632'" 
 .135 
 
 
The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924024415204 
 

 'CITY PLAN* 
 
 —FOR-- 
 
 EAST 'SAINT-LOUIS 
 
 —PREPARED FOR THE — 
 
 WAR CIVICS COMMITTEE 
 
 — BY— 
 
 HARLAND BARTHOLOMEW 
 
 CITY PLAN ENGINEER 
 
 -19ZO— 
 
 Cornell University Library 
 NAC 6827 .E135B28 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
li'^ ^ <v c '-• 
 
 -! 5j c <:j oj 
 
 '^ "-■ r^ tt :^ O4 
 
 -^ Wir- t-. 52 O 
 
 C O' o S 
 
 r- Ijfl^..'^ O Of 
 
 ^ ^ M <^ d 
 rv— I.::; [-,00 
 
 <h ^ m c _. 
 
 G o a> -^ to -G 
 
 ^ 13 - '^ •« 
 
 i (h C^ P^K, 
 
 oJ S ri "^ j> 
 
 °1 f= > •- <D ^ 
 
 * 2 B o "u 
 
 J; 3 g C 2j2 
 
 "i c 5 -^ « 
 m a> C £ face 
 
 W>" PCn "K-r 
 ■ t*"^ E J 
 
 i:^:;: O) ^^ rf 
 2 3 - m =5 .^ 
 
 •^ -^ ;;^ ^ i= 
 
 OJ tlfl Eh *- O 
 
 ■r; ■ - 4) 0) rt 
 S ° i! 
 
 C g'^ Sf <B 3 
 13 p O C --, 
 
 2 y CO m m OT dj 
 
 _ i M<5 1- t. 
 ■o g c S c 3 a 
 
 d g 5 -3 d CO 
 
 C0« j^ ^it- t_ 
 
 • ^_ 
 
 CO 
 
 o b t- '3'w d *j 
 
 ^ B * OJ ^C 
 
 m (»£— bo's d 
 
 313 •C to C d.M 
 
 ^ >i to "^ d (U 
 
 M^ (U to > 
 
 ^ n c x: •- K o 
 CO „ -r o <p 
 
 j« a ^ til 
 
 ^ ^ , CO -B ^ 
 
 S 2 £? ■ a. ' 
 
 O) £ ^ WJ "2 
 
 ggSS.2<5-S 
 
 "I'ad-S 
 
 C „,- d C 3 
 
 C J3 3 C .ici 3 
 C-t->P CO COtM 
 
A COMPREHENSIVE 
 CITY PLAN 
 
 FOR 
 
 EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS 
 
 PREPARED FOR THE 
 
 WAR CIVICS COMMITTEE 
 
 BY 
 
 HARLAND BARTHOLOMEW 
 
 CITY PLAN ENGINEER 
 
 1920 
 
 THE DAILY JOURNAL. EAST ST. LOUIS. ILL. 
 
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 
 
 St. Louis, Missouri. 
 April 1, 1920 
 
 War Civics Committee, 
 
 Federal Building, 
 
 East St. Louis, Illinois. 
 
 Gentlemen: 
 
 In authorizing the publication of the Comprehensive City Plan for East St. Louis, your Committee 
 has undoubtedly recognized the desirability of acquainting the citizenship with the necessity and advant- 
 age of undertaking numerous public works in accordance with some definite scheme of development. 
 Sixteen months have been devoted to the studies of the city's problems of street planning, transit, trans- 
 portation, recreation, etc. The present plan is the outgrowth of numerous conferences and meetings 
 with public officials, utility corporations, civic organizations and citizens. 
 
 It is unfortunate that a plan such as this could not have been prepared in advance of the city's pres- 
 ent growth, but the extremely difficult problems of today are but an indication of the urgency and wis- 
 dom of anticipating the needs of tomorrow. Certainly few cities have ever been confronted with more 
 difficult physical problems and yet the present opportunity of planning for the greater and inevitable 
 future development should appeal to all citizens as a measure of good business and sound economy. We 
 cannot accurately forecast the nature of the city's growth and yet, through planning, we may direct that 
 growth into the proper channels. The present plan should be adopted as the city's policy in public im- 
 rovements and in order to insure the necessary continuation of that policy a permanent City Plan 
 Commission should be created. It is quite as easy and certainly much cheaper in the end to carry out 
 public work in accordance with a definite plan. A permanent City Plan Commission will insure the 
 continuation of the work now started in accordance with the plan here presented. The future and more 
 difficult parts of the plan will thereby be better understood and their execution more easily accomplished. 
 
 Opportunity is hereby taken to express appreciation of the invariable courteous response, cooperation 
 and interest of those officials and citizens from whom the writer has had occasion to seek information 
 and assistance. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 HARLAND BARTHOLOMEW, 
 
 City Plan Engineer. 
 
 V 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 Title Page. 
 
 Letter of Transmittal. 
 List of Illustrations. 
 List of Plans. 
 Foreword. 
 
 Introduction 1 
 
 The Growth of East St. Louis. 
 Principal Problems of East St. Louis. 
 
 A Major Street Plan for East St. Louis 5 
 
 The Purpose of a Major Street Plan. 
 The Present Street Plan. 
 Radial Street Connections. 
 The Rectangular System. 
 
 Public Recreation 17 
 
 Types of Recreation Facilities. 
 
 Community Centers. 
 
 Playgrounds. 
 
 Play in Schools. 
 
 Neighborhood Parks. 
 
 Large Parks and Boulevard System. 
 
 Transit 29 
 
 Present Transit Facilities. 
 Proposed Reroutings and Extensions. 
 
 Transportation 37 
 
 Railroads and Terminals in East St. Louis. 
 Grade Crossings and Their Elimination. 
 A Union Station. 
 River Transportation. 
 
 Zoning 48 
 
 Present Zoning Laws. 
 
 Sewers and Water Supply 48 
 
 Development of Sewers and Water Supply. 
 
 VII 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 (Continued) 
 
 Housing 49 
 
 Housing Evils in East St. Louis. 
 Present Housing Ordinances. 
 Proposed Housing Ordinances. 
 
 City's Appearance 55 
 
 Tree Planting. 
 Signs and Billboards. 
 Sidewalk Encroachment. 
 Sidewalk Design. 
 Lighting System. 
 Bridge Approaches. 
 A Civic Center. 
 
 Legal and Financial Aspects of the City Plan 61 
 
 State Legislation. 
 
 Revision of the Present City Charter. 
 
 State Constitutional Convention in Illinois. 
 
 Constitutional Amendments. 
 
 Legislative Enactments. 
 
 Financial Considerations. 
 
 Financial Standing of East St. Louis. 
 
 Appendix 65 
 
 Proposed Ordinance Authorizing Creation of a Permanent City Plan Commission. 
 Proposed Law Authorizing the Establishment of Building Lines. 
 Proposed Constitutional Amendment Granting Power of Excess Condemnation. 
 Proposed Ordinance Authorizing the Regulation of Projecting Signs. 
 Proposed Ordinance Authorizing the Planting of Trees. 
 
 VIII 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Regional Plan Frontispiece 
 
 Rock Road Opening — Perspective XIV. 
 
 Panorama of East St. Louis River Front 3 
 
 Location of Proposed CoUinsville Road 7 
 
 Vacant Land North of the Relay Depot 7 
 
 State Street East of Tenth Street 11 
 
 Old Rock Road Northeast from Broadway 11 
 
 Minor Street of Excessive Width 13 
 
 CoUinsville Avenue, showing Inadequate Width 13 
 
 Broadway and CoUinsville Avenues 14 
 
 Nineteenth and State Streets, showing Jog 14 
 
 Illinois Avenue east from Fourteenth Street 1-5 
 
 St. Clair Avenue at the Stock Yards showing Inadequate Width 15 
 
 St. Clair Avenue, showing Jog at Tenth Street 16 
 
 New Catholic Community Building 18 
 
 Emerson Park 18 
 
 Sunken Garden 19 
 
 Franklin Park 20 
 
 Jones Park Swimming Pool 21 
 
 View from Proposed Park on the Bluffs 23 
 
 View of the American Bottom from the Bluffs 25 
 
 Scene in the Proposed Park on the Bluffs 25 
 
 Eighth Street north from Illinois Avenue 27 
 
 Kingshighway south from Forest Boulevard 27 
 
 Street Car Terminal at West End of Eads Bridge 31 
 
 IX 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 (Conlinued) 
 
 Viaduct over Cahokia Creek and Railroads, looking east 31 
 
 Alton, Granite and St. Louis Traction Company Viaduct at Ninth Street 33 
 
 Cahokia Creek north of Viaduct 37 
 
 Grade Crossing on St. Clair Avenue west of Collinsville Avenue 37 
 
 Present Collinsville Road Grade Crossing 39 
 
 Grade Crossing at Twenty-first and State Streets 39 
 
 Grade Crossing at Tenth Street and Southern Railway 41 
 
 Grade Crossing on St. Clair Avenue west of Collinsville Avenue 41 
 
 Types of Good Houses 49 
 
 Houses in Bad Repair 49 
 
 Poor Subdivision of Land 52 
 
 Scattered Houses in the Eastern Part of the City 52 
 
 St. Louis Municipal Bridge Approach at Tenth Street 54 
 
 Good Tree Planting 55 
 
 Bad Tree Planting 55 
 
 Projecting Signs 56 
 
 Poles and Wires on Collinsville Avenue 56 
 
 Sidewalk Encroachment 57 
 
 Area Below Street Grade in the Business District 57 
 
 Combination Trolley Wire Pole and Lighting Standard 57 
 
 Public Buildings Group 58 
 
 East St. Louis approach to St. Louis Municipal Bridge 59 
 
 High School 59 
 
 City Hall 60 
 
 Federal Building 60 
 
LIST OF PLANS 
 Plan No. Page 
 
 1. The Major Street Plan Insert 
 
 2. Street Sections 6 
 
 3. Present Streets 66 Feet Wide or Over 8 
 
 4. Collinsville Road Grade Crossing Elimination ^ 
 
 5. Radial Thoroughfares and Surrounding Territory 10 
 
 6. Rock Road Opening (Plan) 11 
 
 7. Population and Major Streets 12 
 
 8. Effective Radius of Playgrounds and Distribution of School Population 22 
 
 9. Effective Radius of Neighborhood Parks and Distribution of Population 24 
 
 10. Large Parks and Boulevard System 26 
 
 11. Present Routing of Transit Lines 30 
 
 12. Proposed Rerouting of Transit Lines 32 
 
 13. Present Time Zones 34 
 
 14. Railroad Properties 38 
 
 15. Present Housing Areas and Railroads 40 
 
 16. Present Grade Crossings 42 
 
 17. Present Flow of Railroad Passenger Traffic 43 
 
 18. Present Railroads — Industries and Proposed Major Streets 44 
 
 19. Rerouting of Railroad Passenger Traffic Scheme No. 1 45 
 
 20. Rerouting of Railroad Passenger Traffic Scheme No. 2 46 
 
 21. Paved Streets and Areas Served With Sewers and Water 50 
 
 Comprehensive Plan Showing Proposed City Improvements Insert 
 
 Studies Made But Not Included in Report. 
 
