The Making of an All-America City: East St. Louis at 150

At one point in time, East St. Louis was the boomtown of the St. Louis Metropolitan area, promising to be both a hub of industrial markets and a desirable residential area. In 1960, it was honored with the All-America City designation, yet today, it has been dubbed the most distressed small city in America. Comprising a selection of insightful essays, The Making covers East St. Louis turbulent history over the past century and a half, from the Mississippi River s role in the city s formation to racial tensions, the industrial decline, and its enduring cultural impact. This book is the first in the East St. Louis Sesquicentennial Series, which aims to examine the city s influence, document and preserve its history, and provide meaningful reference for historians to come.