Horseshoe Lake, 2016

Browse Items (76 total)

  • Tags: Granite City
Thumbnail Title Description Date Date Added
Nevart Hagopian Oral History Interview This oral history interview with Nevart Hagopian was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History.

Nevart Hagopian is a survivor of the Armenian genocide who left Armenia with her mother at the age of 12 in 1920 and migrated to the Lincoln Place neighborhood of Granite City. In the interview, she discusses the Armenian community and culture in Lincoln Place.

Hagopian primarily speaks in Armenian in the interview, with Vartan Kassabian serving as a translator. Father Kassabian was a priest for St. Gregory Armenian Church in Granite City.

Note: The original archive copies of the interview transcript and biographical summary had grading marks and corrections on them. We converted the transcript and biographical summary to editable text and made the corrections to remove grading marks.
November 18, 2001 May 5, 2020
Mary Spaich Oral History Interview This oral history interview with Mary Spaich was part of oral histories conducted in the fall 2001 semester of History 447: Oral History.

In this interview, Mary Spaich discusses growing up in the Lincoln Place neighborhood of Granite City. She was born in Granite City in 1916 to Serbian parents who had immigrated from Yugoslavia in 1914. She describes her life in Lincoln Place and changes in the area since her childhood.
November 16, 2001 April 29, 2020
Kathy Childers Oral History Interview In this oral history interview, Kathy Childers discusses her family's Macedonian heritage and her father John Bellcoff, who was the mayor of Madison, Illinois from 1985 to 1997 and the Madison County Democratic Chairman from 1990 to 1994. She discusses how her family continues to practice Macedonian cultural traditions, including food, clothing, and dancing. She also describes her father's political career, including his role in establishing the Gateway Racetrack in Madison. She also discusses her grandfather's grocery store in Madison, Bellcoff and Son, and her and her father's work with funeral homes. July 17, 2019 November 4, 2019
Clock Given to 30-year Employee of Granite City Steel Mill This clock was given to an employee of the Granite City Steel Mill for working at the mill for 30 years. The clock's bell rings every hour.

This clock was scanned as part of a Madison Historical class visit to Civic Memorial High School in spring 2019. It was brought to class by the employee's great-grandon, Austin Prindable.
Unknown May 21, 2019
Group of Directors of Industry in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area This photograph shows a group of ten men who are directors, managers, or otherwise highly ranked businessmen from various businesses around the St. Louis metropolitan area. A descriptive list includes names of the men, seemingly listed from left to right, though one man remains unnamed: F. W. Stolle, President of Casper-Stolle Quarry Co. in the 1st National Building in East St. Louis; C. E. Rode, of East St. Louis; M. C. Crossett, Chief Engineer of the General Steel Casting Co. in Granite City; E. H. Coulter, Superintendent of the Alton & Southern Railway in East St. Louis; W. E. Newman (misspelling of Newnam), Manager at the St. Louis Smelting and Refining Co. in Collinsville; J. D. Sundy, General Manager of General Chemical Co. in East St. Louis; J. G. Melendy, Production Manager at General Chemical Co.; Wm. Pool, Superintendent at Lumaghi Coal Co. in Collinsville; J. A. Grieve, of East St. Louis, Illinois. Unknown March 21, 2019
Jim Pennekamp Oral History Interview In this oral history interview, Jim Pennekamp describes his role in various economic development organizations in the St. Louis metro area and Madison County, including the Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation, the St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association, the Tri-Cities Area Chamber of Commerce (now called Southwest Madison County Chamber of Commerce), the Greater Alton Twin Rivers Growth Association (now called the Riverbend Growth Association), and University Park at SIUE. He also describes growing up in New Jersey and Brussels, Belgium, his participation in the anti-Vietnam War movement in the 1960s and 70s, and his early career as a deputy juvenile officer in Jefferson County. He also reflects on changes in Madison County and the broader region in the second half of the twentieth century, particularly related to globalization and the transition from an industrial to a service-based economy. October 24, 2018 February 15, 2019
Gale Cuvar Oral History Interview In this oral history interview, Gale Cuvar describes his career as a pattern-maker and life in Granite City. Cuvar discusses his career at Arnette Pattern in Granite City and Bodine Aluminum in St. Louis. Cuvar also talks about how Granite City has changed over time and briefly mentions his time in the Army. December 10, 2018 December 8, 2018
Joyce Taff Oral History Interview In this oral history interview, Joyce Taff describes her career as a keypunch operator at the Granite City Army Depot and later working in St. Louis. She discusses the impact that the Depot and its closing had on Granite City. The interview also describes Joyce's work with her church, Holy Family Catholic Church. October 4, 2018 December 6, 2018
1940 Ticket for Evangelical Lecture in Granite City<br /><br />
This ticket for an evangelical lecture belonged to Granite City resident Ernie J. Vaught. He attended the event at 7:30 p.m. on June 24, 1940 with his son William. The Big Tent was set up near 1800 Adams St. where Prairie Farms Dairy is now. The ticket for the event cost 35 cents. Charles Forbes Taylor (born 1899) was a traveling Baptist evangelist and author. Also featured on this card is Charles Taylor's brother, Laurie, who was also a minister, pianist, and composer. He often accompanied his brother Charles at evangelical events.

This certificate was digitized by Kelli Killion as part of History 400: Community-Engaged Digital History.
June 24, 1940 September 15, 2018
Ron Holland Oral History Interview In this oral history interview, Ron Holland describes his role as bass player for the Granite City band Rising Sons, as well as the music culture and other local bands in St. Louis and Granite City. He also describes how the band changed after he was drafted into the Vietnam War in 1968. September 7, 2018 September 14, 2018