 Fare Zones — East St. Louis and Adjacent Territory. 
 
 Track Abandoned and New Track Required. 
 
 Use Map (showing use of all property) . 
 
 XI 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 The War Civics Committee was appointed by the Honorable Newton D. Baker, Secretary 
 of War, on September 16th, 1918, for a period of three years, in order to co-ordinate all the 
 forces for good — local, state and national — in eliminating adverse living conditions in East St. 
 Louis, and creating an environment more favorable to the successful production of war 
 materials in the industries of the city. 
 
 The plan made the following provisions: — 
 
 (a) The Executive Director to be furnished by the Community Organization Branch of 
 the War Department, and to be under the general direction of that department, and an official 
 of the Government. 
 
 {b) A committee of forty or fifty citizens of East St. Louis, to be appointed by the War 
 Department, from among the best representatives of all interests- — white and black — Protestant 
 and Catholic — labor and capital — Republican and Democrat — men and women, leaders in the 
 various civic, commercial and philanthropic organizations. This committee to have general 
 charge of the betterment work. 
 
 (c) An Executive Committee of eleven to be chosen by and from the larger committee, 
 to act for and report to the general committee in the interim betiveen meetings. 
 
 (d) Financial support to be contributed by the industries of this city and such other 
 people as the general committee may deem wise. The packing interests of East St. Louis to 
 agree to furnish one-half of such finances up to $50,000.00 the first year, $25,000.00 the second 
 year, and $25,000.00 the third year. 
 
 As soon as the industries were assured of the interest and approval of the War Depart- 
 ment the following industries subscribed $97,900 for the first year, $44,075 for the second 
 year and $43,450 for the third year: 
 
 Armour d Company. 
 
 Morris d Company. 
 
 National Stock Yards. 
 
 Swift & Company. 
 
 Aluminum Ore Company. 
 
 Missouri Malleable Iron Co. 
 
 Monsanto Chemical Co. 
 
 American Steel Foundries. 
 
 East St. Loiiis & Suburban Ry. Co. 
 
 American Zinc Co. 
 
 East Side Packing Co. 
 
 East St. Louis £ Interurban Water Co. 
 
 General Chemical Co. 
 
 Hammar Bros. White Lead Co. 
 
 Railway Steel-Spring Co. 
 
 St. Clair County Gas & Electric Co. 
 
 Barrett & Go. 
 
 Dixie Mills Co. 
 
 East St. Louis Bridge Co. 
 
 Elliot Frog d Suntch Co. 
 
 Golden Grain Milling Co. 
 
 Bezel Milling Co. 
 
 Laclede Steel Go. 
 
 Missouri Bridge cC- Iron Go. 
 
 Pioneer Box Co. 
 
 Zelnicker Supply Go. 
 
 Alfocorn Milling Go. 
 
 Banner Ice Go. 
 
 Campbell <£- Reid d Western Sales Stable Co. 
 
 Geo. S. Mepham Paint Co. 
 
 Grant Chemical Co. 
 
 Home Ice Cream d Ice Co. 
 
 Eehlor Flour Mills Co. 
 
 Standard Oil Co. 
 
 Excelsior Tool d Machine Co. 
 
 Illinois Walnut Go. 
 
 Layton Pure Food Co. 
 
 Oertel Roofing Co. 
 
 Phelan-Faust Paint Co. 
 
 Ralston-Purina Mills. 
 
 Southern Roller Mills Co. 
 
 Model Laundry Co. 
 
 The program adopted provided for the social, civic and physical improvement of East 
 St. Louis, and included the promotion of a city plan. 
 
 The complete history, plan, program, budget, financial report and accomplishments of the 
 first year, together with the program and budget for the second year, was published at the end of 
 the first fiscal year under the title of "BUILDING EAST ST. LOUIS FOR TOMORROW," 
 which may be obtained from Mr. A. W. Coffin, Executive Director of the War Civics Com- 
 mittee, 331 Federal Building, East St. Louis, Illinois. 
 
 XIII 
 
i^ . 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 East St. Louis officially came into exist- 
 ence in April, 1861, when at a public elec- 
 tion the electorate approved a change of 
 name from lUinoistown to the Town of 
 East St. Louis. lUinoistown had been in- 
 corporated only two years before — Febru- 
 ary 19, 1859 — when it numbered but a few 
 hundred people. Here products from the 
 surrounding section of the State of Illinois 
 were transferred to a ferry crossing the 
 Mississippi River, to find a market in the 
 City of St. Louis. The first account which 
 the histories give of the development on 
 the east side of the river is of the activities 
 of Captain James Piggott, who established 
 the first ferry near the foot of Trendley 
 Avenue in East St. Louis. He also built 
 the first houses in East St. Louis in 1797, 
 built a bridge over Cahokia Creek, and re- 
 moved timber that then existed in consid- 
 erable quantity upon the present site of 
 the city. 
 
 Throughout the nineteenth century the 
 growth of East St. Louis was quite neg- 
 ligible. The stock yards were established 
 in 1872. The Eads Bridge, the second 
 structure to span the Mississippi River, 
 was completed in 1874. It afforded inter- 
 course between the two sides of the river 
 and accommodated both highway and rail- 
 road traffic. Coal was first discovered in 
 the United States in the latter part of the 
 seventeenth century at Ottawa, in the 
 northern part of Illinois, and almost simul- 
 taneously just outside the city limits of 
 East St. Louis, but no attempt to develop 
 or make use of the vast resources to be 
 found in this locality was made until re- 
 cent years. 
 
 East St. Louis is situated in an extensive 
 low-lying area on the east side of the Mis- 
 sissippi River that is known as the Great 
 
 American Bottom. This area, once a flood 
 plain of the river, is approximately twen- 
 ty-five miles long and from four to eight 
 miles wide. At various periods the Mis- 
 sissippi River flowed through portions of 
 the area and since its general elevation is 
 still below that of several high water 
 marks of the river, it has for years been 
 subject to much inconvenience from over- 
 flow, seepage, and imperfect drainage. 
 Undoubtedly this handicap has prevented 
 the development here of an industrial city 
 of great importance, for the section has 
 otherwise many distinct natural advan- 
 tages. These drainage difficulties have 
 long served to retard the growth of East 
 St. Louis as well as of the several smaller 
 neighboring cities. The people of East St. 
 Louis, recognizing the necessity for over- 
 coming the danger and handicap of con- 
 tinual floods, created, in 1900, the East 
 Side Levee District Board, and by taxation 
 provided ample funds with which there 
 have been built levees protecting the larg- 
 er portion of the bottom lands from over- 
 flow. In magnitude and cost this undertak- 
 ing compares favorably with other great 
 projects of America, such as that at Gal- 
 veston and elsewhere. The work of the 
 Board is still in progress and present plans 
 call for the eventual building of drainage 
 facilities that will practically relieve the 
 entire district from flood troubles. The 
 value of the work of the Levee Board is 
 reflected by the census figures, which show 
 that the city has grown in population from 
 approximately 15,000 in 1890 to 80,000 
 (estimated) in 1920, while the smaller sur- 
 rounding cities — Madison, Venice, Brook- 
 lyn, and Granite City — have also shown 
 substantial increases in population during 
 the same period. The growth of East St. 
 
A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 Louis in population can well be seen from 
 the following United States census statis- 
 tics: 
 
 1880 9,185 
 
 1890 15,169 
 
 1900 29,256 
 
 1910 58,547 
 
 1918 (estimated) 74,808 
 
 With the coming of the transcontinental 
 railroads following the Civil War, East St. 
 Louis became a natural western terminus, 
 inasmuch as adequate river crossings for 
 heavy railroad use were not then available. 
 As a result very nearly the entire river 
 front of what is now the City of East St. 
 Louis was absorbed for railroad purposes. 
 These railroads preceded the development 
 of the city ; they were not obliged to con- 
 sider and probably did not dream of the 
 rise of a large city. In order to avoid flood 
 troubles, the grades of the several rail- 
 roads were raised above the high water 
 mark of the river and rights-of-way were 
 chosen to suit individual needs and with- 
 out regard for any particular plan. 
 
 Under these conditions it would seem 
 that the growth of a large city would have 
 been almost impossible. Few, if any, large 
 cities have ever risen under greater phys- 
 ical diificulties and hardships. Certainly 
 the site of the city was wholly uninviting 
 to the upbuilding of a great and attractive 
 metropolis. Only because of distinct eco- 
 nomic superiority of location has the city 
 of today been built. For this very reason 
 one may, without fear of contradiction, 
 predict a future city of almost unlimited 
 industrial growth and of accompanying 
 industrial population. Almost unsurpassed 
 in railroad facilities, possessed of cheap, 
 level, and advantageous industrial sites, 
 adjacent to the largest bituminous coal 
 field in the United States, having the tre- 
 mendous economic advantage of central 
 geographic position, and located at the very 
 
 heart of commercial United States, East 
 St. Louis is a city with a future almost 
 beyond prediction. 
 
