens who obtained a court order ending its activities. The other vices, how- ever, continued to flourish and soon Madison was known throughout the State of Illinois, and in most parts of the nation as the most "wide-open" town in the country and the "Monte Carlo of America." These conditions continued to exist for years but were gradually diminished until the end of the First World War, when the Prohibition Amendment drove them more or less under cover. All such con- ditions have now been eliminated. In fairness to the
early officials of the community, and without mak- ing apologies for them, it must be said that most of the communities in the mid-west and western parts of our country experienced the same condi- tions during the early years of their history. Despite the unwholesome nature of these activities they were an integral part of early Madison and in numerous ways influenced the course of its history. It was not the most moral but to many persons the most colorful period in the history of the com- munity.
The Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Russian Eastern Orthodox Church was erected at the corner of Fifth and Ewing Avenue in 1900. The congregation of
1903 Flood, Looking North on Madison Ave. from Third Street.
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1903 Flood, only dry spot in Madison used as a livery stable.
this church held religious services in this building for the next sixty-five years. In 1964 the corner- stone of a new church building was laid and the structure was completed in 1965 at the same location.
On October 3, 1901, ten ladies met in a class- room of the Presbyterian Church and organized the Matrons' Literary Club. So far as is known this was the first women's organization in Madison. The club is still in existence and meets regularly at the homes of the members. Numerous other ladies clubs and organizations have been formed through- out the years and they have contributed greatly to the welfare of the community by their participation in civic, religious and charitable projects.
Disaster came to the village again in June, 1903, during the administration of Patrick Doyle as Vil- lage President. The Mississippi River again went
on a rampage and flooded the entire village to a depth of twelve feet. After ten days the river re- turned to its banks but the effects of the flood con- tinued for many months. Great damage had been done to all the business buildings, industries and dwelling houses in the village. All of the official records of the village from 1891 to 1903, with the exception of a few official papers were either lost or destroyed in the flood when the water rose to the ceiling of the office room in which they were kept. Because of this, it is impossible to give with any degree of certainty an accurate account of all of the operations of the village government during that time. Finally, however, the residents of the village undaunted by two major floods in ten years, repaired their homes and businesses and cleared away the devastation caused by the flood and once again the wheels of progress began to turn.
Madison High School had its origin in 1903,
1903 Flood, Water 10 to 15 foot deep in West Madison.
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1903 Flood, Harris School, Sixth and Alton.
when a High School Department was established in the Harris School Building. Twenty-three pupils attended during the first year it was in operation. The first student to graduate was Edith Griffith (Mrs. John McElwain) in 1905. Frances Ulffers (Mrs. H. C. Wilson) graduated in 1906 and Eliza Bachmann (Mrs. John Lewis), Amanda Erickson and Emma Flemming graduated in 1907. The number of graduates has increased yearly. On May 27, 1966 commencement exercises were held at which time 123 students of Madison High School received their diplomas.
In 1903 the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church was erected at the corner of West Third Street and West Madison Street in West Madison and services were held there for many years until a new church building was erected in North Venice. The building now serves as a place of worship for the Thomas Chapel of the Methodist Episcopal
Church.
The Tri-City State Bank, the first in Madison was organized in March, 1904, with Charles R. Kiser as President, and C. W. Burton as Cashier.
During 1904 and the early part of 1905, the last year of the administration of Patrick Coyle as Village President, State Street was paved with bricks from the southern village limits to Seventh Street. It was the first street in the village to be paved.
In 1905 the Dunbar School was erected in West Madison. Between the years 1891 and 1905 grade school classes had been held in a small school house located on the same site. Because of in- creased enrollment of pupils it later became neces- sary to to construct additions to the building in 1911, 1922, and 1936. An annex to the school was
1903 Flood, Third and Madison Ave.
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HO TEL HEDGES
1903 Flood, Iron Age Hotel, Second and Madison Ave.
erected in 1947.
Ferdinand A. Garesche was elected Village Presi- dent in 1905, at the age of 29. From that time until April 30, 1937, he served the Village of Madi- son in that official capacity, being reelected for sixteen consecutive two year terms. During his ad- ministration Madison became known as "The Biggest Little Village in the World", and as "The Hub of the Tri-Cities." Mr. Garesche had resided in St. Louis during his youth and upon graduation from St. Louis University Law School, instead of entering the law practice he obtained employment at the Missouri Car and Foundry Company in 1897. He moved to Madison after being transferred to
the American Car and Foundry Company here, where he held the position of Paymaster until it ceased operations. During his long tenure as Vil- lage President he was also elected to the State Legislature, and in 1924 was the Democratic can- didate for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Illinois.
Elected with Mr. Garesche in 1905, as members of the Board of Trustees were Henry Connole, John L. Malone, William E. McMahon, J. J. Lahey, Er- nest Hatcher and Dr. William F. Grayson. Carl A. Ulffers was elected Village Clerk. C. L. Gibbs re- mained as Police Magistrate, to which office he had been first elected in 1892. W. J. Franklin was
1903 Flood, AC Foundry, looking toward State St. from Fifth and to Sixth Sts.
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1903 Flood, Madison-Venice Terminal RR Depot at Market and State Sts.
appointed City Attorney, Letcher Owsley, Village Inspector, William Turnbaugh, Street Commission- er, and C. W. Burton, Treasurer.
Shortly after being elected to his first term as Village President, Mr. Garesche provided leader- ship for the construction of many much needed improvements in the village. Plans were made and approved for the pavement of Third Street with brick from State Street to Alton Avenue, and for the pavement of Madison Avenue, with creosoted wooden blocks throughout its entire length in the village. Third Street was completed in 1906, and the much larger job of paving Madison Avenue was completed in 1909, along with the pavement of Seventh Street from State Street to Madison Avenue. Thirty-three fire plugs for fire protection
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