The past comes to life through some of the earliest historians of East St. Louis. Following the success of The Making of an All-America City, which the St. Louis Post-Dispatch listed among the best regional books of 2011, comes the second volume in the East St. Louis Sesquicentennial Series. Through several essays and multiple historical documents from the city’s early decades, An East St. Louis Anthology: The Origins of a River City reveals the history of the city, including a time when its citizens believed that their city was poised to outdistance St. Louis and perhaps even Chicago as the premier industrial giant and railroad freight node of the Midwest. Also included are a sample of biographical sketches and vignettes, city directories, and city ordinances.
Edited by historian Dr. Charles Lumpkins of Pennsylvania State University, An East St. Louis Anthology reflects the city’s residents’ intentions to build and sustain an industrial city of great importance to the nation. Most important, the included histories preserve the stories of colonizers and settlers of East St. Louis.