 Great as may be the growth of East St. 
 Louis, however, there is one condition that 
 may seriously retard the city and prevent 
 the development here of one of the great- 
 est industrial cities of America. This dif- 
 ficulty is the tendency toward haphazard 
 development so glaringly evident wherever 
 one turns, not merely within the confines 
 of the city but throughout the whole dis- 
 trict. Aside from the work of levee im- 
 provement and of the commendable action 
 of the city in raising the grades of streets 
 above the high water mark in the area 
 west of Tenth Street, in 1888, there has 
 been scarcely any public action that can be 
 pointed to as evidence of or regard for the 
 development of a great metropolis. Rail- 
 roads have spread at random throughout 
 the city's area; industries have been built 
 where principal streets should be ex- 
 tended; important streets (notably Rock 
 Road) have even been abandoned at the 
 instance of selfish owners of abutting prop- 
 erty ; there has existed no plan or program 
 for the development of an adequate street 
 system; subdivisions have been laid out, 
 pavements laid, and utilities constructed 
 beyond what should have been the natural 
 limits of the city's growth. Practically all 
 the railroads are built at grade and no 
 general plan exists for the elimination of 
 the appalling number of these railroad 
 grade crossings. The city has not had an 
 adequate building and housing code, so 
 that the standard of workmen's homes 
 has been low and there has been no incen- 
 tive to raise that standard. A fairly ade- 
 quate sewerage and water supply system 
 has been constructed, however, that will 
 be a valuable asset in helping to create a 
 better city. Fortunately, housing has for 
 the most part been of the single family 
 type and there has been no tendency to 
 erect multiple houses. The absence of 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 -■^^t^jj^Yj^.-'- "i ri- ■■ ■^'■'ir.'C^h^. 
 
 Panorama of the vast railroad properties along the Mississippi River front in East St. Louis. 
 The Eads Bridge, spanning the Mississippi between St. Louis. Missouri, and East St. Louis. Illinois is shown 
 in the baclvground. 
 
 tenements and multiple family houses has 
 brought about a distribution of population 
 much more favorable than would have been 
 expected under the conditions. A few play- 
 grounds and one fairly well equipped large 
 park exist, but the recreation facilities are 
 far from adequate for a city of the present 
 size and character. 
 
 These shortcomings are commonly 
 known and are not here stated as mere 
 criticisms. We learn by our mistakes, and 
 those of East St. Louis are recounted 
 in order to show the lack of vision and 
 civic spirit that has attended the vast 
 growth of the city, so that by comparison 
 with the suggestions and plans presented 
 later in this report, the necessity for rec- 
 ognition of and action on all matters per- 
 taining to the city's future growth may be 
 fully realized. The greater East St. 
 Louis can not for long be contained with- 
 in the boundaries of the present city. 
 Already factories are being built beyond 
 the southern city limits. While the city of 
 the future will be determined by the char- 
 acter of planning and development within 
 the area now known as East St. Louis, at- 
 tention should also be given to the entire 
 
 surrounding district, including not merely 
 the Great American Bottom but the ad- 
 joining uplands beyond the bluffs to the 
 east. We now find a number of people who 
 do business in East St. Louis taking advan- 
 tage of the residential districts of St. Louis 
 or of the higher land on the eastern bluffs. 
 The low-lying bottom areas do not make 
 ideal residential territory, though evidence 
 that they can be converted into pleasant 
 residential sections is shown in the district 
 now known as Lansdowne. Taking a large 
 view of the situation, however, it must be 
 conceded that eventually a fair proportion 
 of the area of the bottom lands will be de- 
 veloped, and should be developed, for rail- 
 roads, industries, and commercial pur- 
 poses. While a considerable proportion of 
 the people working within these industries 
 and commercial institutions will wish to 
 live near their places of business, there 
 will come about eventually extensive resi- 
 dential developments on the uplands. 
 
 To the end, therefore, that there may 
 not be haphazard growth over this entire 
 area and in order to facilitate the most 
 natural and economical development of the 
 many miles of area involved, so that both 
 
A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 industries and residences may expand and 
 absorb suitable areas without undue ex- 
 pense, without depreciation of property 
 values, and without waste, it is suggested 
 that the various social, industrial, and 
 political interests involved be centralized 
 in some such way as to bring about the 
 effective planning and development of this 
 greater area. This, indeed, is a large prob- 
 lem and one which involves much thought 
 and attention. Any plan for the City of 
 East St. Louis would be incomplete with- 
 out a recognition and statement of the 
 necessity for planning throughout the en- 
 tire area. No wholly practicable and satis- 
 factory method for planning or attempting 
 to control so great a variety of community 
 and political interests has yet been devised. 
 
 It does not seem to be an impossible task, 
 however. In the work of the Levee Board 
 there already exists precedent for some 
 such authority, to be created possibly in 
 the same way. On the opposite side of the 
 river now stands the City of St. Louis, with 
 an area of, sixty-one square miles, for which 
 a comprehensive plan is now being pre- 
 pared and where practically all public work 
 is being undertaken in accordance with a 
 definite city plan. It should seem possible, 
 in view of the magnitude of the problem, 
 to secure the creation of a duly authorized 
 board to study and plan for the future of 
 the great industrial city which will un- 
 doubtedly develop on the east side of the 
 river provided its growth is wisely di- 
 rected and controlled. 
 
HarlamdBartholqa\ew 
 
 CITY PLAN ENGINEER 
 
 »T.L0UI5,A\0 
 
 APRIL, 1©20. 
 
 ST. CLAIR CO., 
 
 GlT^ir OF 
 
 ILL 
 
 m 
 
 ^tivpiiapK cou^JtTy 
 
IT 
 
 OK 
 
 o 
 
 ST LOUIS 
 
 CO., 
 
 ILLINOIS. 
 
 1^ 
 
 O 
 
 COiHPREHENSIVE PlAK 
 
 SHOWINS 
 
 Prj0PO>3ED 
 
 City Imprdvements 
 
 9p>l_fi_Q%JtIjT2C. 
 
 LEGEND 
 
 AlAJOR. Streets of sufficient width, 
 a^ajor 5treet5 widened- 
 Nelw Streets. 
 
 _27^j*v/^. £-3 
 
 r.r/^ 
 
A MAJOR STREET PLAN 
 
 The character and location of the streets 
 of any city are great factors in its growth. 
 Streets usually constitute from twenty to 
 forty per cent of a city's area; without 
 careful planning they may easily bring 
 about a tremendous economic waste. The 
 expansion of the city in all directions is 
 affected principally by the character of 
 street connections that are afforded. In 
 advance the city should plan main streets 
 in the direction in which it is expected or 
 desired that the city shall grow. 
 
 There are three types of streets: (1) 
 principal radial thoroughfares; (2) sec- 
 ondary major streets; (3) minor streets. 
 The principal radial streets are those af- 
 fording direct short-line connections be- 
 tween the business district and the several 
 residential and industrial districts. The 
 principal radial streets should also connect 
 with the roads leading to surrounding 
 country, to neighboring towns and cities. 
 The secondary major streets are those 
 affording direct crosstown connection be- 
 tween different parts of the city. The 
 minor streets are those used either for 
 residential or industrial purposes where 
 little or no through traffic is expected, such 
 traffic as is accommodated originating 
 chiefly upon the minor street itself. 
 
 The principal radial streets should sel- 
 dom be planned with a width of less than 
 one hundred feet. Such width will accom- 
 modate three lines of traffic in either direc- 
 tion and in addition a double-track transit 
 line. When first laid out it is not always 
 necessary to provide radial streets with a 
 wide roadway. The width of roadway in 
 the first stage should be determined in ac- 
 cordance with the amount of traffic using 
 the thoroughfare, but in anticipation of 
 the time when the thoroughfare will have 
 
 its maximum use, a final width should be 
 established in the first instance in order to 
 avoid excessive ultimate cost. 
 
 The secondary major streets should be 
 planned with a minimum width of eighty 
 feet, except that where no transit line is 
 expected a width of sixty or sixty-six feet 
 will usually suffice, unless an extraordinary 
 volume of traffic is anticipated. Here 
 again the width of roadway to be estab- 
 lished should vary in accordance with the 
 volume of traffic to be accommodated at 
 any given time. 
 
 On minor streets a width of not less than 
 forty nor more than sixty feet is desirable, 
 the roadway width also being designed to 
 suit the volume of traffic. A pavement 
 width of twenty-six feet is desirable and 
 all that is usually necessary on most minor 
 streets. The accompanying diagram (No. 
 2) illustrates the most desirable form of 
 future development of principal radial, 
 secondary major, and minor streets in East 
 St. Louis. 
 
 The Present Street Plan 
 
 The common rectangular method of 
 street planning has been rigidly followed 
 in East St. Louis. An examination of the 
 city map indicates quite clearly the dif- 
 ferent subdivisions of property, which, 
 though following the usual rectangular 
 plan, have failed to produce anything even 
 resembling a uniform system of wide, 
 direct, and properly connected main 
 streets. An accompanying illustration 
 (No. 3) shows all streets in the city with 
 a present width of sixty-six feet or over. 
 This is indeed an excellent illustration of 
 the lack of any systematic plan for the 
 city's growth. While in some portions of 
 the city an excess of street width was the 
 
A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 -FOIi,-tAST 5T. LOU15. ILL" -E>Y- HA.Ii.LAND BARTHOLOMEW- CITY PLAMNLE^ 
 
 aCALt. '/i - Vo' NOVtMBtll-- l^l^. 
 
 Plan No. 2. — Showing initial and final development of street widths. 
 
 rule, other large sections of the city have 
 been subdivided without a single wide 
 street! The existence of railroads seems 
 to have been one of the principal determin- 
 ing factors in locating the majority of the 
 city's streets. Despite this great handi- 
 cap, the opportunity for an adequate sys- 
 tem is not wanting. Numerous widenings, 
 extensions, and openings, if made as indi- 
 cated upon the map accompanying this 
 report, entitled, "Proposed Major Street 
 Plan" (No. 1), will make possible a com- 
 plete and satisfactory system. 
 
 In November, 1919, a preliminary report 
 on the major street plan was submitted for 
 consideration and criticism. This plan, 
 revised in accordance with numerous valu- 
 able suggestions by individuals and or- 
 ganizations, is re-submitted with the hope 
 
 that it may meet with the continued sup- 
 port and approval of those interests con- 
 cerned in its execution. 
 
 Nowhere is there shown more need for 
 thoughtful planning in East St. Louis than 
 in the following discussion of suggested 
 corrections in the street plan. Any of 
 them can now be accomplished without 
 undue expense. Owners and developers of 
 land in new districts should see the wisdom 
 of so planning their land and dedicating 
 streets as to conform with the major street 
 plan. Such important projects as the 
 opening of Rock Road and the widening of 
 State Street at first may appear to be 
 almost impossible, and yet experience in 
 cities where such work has been done indi- 
 cates that improvements of this character, 
 made at a time when property values are 
 
A MAJOR STREET PLAN 
 
 Proposed Collinsville Road prade crossing elimina- 
 tion. "Wliite lines show tlie location of the new Granite 
 City, and CollinsA-ille Roads and also the line of the de- 
 pressed street under railroad tracks. 
 
 Vacant land north of the Relay Depot which has 
 been reclaimed since the building of the levee but un- 
 used as yet, for want of adequate fill. 
 
 low and before numerous costly improve- 
 ments interfere, will pay for themselves 
 through increases in property values. To 
 delay longer the improvements mentioned, 
 together with others in the more closely 
 built up districts, is virtually to throttle 
 development before it is fairly started. 
 
 Radial Street Connections 
 
 An accompanying plan (No. 5) shows 
 the roads leading to the territory sur- 
 rounding the City of East St. Louis as well 
 as their connections within the city limits. 
 An organic scheme for the development of 
 the important thoroughfares seems an 
 absolute essential to the expansion and 
 growth of East St. Louis. 
 
 COLLINSVILLE ROAD, one of the 
 most important of these radial thorough- 
 fares, is the leading highway connection to 
 the northern part of the State. Outside 
 the city limits, Collinsville Road is now 
 being paved by the State, it being one of 
 the most important of all the roads at 
 present being improved under the $60,000,- 
 000 road-paving program. This thorough- 
 fare crosses at grade the Pennsylvania 
 (Vandalia), B. & 0., V. & C, and Ter- 
 minal Railroads, and is eventually lost 
 in a maze of streets before reaching 
 the downtown business section. An 
 
 accompanying plan (No. 4) suggests a 
 direct connection of Collinsville Ave- 
 nue in the business district with Col- 
 linsville Road by using Seventh Street 
 north of St. Clair Avenue to Exchange 
 Avenue, thence along the suburban right- 
 of-way to Lake Avenue and Ninth Street, 
 from which point the proposed route would 
 be a northward extension of Ninth Street 
 under the several railroads at this point — 
 Pennsylvania (Vandalia), B. & 0., V. & C, 
 and Terminal Railroads. The new grade 
 crossing elimination would require that 
 Collinsville Road be extended westward 
 from a point north of the Pennsylvania 
 (Vandalia) Railroad right-of-way. No 
 more important or far-reaching improve- 
 ment is today before the City of East St. 
 Louis. With such a street opening as pro- 
 posed, direct access would be afforded to 
 the business district and the Eads Bridge 
 via Collinsville Avenue, and to the St. 
 Louis Municipal Bridge via Tenth Street. 
 This new street would be of great advan- 
 tage to the street car company, as it would 
 permit the several lines to the northeastern 
 part of the city and county to reach their 
 respective destinations directly and with 
 but one railroad grade crossing in place of 
 several, as at present. 
 
 NEW GRANITE CITY ROAD. Another 
 
A MAJOR STREET PLAN 
 
 CITY OF EAST ST.LOUIS. 
 
 PROPOSED SCHEME FOR TMC 
 
 ELIMINATION OF GRADE CROSSING OF 
 croLLINSVILLE A-o GRANITE CITY ROAD. 
 
 Plan No. 4. — Proposed plan for eliminating Bast St. Louis' most dangerous grade crossing by extending Ninth Street 
 nortli-eastwardly under the railroad rights-of-way. 
 
 important improvement is to create a new 
 road to Granite City in this same locality, 
 extending northwardly from the intersec- 
 tion of the CoUinsville Road and Ninth 
 Street extension. The only present route 
 to Granite City is over St. Clair Avenue, 
 a tortuous, narrow traffic-way, further 
 handicapped by numerous grade crossings. 
 The new route would be direct, of adequate 
 width, and practically free of grade cross- 
 ings. The expense of eliminating the 
 crossing at Ninth Street could well be 
 borne by the railroads, inasmuch as it 
 eliminates several danger spots and will 
 unquestionably save them much inconven- 
 ience and expense. The cost would not be 
 excessive and could be divided between the 
 four railroads mentioned above. 
 
 STATE STREET is one of the most used 
 and most important radial thoroughfares, 
 connecting directly with Belleville and 
 other municipalities in the central part of 
 Illinois. Its present width is but 66 feet. 
 It should have a width of 100 feet through- 
 out and the trolley tracks should be in 
 the middle of the roadway instead of at 
 
 the side, as at present. State Street for- 
 merly connected directly with Broadway 
 at Fifth Street by what was known as the 
 Old Rock Road. Unfortunately, Rock 
 Road was abandoned a few years ago and 
 the street area absorbed by abutting prop- 
 erty owners. A few industries have taken 
 advantage of the area so relinquished and 
 have built new buildings on the site of the 
 old road. No great expense would be in- 
 volved, however, in the reopening of Rock 
 Road with a width of 100 feet. Plan No. 6 
 shows how the Rock Road should be re- 
 opened. It may seem like a large under- 
 taking, but it would in fact be justified 
 were its cost five times as great as that 
 for which it can now be undertaken. Ar 
 examination of the Major Street Plan will 
 make it clear that only through opening 
 this street can CoUinsville Avenue be re- 
 lieved of its present congestion. The pro- 
 posed opening would afford a direct and 
 easy outlet for all traffic using Eads Bridge 
 and State Street, and consequently would 
 relieve CoUinsville Avenue of mnch vehicu- 
 
A MAJOR STREET PLAN 
 
 11 
 
 state Street east of Tenth Street. As the city de- 
 velops east ot the railroad belt lines at Twenty-first 
 Street. State Street will become increasinf2:ly con- 
 gested. Steps should now be taken to insure an 
 eventual width of 100 feet. 
 
 Plan No. 6. — Opening and 
 widening of the Old 
 Rock Road: the most 
 important street im 
 pro\ement in East St 
 Louis. The necessary 
 openings and widen- 
 ings are shown in 
 solid black. 
 
 lar as well as street car traffic. Moreover, 
 among other things, it will help to spread 
 the business district — a process greatly to 
 be desired, although almost certain at first 
 to be stubbornly contested by myopic in- 
 terests unable or unwilling to appreciate 
 the larger aspects of the city's growth. 
 
 MISSISSIPPI AVENUE. There is but 
 one street — Mississippi Avenue — suitably 
 located to serve properly the great indus- 
 trial development to the south and east of 
 the city. This street now has no direct 
 connection with the central section of the 
 city and is consequently little used. It 
 should have a width of at least 100 feet 
 and be connected with Tenth Street at 
 Piggott Avenue, as shown on the Major 
 Street Plan. 
 
 Old Rock Road, looking north-east from Broadway, 
 showing the general character of the present build- 
 ings to be condemned for its opening. This street 
 was officially closed four years ago. It should be 
 reopened at once before additional buildings pi'event. 
 
 The Rectangular System 
 In general, it may be said that the pre- 
 vailing directions of the streets in East St. 
 Louis are northeast and southwest, and 
 northwest and southeast. Following the 
 generally accepted standard for the proper 
 disposition of major streets, they should 
 be provided at approximately one-half 
 mile intervals and have sufficient width to 
 accommodate the transit lines and the 
 traffic which may be expected to come upon 
 them. In that part of the 
 city lying between the cen- 
 tral business district and 
 the Mississippi River, few 
 suggestions for street open- 
 
 ings have been 
 made. Since 
 this area is oc- 
 cupied almost 
 entirely by 
 railroad and terminal 
 yards, it is only neces- 
 sary to open up a suf- 
 ficient number of streets 
 of adequate width to 
 serve the terminal yards and some through 
 traffic from the north. To extend or to 
 
►3 r^ i^ '^ 3 
 
 * H - 
 
A MAJOR STREET PLAN 
 
 m 
 
 A minor street with a roadway unnecessarily wide. 
 A roadway twenty-six feet wide would have been 
 ample and the remaining area on either side of the 
 roadway could have been included in the parl^ing 
 strip between the sidewalk and curb. 
 
 Cong-estion on CoUinsville Avenue. At present eight 
 different car lines and a great volume of vehicular 
 traffic use this street. 
 
 connect all the major streets in this sec- 
 tion of the city would involve great ex- 
 pense and would accomplish no serviceable 
 purpose. To be sure, more streets are 
 needed near the river front, but the open- 
 ings and widenings suggested will meet 
 the needs for many years. 
 
 FRONT STREET is the only river front 
 street ; it extends for a short distance only 
 between Winter Avenue and Trendley Ave- 
 nue. Its width should be increased from 
 60 feet to 100 feet and it should be ex- 
 tended, with a width of 100 feet, to the 
 north and east, parallel to the east side of 
 the levee, to a connection with St. Clair 
 Avenue. It should also be extended to the 
 south as shown on the Major Street Plan, 
 thus creating a most necessary river front 
 street which would incidentally afford a 
 more or less direct connection with the 
 roads leading from points as far north as 
 Alton and as far south as Columbia. 
 
 BROOKLYN AVENUE now has a width 
 of 50 feet ; it should be widened to 80 feet 
 and should be connected with the proposed 
 street over Cahokia Creek Diversion. 
 
 A STREET OVER CAHOKIA CREEK 
 DIVERSION, 80 feet wide, has been pro- 
 posed, between St. Clair Avenue (south of 
 Spring Avenue) and Front Street at Win- 
 
 ter Avenue when the proposed improve- 
 ment of Cahokia Creek is made. The need 
 of such a street can be readily appreciated 
 by examining the Major Street Plan. While 
 serving vast areas of railroad properties, 
 it affords at the same time a connection 
 between Front Street, St. Clair Avenue, 
 and the Stock Yards. Its connection with 
 Brooklyn Avenue Extension also offers a 
 direct connection between the Stock Yards 
 district and the Eads Bridge, an improve- 
 ment much to be desired. 
 
 FIRST STREET should be opened to a 
 width of 80 feet and should be connected 
 with Broadway by means of a viaduct. 
 This also affords direct outlet for the traffic 
 using the Eads Bridge and having its ori- 
 gin or destination in the Stock Yards dis- 
 trict. 
 
 MAIN STREET should be widened from 
 60 to 100 feet and connected with CoUins- 
 ville Avenue at Broadway. The present 
 jog at Main and Broadway should be re- 
 moved. It should also be opened on the 
 south between Trendley Avenue and Front 
 Street, to permit free circulation of traffic. 
 
 COLLINSVILLE AVENUE is one of 
 the most important business streets in 
 East St. Louis and bears a double-track 
 street car line. Its present width of 60 
 
14 
 
 A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 Broadway and Collinsville Avenue. All car lines to 
 and from St. Louis pass this intersection. The open- 
 ing- o( the Old Rock Road would greatly relieve the 
 congestion at this corner. 
 
 A dangerous jog at 19th and State Streets which 
 should be eliminated. 
 
 feet between Broadway and St. Clair Ave- 
 nue is wholly inadequate ; from a city plan- 
 ning standpoint it should unquestionably 
 be widened to at least 100 feet. Due to the 
 substantial character of some of the pres- 
 ent buildings fronting on this street, how- 
 ever, it would be impracticable from a 
 financial standpoint to recommend an im- 
 mediate widening. The present congestion 
 on Collinsville Avenue certainly demands 
 immediate relief, but this can be accom- 
 plished by diverting the excess traffic 
 through the opening of such other streets 
 as Brooklyn Avenue on the west and Rock 
 Road on the east. The widening of Col- 
 linsville Avenue may prove desirable as an 
 ultimate improvement, but the opening of 
 the Old Rock Road and Brooklyn Avenue 
 is the wiser immediate solution. These 
 openings would bring about an important 
 readjustment of traffic circulation. Not 
 only would Collinsville Avenue be consid- 
 erably relieved but, as has been brought 
 out elsewhere, the changes would also 
 tend to spread the business district, a 
 process which certainly should be antici- 
 pated in a city growing as rapidly as East 
 St. Louis. 
 
 EIGHTH STREET, at present 60 and 99 
 feet wide between Piggott Avenue and 
 
 Lynch Avenue, is of sufficient width, since 
 it is not expected that there will be a car 
 line on this street. 
 
 TENTH STREET connects with Falling 
 Springs Avenue and Mississippi Avenue, 
 two of the main roads leading south to 
 Dupo, Columbia, and surrounding terri- 
 tory. It now has a width of 60 feet be- 
 tween Baker Avenue and St. Clair Avenue, 
 and at certain intervals carries double- 
 track car lines. Because of the great 
 amount of traffic to be accommodated on 
 this street to and from the St. Louis Mu- 
 nicipal Bridge, it is essential that Tenth 
 Street be widened to 100 feet. It should 
 also connect on the north with Collinsville 
 Road via Ninth Street, which should also 
 be widened to 100 feet between St. Clair 
 Avenue and Lake Avenue, thence to a new 
 road as shown on the Major Street Plan. 
 The present jog at St. Clair Avenue and 
 Tenth Street should be corrected. 
 
 FIFTEENTH, COLUMBIA, AND 
 WASHINGTON STREETS. By widening, 
 opening, and connecting these streets, a 
 circumferential street 80 feet wide could 
 be created from Falling Springs Avenue 
 on the south to Morris Avenue on the 
 north, as shown on the Major Street Plan. 
 
A MAJOR STREET PLAN 
 
 15 
 
 Illinois Avenue, with proper tree planting, estab- 
 lishment of set-back lines and the removal of polea 
 could be made a very attractive street. 
 
 TWENTIETH STREET, GRAY BOU- 
 LEVARD, AND NINETEENTH STREET. 
 The present width of Twentieth Street, 
 Gray Boulevard, and Nineteenth Street is 
 insufficient. These streets should be made 
 into a continuous thoroughfare 80 feet 
 wide between Piggott and Lincoln Ave- 
 nues. The necessary widenings and open- 
 ings are shown on the Major Street Plan. 
 
 TWENTY-FIFTH AND TWENTY- 
 SIXTH STREETS. The connection of 
 these two streets at Illinois Avenue by 
 means of a cut-off and the opening of new 
 streets between Broadway and Bond Ave- 
 nue, and between the City Limits and 
 upper Cahokia Road, will create a direct 
 crosstown street between upper Cahokia 
 Road on the south and Morris Avenue on 
 the north. This will be one of the best 
 crosstown streets and, since it should in 
 time carry a transit line, a width of 80 feet 
 should be provided throughout. 
 
 THIRTY-FIFTH, THIRTY-SEVENTH, 
 THIRTY-EIGHTH, AND FORTIETH 
 STREETS. These streets should be wid- 
 ened and connected to make a continuous 
 thoroughfare, 80 feet wide, as shown on 
 the Major Street Plan. Thirty-fifth Street 
 should be extended south to connect with 
 Mousette Lane extension. Fortieth Street 
 should be extended north to connect with 
 
 St. Clair Avenue at Stock Yards; this street sliould 
 be widened to 100 feet and the car traclts located in 
 the center of tlie roadway instead of at one side as at 
 present. 
 
 the Colhnsville Road via Vandalia Avenue. 
 The present jog at St. Clair Avenue should 
 be eliminated. 
 
 BENNETT, PARKER, AND FIFTY- 
 FIRST STREETS. Bennett Street should 
 be widened to 80 feet south of Converse 
 Avenue and connected on the north with 
 Parker Street and Fifty-first Street, which 
 are combined major streets and boule- 
 vards. (See Boulevard Plan No. 10.) 
 
 KINGSHIGHWAY AND MOUSETTE 
 LANE. The present location of these 
 streets offers an excellent opportunity to 
 create — by connecting, widening, and ex- 
 tending — a direct circumferential street 
 approximately thirteen miles long between 
 the City of Madison on the north and Fall- 
 ing Springs Avenue on the south. Because 
 of its advantageous location — intersect- 
 ing all east and west radial thoroughfares 
 — it seems logical to presume that at some 
 future time this street will have a car line. 
 Consequently it should have a minimum 
 width of not less than 80 feet for its en- 
 tire length. (See Boulevard Plan No. 10 
 for width between Alton & Southern Rail- 
 road and Washington Park Boulevard.) 
 
 SEVENTY-FIRST STREET should be 
 widened to 80 feet and extended north- 
 wardly to Collinsville Road and southward- 
 
16 
 
 A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 St. Clair Avenue, looking east, showing tlie dan- 
 gerous Jos at Tenth Street and the narrow roadway. 
 Note the unsightly telegraph poles. 
 
 ly to Grand Boulevard, as indicated on the 
 Major Street Plan. 
 
 PIGGOTT, TRENDLEY, AND CEN- 
 TRAL AVENUES. These streets should 
 be widened to a uniform width of 100 feet 
 and connected as shown on the Major 
 Street Plan. It has been proposed to con- 
 nect Central Avenue with the Millstadt 
 Road east of Mousette Lane, which will 
 afford a direct route to Millstadt and sur- 
 rounding territory. 
 
 BOND AVENUE has a width of 60 feet 
 between Main Street and Mousette Lane. 
 Its present width is inadequate as it now 
 accommodates a double-track car line. It 
 should be widened to at least 80 feet and 
 the jog at Tenth Street should be re- 
 moved. 
 
 BROADWAY, MISSOURI, AND ST. 
 LOUIS AVENUES. These streets are now 
 important thoroughfares and will continue 
 as such, their present width of 80 feet be- 
 ing sufficient because of their close prox- 
 imity. (For development of St. Louis Ave- 
 nue see Boulevard Plan No. 10.) 
 
 ILLINOIS AVENUE is another import- 
 ant thoroughfare having a sufficient width 
 of 80 feet between Colhnsville Avenue and 
 the eastern City Limits. It should be ex- 
 tended to the east as shown on the Major 
 Street Plan. 
 
 ST. CLAIR AVENUE, ROCKY ROAD, 
 AND SUMMIT AVENUE. St. Clair Ave- 
 nue now has a width of 104 feet between 
 F'irst and Tenth Streets, which is sufficient. 
 It should have a width of 100 feet west 
 of First Street and also between Tenth 
 and I'orty-fourth Streets. Rocky Road and 
 Summit Avenue should have a uniform 
 width of 80 feet and should be connected 
 with St. Clair Avenue. The necessary 
 widenings and connections are shown on 
 the Major Street Plan. 
 
 LYNCH AVENUE now has a sufficient 
 width of 75 feet between Eighth Street 
 and Seventeenth Street. East of Seven- 
 teenth Street it should be widened uni- 
 formly to 80 feet and connected with 
 Richee Avenue between Park Drive and 
 Thirty-seventh Street. Richee Avenue' 
 and Hackman Avenue should be widened 
 to 80 feet between Thirty-seventh Street 
 and Kingshighway and should be connect- 
 ed with Bumkum Road. Lynch Avenue 
 should also be extended to the northeast 
 from Eighth Street with a width of 80' 
 feet. 
 
 CASEYVILLE AVENUE should be 
 widened to 80 feet east of Lynch Avenue 
 and extended as shown on the Major 
 Street Plan. The present jog at Twenty- 
 first Street should be eliminated. 
 
 FOREST BOULEVARD AND MORRIS 
 AVENUE. Forest Boulevard is an im- 
 portant boulevard thoroughfare affording 
 direct connection with Caseyville. It is 
 of sufficient width east of Fortieth Street 
 but should be widened to 80 feet w^est of 
 Fortieth Street and connected with Mon- 
 roe Avenue, Morris Avenue, and Collins- 
 ville Road, which should also be widened 
 to 80 feet as shown on the Major Street 
 Plan. 
 
 NEW STREETS. All new streets and 
 extensions shown on the Major Street Plan 
 and not mentioned above should have a 
 width of at least 80 feet. 
 
PUBLIC RECREATION 
 
 In January, 1920, there was presented 
 a report on public recreation for consid- 
 eration and criticism. On the basis of 
 suggestions made by the Park Board, by 
 members of the War Civics Committee, 
 and by others, the plan then presented has 
 been revised and is herewith re-submitted 
 with the hope that it will receive the sup- 
 port necessary for its accomplishment. 
 
 Types of Recreation Facilities 
 
 There are five types of public recreation 
 facilities that should be provided by the 
 city. These are community centers, play- 
 grounds for children, neighborhood parks, 
 large parks, and boulevards. The proper 
 method of creating and administering pub- 
 lic recreation facilities of the five types 
 mentioned would be through a central 
 agency with authority to acquire, through 
 purchase or condemnation, the necessary 
 properties, develop them in a fitting man- 
 ner, and administer them in accordance 
 with some comprehensive plan. East St. 
 Louis is fortunate in having created a 
 park board with ample authority and at 
 least a fair measure of ability to raise 
 money for the acquisition and development 
 of these various forms of public recreation 
 grounds, and with also the requisite pow- 
 er and the opportunity for their proper 
 administration. 
 
 This report will deal with these five 
 forms of service insofar as they have been 
 provided, or should be provided, in East 
 St. Louis, and with the functions of each 
 form of service in the community life. 
 Were we to deal with the present area 
 within the city limits or with an immedi- 
 ately contiguous area as an entirely unde- 
 veloped site for a city, our plans would 
 probably provide for a more ideal system 
 
 than is herewith proposed. The present 
 problem, however, is one of providing cer- 
 tain areas, already built up, with adequate 
 forms of public recreation, even though 
 those areas may be improperly located ; and 
 at the same time of anticipating an expan- 
 sion of the city's area, and especially the 
 housing areas, so that money spent on the 
 public recreation facilities shall supply 
 immediate public demands so far as prac- 
 tically possible and at the same time an- 
 ticipate the needs of the future. In dealing 
 with the several forms of public recreation 
 service, the city planner considers them 
 much in the fashion that one would con- 
 sider other forms of public utilities such as 
 sewers or water supply. From the city 
 planning standpoint, the locations of public 
 recreation facilities are to be determined 
 more or less in accordance with the law 
 of supply and demand, present and future, 
 taking into consideration such incidental 
 questions as unique opportunities, available 
 areas, and the like. There necessarily 
 must be a limit to the amount that can be 
 expended for public recreation facilities 
 and here, more than in any other form of 
 public service, future needs must very 
 clearly be taken into account in order that 
 the areas necessary for the future may be 
 acquired in anticipation of the time when 
 increased land values will make the acqui- 
 sition of such areas prohibitive. 
 
 Community Centers 
 
 The community center is an integral and 
 essential part of any well-organized system 
 of recreation. It serves as the only prac- 
 tical means by which the recreational and 
 educational authorities can co-operate di- 
 rectly with the people for the purpose of 
 improving the social welfare and unifying 
 the common interests of a community. 
 
18 
 
 A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 New Catholic Community Building erected by tlie 
 National Catholic War Council at the request of the 
 War Civica Committee. 
 
 A View in Emerson Parii. 
 
 Because of the number of buildings re- 
 quired and the large amount of equipment 
 necessary for a complete system of com- 
 munity centers, it would be financially im- 
 possible in most cities to establish centers 
 and construct buildings solely for com- 
 munity work. It therefore becomes neces- 
 sary to use public or semi-public buildings 
 that are available and can best be adapted 
 to that purpose. 
 
 Modern public school buildings usually 
 have nearly all the necessary facilities re- 
 quired for community work and are being 
 used extensively throughout the country 
 for community purposes. Advantages to 
 be obtained by using public school build- 
 ings as community centers are : 
 
 1. They are, or should be, well located 
 in relation to the density and dis- 
 tribution of population. 
 
 2. They are usually idle during the 
 hours needed for community work. 
 
 3. They are vested with a sense of 
 common ownership and educational 
 environment. 
 
 Obviously, therefore, the public school 
 buildings can well be adapted to the needs 
 of community work. 
 
 Community work may often be conduct- 
 ed in churches, libraries, Y. M. C. A.'s, and 
 
 the like, but there should be centralized 
 control of all such activities in order that 
 the majority of the population will be ade- 
 quately, economically, and efficiently 
 served. 
 
 The activities of a community center are 
 numerous and diversified. A well-propor- 
 tioned program should furnish amusement, 
 recreation, and education to people of all 
 ages for a greater portion of the entire 
 year, but more especially during the win- 
 ter months. Some of the functions of a 
 well-organized community center are: an 
 opportunity for neighbors to become ac- 
 quainted ; an opportunity for citizens to 
 discuss important community problems ; a 
 place to discuss current political topics; a 
 public lecture course ; indoor recreation of 
 all forms ; an employment center ; a branch 
 library ; and a public health center. 
 
 Community Centers in East St. Louis 
 
 No organized attempt to furnish an ade- 
 quate number of public community centers 
 for East St. Louis has been made. So re- 
 cent has been the development of the com- 
 munity center idea that East St. Louis, 
 like most other cities, has failed to appre- 
 ciate the necessity and desirability of cre- 
 ating sufficient community centers to meet 
 
RECREATION 
 
 19 
 
 Sunken Garden at the intersection of Summit Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue at 14th Street, an ex- 
 cellent treatment of a diagonal street intersection. 
 
 what may be considered the natural de- 
 mand for recreation facilities of this type. 
 The need for community centers has been 
 recognized, however, and centers have been 
 opened and conducted through the aid of 
 the War Civics Committee in the following 
 buildings : Y. M. C. A., Colored Y. M. C. A., 
 Y. W. C. A., Colored Y. W. C. A., Catholic 
 Community House and Center, and Neigh- 
 borhood House. The Park Board and 
 the Board of Education should co-operate 
 in producing an adequate number of well- 
 equipped community centers. Here, as in 
 most other cities, the establishment of new 
 buildings solely for community center use 
 is practically prohibitive from the stand- 
 point of expense. The new Catholic commu- 
 nity center building now being erected at 
 Fifth Street and St. Louis Avenue at a cost 
 of $225,000, is a splendid example of what 
 a community center should be, but only a 
 few such structures will be possible. 
 Through the co-operation of the Park 
 Board and the Board of Education, com- 
 munity centers could be established in nu- 
 merous public schools and the opportunity 
 for ample and wholesome recreation facili- 
 ties of the most desirable form would thus 
 
 be created. Within a few years the cost of 
 these centers would be more than justified 
 and, without question, public opinion would 
 demand not merely their continuance but 
 their enlargement and the probable estab- 
 lishment of other centers. With proper 
 administration these community centers 
 may be made very nearly self-supporting. 
 The locations of the public schools will 
 permit of a more or less correct distribu- 
 tion of community center activities, though 
 not all the present public school build- 
 ings can be so used. Were these centers 
 to be established in the school buildings, 
 the order of their establishment could well 
 be as follows: Franklin School, Webster 
 School, High School, Froebel School, Em- 
 erson School, Lincoln School (colored), 
 Monroe School, Jefferson School, Saint 
 Elizabeth School, Alta Sita School, Mc- 
 Kinley School (colored). 
 
 Playgrounds 
 
 The playground facilities in East St. 
 Louis are wholly inadequate. An area of 
 approximately two square miles in the 
 heart of the city, where the density of 
 population is greatest, is entirely without 
 
20 
 
 A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 Bii-cVs Ey.' View of FiHiikliii I'ark. 
 
 playground facilities. This condition can 
 be attributed largely to two causes, viz., 
 the limited funds with which the Park 
 Board has been operating and the high 
 value of land in that section of the city. 
 
 The East St. Louis Park Board since its 
 inception in 1908 has developed and is now 
 conducting three playgrounds and one ath- 
 letic field. It has also acquired several 
 parcels of land for new playgrounds. 
 The establishment of the playground 
 at Thirteenth and Winstanley by the 
 War Civics Committee makes a total of 
 four equipped playgrounds in East St. 
 Louis. While these playgrounds have ad- 
 mirably served a small population, they 
 are much too small to be used as exten- 
 sively as they should be. Experience has 
 proved that at least one and one-half acres, 
 preferably two acres, are needed for a 
 well-equipped playground. 
 
 The need of playgrounds in East St. 
 Louis, particularly in the more densely 
 populated districts, is well shown by an 
 accompanying plan (No. 8). The distri- 
 bution of the school population is indicated 
 by dots. The districts where playgrounds 
 are most needed can be readily determined 
 by the density of the dots. The areas 
 served by the present playgrounds are 
 shown on the map and certain other areas 
 
 unserved by playgrounds and having a 
 maximum number of children have been 
 selected as the areas wherein new play- 
 grounds should be established. Fourteen 
 new playground districts were thus select- 
 ed, of which eight are within the built-up 
 area of the city west of the Inner Belt Line 
 and north of the Southern Railroad. There 
 is a sufficient number of school children to- 
 day within the confines of each of these 
 fourteen separate districts to warrant the 
 establishment of a playground in each. As 
 new playgrounds are established, they 
 should be located within the boundaries 
 of the playground districts here deter- 
 mined, each successive location being 
 chosen where the school population is 
 densest. It will, of course, take a consid- 
 erable expenditure of money to acquire 
 adequate areas and equip a playground 
 within each of these fourteen districts, 
 but as funds become available such areas 
 may be acquired and developed to the 
 greatest advantage, since in these dis- 
 tricts will come the greatest density of 
 population and hence the greatest need for 
 the playgrounds. 
 
 No attempt has been made to recom- 
 mend playgrounds in sparsely populated 
 districts. It is urgently recommended, 
 however, that the Board of Education ac- 
 quire, wherever possible, at least two acres 
 of land adjacent to the school buildings in 
 such districts before the price of land be- 
 comes prohibitive; this move to be in an- 
 ticipation of the ultimate establishment of 
 playgrounds in connection with all the 
 schools. To a large extent such a proced- 
 ure will obviate the necessity of separate 
 purchases for playgrounds. 
 
 Play in Schools 
 
 Undoubtedly the best results in play, 
 for children between the ages of six and 
 fourteen years, can be obtained by having 
 the playgrounds adjacent to the schools or 
 a part of the school site. This would en- 
 
RECREATION 
 
 21 
 
 -^-- ~t^. 
 
 ^<*>iS 
 
 Jones Park Swimming Pool, one of tlie largest out-door swimming- pools in America. 
 
 able the school board to make play periods 
 a part of the school curriculum. Having 
 the children formed into classes of approxi- 
 mately the same age and having a regular 
 attendance afford an opportunity for a 
 well-regulated system of organized play 
 that could be obtained in no other way. 
 
 Neighborhood Parks 
 
 The function of a neighborhood park is 
 to provide a suitable and convenient rest- 
 ing-place for adults and for children at 
 such times during the day or evening when 
 time or expense would prevent them from 
 going to the larger and less easily accessi- 
 ble parks. The neighborhood park should 
 be so designed as to be suggestive of open 
 country, a place where people for a brief 
 period may enjoy a wholesome outdoor 
 environment away from the traffic, the 
 noise, and even the suggestion of closely- 
 built-up city streets. 
 
 Neighborhood parks should have an area 
 of twenty-five acres as a minimum. Often 
 such parks contain not more than ten 
 
 acres. Where the area is less than 
 twenty-five acres it will not admit of any- 
 thing more than walks, resting-places, and 
 some slight landscape treatment. Where 
 areas greater than twenty-five acres exist 
 it is possible to provide playgrounds, game 
 fields, and opportunities for recreation dif- 
 ferent from the other recreational fea- 
 tures of such a park. The playgrounds 
 for the children, whose mothers may wish 
 to take advantage of a brief period during 
 the day in the neighborhood park, as well 
 as the opportunity for recreation for older 
 children or adults, are particularly desir- 
 able within the confines of a neighborhood 
 park when, as is most often the case, there 
 are no nearby large city parks with simi- 
 lar facilities. 
 
 Neighborhood Parks in East St. Louis 
 
 Jones Park in East St. Louis is a good 
 example of a genuine neighborhood park. 
 Its recreational facilities have been some- 
 what over-developed considering the size 
 of the park and its usefulness for purely 
 
RECREATION 
 
 23 
 
 neighborhood recreation. This use of 
 Jones Park has been the natural out- 
 growth of the lack of other public parks 
 wherein such facilities could be provided. 
 The gradual development of a well-rounded 
 recreation plan will probably relieve Jones 
 Park of its over-abundance of recreational 
 provisions. Some additional developments 
 within the park are needed, such as a 
 bridge over the lagoon and a more dignified 
 main entrance at Twenty-sixth Street and 
 Lynch Avenue. These are matters of de- 
 tail, however, which will come within the 
 course of time and have no relation to the 
 development of the recreational system as 
 a whole. 
 
 There are three small parks — Franklin, 
 Emerson, and Virginia — ranging in size 
 from one and one-half to two and one-half 
 acres. They are too small to be con- 
 sidered as genuine neighborhood parks, 
 although the lack of other areas virtually 
 renders their use that of neighborhood 
 parks, even though greatly deficient. Each 
 of these parks should be increased to a 
 minimum size of ten acres as time and 
 occasion may permit. 
 
 Washington Park, Oak Park, and the 
 three areas recently acquired for park pur- 
 poses at the entrance to Lake Park on 
 State Street, the blocks bounded by Fif- 
 teenth Street, Piggott Avenue, Sixteenth 
 Street and Bond Avenue, and the old St. 
 Peter's Cemetery on State Street might 
 be considered as additional neighborhood 
 parks, though here again the individual 
 area of each is decidedly insufficient for 
 their proper development as neighborhood 
 parks. 
 
 Plan No. 9 shows the present distribu- 
 tion of population in East St. Louis and the 
 areas that will be served by the neighbor- 
 hood parks that already exist or for which 
 land has been acquired as noted above. An 
 examination of this map indicates that 
 these parks have not been located so as to 
 
 A commanding view! Loolving south-west from the 
 proposed parlv on the bluffs. 
 
 serve the great majority of the population 
 now within the city limits. As the city 
 grows, these neighborhood parks must be- 
 come more and more useful, which is ample 
 justification for increasing their areas pre- 
 vious to the advent of dense population 
 about them, when land values will increase 
 to such a figure that increase in area is 
 prohibitive. 
 
 Further study of this map indicates the 
 desirability of locating at least three 
 neighborhood parks within the district 
 north of Broadway, east of the Belt Line 
 (Twenty-first Street) and south of St. 
 Clair Avenue. The present density of 
 population and the high land values make 
 the provision of neighborhood parks with- 
 in this area exceedingly costly and difficult. 
 The neighborhood park is a factor in reduc- 
 ing social problems within the community 
 though, and the expense of providing 
 neighborhood park facilities in this more 
 congested section of the city, where un- 
 doubtedly continual increased congestion 
 is certain to occur, will more than offset 
 the economic burden of social evils arising 
 from lack of recreation facilities. 
 
 Larg^e Park and Boulevard System 
 The development of a complete system 
 

 u 
 
 
 1—1 
 
 CO 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 = p 
 m 3, 
 
 ^ OS 
 
 = .2 
 i Jii ra 
 
 ^i ad 
 
 ^ o tB 
 
 
 
 1^.^ 
 
 S " C 
 
 Q. 
 
RECREATION 
 
 25 
 
 A distant survey nf the great American Bottom 
 from the proposed i)arl\: on the blutXs, 
 
 A picturesque scene in the proposed large parl^ on 
 top of the bluffs. 
 
 of large parks, with boulevards connecting 
 these parks with each other and with the 
 more important residential areas as well 
 as with the downtown commercial center, 
 is a desirable feature of a complete public 
 recreation system, though more or less 
 difficult of accomplishment. Washington, 
 D. C, Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City, 
 and Omaha are about the only American 
 cities which have made any considerable 
 advance in the ultimate development of 
 such a large park and boulevard system. 
 Failure of similar accomplishments in 
 other cities, both large and small, has been 
 due either to the lack of a definite plan, 
 through failure to realize the desirability 
 as well as the economic advantage of such 
 a system, or through failure to secure 
 funds for the acquisition of adequate areas 
 at a time when acquisition would have 
 been inexpensive. 
 
 East St. Louis is still in the initial stages 
 of its growth. Fortunately, such growth 
 as has occurred will not make impossible 
 the development of an adequate and excel- 
 lent system of large parks and boulevards. 
 The acquisition of Lake Park, containing 
 1125 acres, is a splendid step in antici- 
 pation of future growth, probably unequal- 
 ed in any other small American city. Even 
 
 though there are no funds available now 
 for the development of this park, it was 
 exceedingly wise to secure possession of 
 the great area for development when time 
 and money will permit. Within Lake Park 
 are excellent opportunities for the con- 
 struction of bathing beaches, ball grounds, 
 tennis courts, golf courses and other game 
 fields. Through exercise of this same fore- 
 sight the Park Board should soon extend 
 the limits of the park district so as to ac- 
 quire or at least control a large portion of 
 the very attractive bluffs to the east, some 
 of which now lie within the city limits. 
 These bluffs will be unsuited for either res- 
 idential or industrial use and will serve as 
 a most attractive park area if acquired be- 
 fore they become spoiled through use for 
 disposal of refuse. A suggestion for an- 
 other large park on the blufi's is shown on 
 Plan No. 10 accompanying this report. 
 
 On Plan No. 10 is shown a suggestion 
 for a boulevard system connecting the 
 large parks with all sections of the city, 
 including the business district. It will be 
 seen that the proposed boulevards tra- 
 verse the very attractive bluff in the east- 
 ern part of the city and also connect prac- 
 tically all the existing small parks such 
 as Jones, Virginia, Emerson, and Franklin. 
 

 I— I 
 
 ^ '^ s to si og 
 
 to 
 
 
 
 . i i 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 <»5 
 
 •Sf/i 
 
 1 
 
 IJ 
 
 •p- 
 
 3 
 
 ;3 
 
 ■gH 
 
 ■a 
 
 ^2; 
 
 ■50 
 
 o " 
 
 
 z 
 
 c 
 n 
 
RECREATION 
 
 ■jj' 
 
 ^ 
 
 *->A 
 
 m$ 
 
 '^^mSBI^^ 
 
 
 iiflB ' ^kiiiHir^ 
 
 ^B^* ^^fr' i^fip^ !^^B^ 
 
 
 
 ^■7' IK'^ *iHB^i^^li 
 
 r-'-'j*.- ■:--- .' 
 
 ^ . _ ....... - " 
 
 ::_..-;i^. ,.:^ 
 
 fe-ii;. : ■ 
 
 ■■-.*Jwv._'. 
 
 " -^ :-C:«J 
 
 Eighth Street, looking* nortli from Illinois Avenue, 
 is desigTulted as part of the Houli'vard System. The 
 poles and wires should be removed and suitaV>U' street 
 trees planted. 
 
 Kingshighway, looking soutli from Forest Boule- 
 vard — an exceptionally good opportunity to develop 
 the proposed boulevard. 
 
 There are three proposed boulevard ap- 
 proaches to the business district, viz. : 
 McCasland Avenue, St. Louis Avenue, 
 Lynch and Exchange Avenues. Eighth 
 Street is used as the line of the boulevard 
 system in the business district. The pro- 
 posed system is composed of a series of 
 loops comprising an approximate total of 
 thirty miles. A considerable variety of 
 treatment for these various boulevards is 
 recommended, primarily for purposes of 
 economy. A genuine boulevard should 
 have a width of not less than 150 feet, 
 should have all commercial traffic excluded 
 from it, and, as far as possible, business 
 structures should not be permitted along 
 its length. With proper planting of trees 
 and shrubbery, agreeable and attractive 
 promenades and drives would be created 
 suggestive of the same amenities that 
 could be found within the parks to which 
 the boulevards lead. In recent years the 
 term boulevard has been used in an ex- 
 tremely loose sense. In some cities, and 
 unfortunately in East St. Louis, streets of 
 not more than 60 feet in width with no 
 particular boulevard characteristics have 
 nevertheless been called boulevards. This 
 has been most unfortunate, and an effort 
 should be made by the Park Board to cor- 
 
 rect the false impression that has thus 
 been created. 
 
 There are two distinct types of treat- 
 ment suggested in the boulevard system 
 here proposed. Where new boulevards will 
 be created in the eastern part of the city 
 widths of not less than 150 feet have been 
 suggested. In the western part of the city 
 where boulevards have to be made of exist- 
 ing streets, whose widening for aesthetic 
 purposes only would be expensive and diffi- 
 cult, it is suggested that commercial traffic 
 be excluded and that these thoroughfares 
 — Lynch, Exchange, Eighth, St. Louis, 
 McCasland, and Converse — be placed under 
 the control of the Park Board. They would 
 not be boulevards in the true sense of the 
 word, but through planting of trees and 
 shrubbery, by the exclusion of com- 
 mercial traffic, and eventually, if a build- 
 ing zone plan be adopted, by being largely 
 given over to residential use, with trolley 
 lines removed and with substantial noise- 
 less pavements laid, they would sooner or 
 later develop into streets having at least a 
 suggestion of the boulevard type. 
 
 In a number of cases the boulevard sys- 
 tem here proposed involves the opening 
 of new rights-of-way, but it is confidently 
 believed that all such recommendations are 
 
28 
 
 A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 not insurmountably difficult and in fact 
 can be accomplished with comparatively 
 little trouble or expense. It has been the 
 aim, where possible, to use what have been 
 designated as major streets only for short 
 distances and this only to permit the elimi- 
 nation of railroad crossings in order again 
 to avoid unnecessary expense. 
 
 Boulevards are often considered unnec- 
 essary and costly extravagances. Actually, 
 they can be made to be of financial benefit 
 to a community through the creation of 
 
 much better residential properties, through 
 stabilization of existing residential dis- 
 tricts, through the creation of adequate 
 routes of travel for the lighter classes of 
 traffic, and through the consequent desir- 
 able separation of light and heavy traffic 
 movement within the city. The sugges- 
 tions for a system here offered are practi- 
 cal and easy of accomplishment; in the 
 course of a few years the execution of the 
 plan would many times offset and amply 
 justify its cost. 
 
TRANSIT 
 
 How great a determining factor transit 
 becomes in the growth of a city is best 
 illustrated by Plans Nos. 11 and 13, show- 
 ing the present routing of car lines, dis- 
 tribution of population, and time zones. 
 From these it is to be seen that practically 
 the entire population of the city lives with- 
 in an area which can be reached in twenty 
 minutes from Main and Broadway, while 
 there is a relatively negligible proportion 
 of the population which lives more than 
 one-half mile from a transit line. With 
 the exception of a small population scat- 
 tered along the eastern end of the State 
 Street line and those living east of Twenty- 
 fifth Street in the Washington Park dis- 
 trict, the entire population of East St. 
 Louis lives within the twenty-minute time 
 zone. 
 
 A further graphic illustration of the ef- 
 fect of transit service upon the growth of 
 the city is well illustrated by a comparison 
 between traveling times to different sec- 
 tions of the city and between the charac- 
 ters of these sections. While it is possible 
 to reach the extreme limits of Washington 
 Park, Alta Sita, and Edgemont, distances 
 five, four, and six miles respectively from 
 Main and Broadway, it takes the same 
 period of time — thirty-five minutes — to 
 reach Brooklyn on the north, the southern 
 city limits at Mississippi Avenue and Lynch 
 Avenue and Thirtieth Street to the north- 
 east, distances of but approximately two, 
 one and two-thirds, and two and one-half 
 miles respectively. Lack of direct and ade- 
 quate transit service to these latter loca- 
 tions accounts, in part at least, for lack of 
 development near each of them despite the 
 fact that they are from two to three times 
 nearer the business district than Washing- 
 ton Park, Alta Sita or Edgemont. 
 
 Plan No. 11, which shows the present 
 routing of street car lines in relation to 
 the distribution of population, gives an 
 excellent illustration of the lack of evenly 
 distributed service. The congestion of 
 lines on Eads Bridge and on Collinsville 
 and St. Clair Avenues is clearly evident. 
 This plan shows the lack of systematic 
 planning for the future, the present tran- 
 sit system being quite evidently a more or 
 less expanded development of a system 
 originally planned for a city much smaller 
 than that which now exists. No better 
 evidence of this could be shown than by 
 noting the absence of a crosstown line. 
 From Plan No. 11, it might be concluded 
 that East St. Louis was merely an adjunct 
 of the larger city across the river and that 
 all traffic either originated in the City of 
 St. Louis or had that city for its ultimate 
 destination. 
 
 Plan No. 12 shows the proposed rerout- 
 ing and extension of transit lines in order 
 to accommodate the present population 
 more adequately and in order that an in- 
 creased population may be distributed 
 readily to all parts of the city. Without 
 such reroutings and extensions there will 
 be an inevitable tendency toward over- 
 concentration of population in the central 
 part of the city and a consequent conges- 
 tion for which no justification exists. 
 
 The three most important suggestions 
 made in connection with the rearrange- 
 ment of the present transit system are : 
 
 1. Construction of crosstown lines. 
 
 2. Relief of Collinsville Avenue 
 through the opening and use of the 
 Old Rock Road. 
 
 3. An ultimate new river crossing in 
 order to relieve what will otherwise 
 
S I 
 
 s: 
 
 1^ 
 
TRANSIT 
 
 The street car terminal at the west end of the 
 Eads Bridg-e in St. Louis is wholly inadequate. Note 
 the passengers walking- in the roadway of the bridge 
 — the passage-way on the loading platform being too 
 congested by passengers boarding cars. 
 
 Looking east from the \i.idiR-t ovr <'a]iokia Creek 
 and railroad lines. This nurro\s' roadway not only ac- 
 commodates eight different car lines, but also a con- 
 tinuous flow of \ehicles hauling freight between St. 
 Louis and the East St. Louis railroad terminals. 
 
 be an inevitable over-congestion on Eads 
 Bridge. 
 
 From Plan No. 12 it will be seen that 
 a crosstown line is suggested which will 
 start at the Stocks Yards and operate via 
 St. Clair Avenue, Tenth Street, and Piggott 
 Avenue to the large colored district in the 
 southern part of the city, passing through 
 this district and thence north via Twenty- 
 sixth and Twenty-fifth Streets to Lincoln 
 Avenue. This virtually creates two cross- 
 town lines affording direct service betvv'een 
 the Stock Yards and the southern part of 
 the city, as well as the very much needed 
 crosstown line in the eastern part of the 
 city. Eventually a third crosstown line 
 will probably be needed, at which time it 
 would be possible to make a distinct line 
 operating between the Stock Yards and 
 the southern part of the city and making 
 virtually a separate Belt Line operating 
 from Twenty-seventh and Piggott north 
 to Twenty-fifth and Lincoln, thence west 
 to Fifteenth Street, and south on Fifteenth 
 to Gay, completing the loop via Twentieth 
 and Piggott. This plan utilizes existing 
 track so far as possible. It lends itself to 
 future rearrangement and operation as 
 conditions permit. 
 
 The opening of Rock Road, discussed 
 elsewhere, is absolutely essential to any 
 solution of the transit congestion problem 
 on Collinsville Avenue. Not merely will 
 it solve this particular problem, but it will 
 afl'ord at once opportunities for more direct 
 and quicker service for all lines from the 
 eastern part of the city to the business 
 district of East St. Louis or to the business 
 district of the City of St. Louis across the 
 river. 
 
 The third suggestion here proposed — a 
 new bridge over the Mississippi River — is 
 of importance. Though in the nature of a 
 suggestion rather than a recommendation, 
 it is ofi'ered because even a casual obser- 
 vation of the present transit situation on 
 the Eads Bridge, particularly during the 
 rush hours, reveals the utter insufficiency 
 of a single highway bridge across the Mis- 
 sissippi to accommodate all the transit as 
 well as all the vehicular traffic between 
 these two thriving cities. The new St. 
 Louis Municipal Bridge has a highway 
 deck that can be used for transit purposes, 
 but its terminus on the western side of the 
 river does not reach the business district 
 of St. Louis and on the eastern side its 
 approach has likewise an unfortunate loca- 
 
be ^ 
 
 
 -a "^ 
 
 ^5 
 
 (D'3 
 
 a-S 
 
 oj ^ 
 
 3 OJ 
 
 ;- o 
 
 ex — 
 
 bjj d 
 
 e &@@@®@ 
 
TRANSIT 
 
 83 
 
 tion. It is therefore suggested that a new 
 bridge be constructed, from Trendley Ave- 
 nue and Main Street in East St. Louis to 
 Fourth and Market Streets in St. Louis, 
 which would provide a highly desirable 
 highway connection between the two 
 cities. It would be at once fully as direct 
 as the Eads Bridge and so located in both 
 cities as amply to fulfill its mission. Assum- 
 ing that the Rock Road were to be opened, 
 the distance from Tenth and State Streets 
 in East St. Louis to the business district 
 of St. Louis via either the Eads Bridge or 
 the new highway bridge here suggested 
 would be practically the same. Further- 
 more, the bridge here proposed would bet- 
 ter accommodate many of the interurban 
 lines to the east and south, such as the 
 Columbia and Waterloo line, Southern 
 Traction, or others that may eventually be 
 built. The grades on either side of the 
 river would permit of the construction of 
 such a bridge. It would be located approxi- 
 mately midway between the St. Louis 
 Municipal and Eads Bridges and sufficient- 
 ly distant from each to come approximately 
 within the rulings of the War Department 
 with respect to the spacing of bridges over 
 the Mississippi. 
 
 Plan No. 11 shows the present routing 
 of transit lines and distribution of popula- 
 tion and also indicates by numbers the 
 routing of each individual line. Plan No. 
 12 shows the proposed rerouting of transit 
 lines and also indicates by numerals the 
 suggested individual line reroutings. For 
 more ready reference the suggested 
 changes in the individual lines are de- 
 scribed in detail as follows: 
 
 No. 1. STOCK YARDS LINE 
 
 The routing of this line to remain un- 
 changed. 
 
 No. 2. ALTON-GRANITE & ST. LOUIS 
 TRACTION CO. 
 Because of the location of Thirteenth 
 Street in relation to other existing cross- 
 
 Alton. Granite & St. Li.uis Traction Co. viaduct 
 at North Ninth Street. This could ultimately be 
 abandoned by usins the ijroposed new Granite City 
 and Cnllinsvill ■ Koad opening under the raili-oad rights- 
 of-way. 
 
 town streets, it has not been designated 
 as a major street. It is therefore deemed 
 advisable to abandon this street for transit 
 purposes and to use the major streets 
 where the railroad grade crossing elimi- 
 nations can serve both for vehicular and 
 street car traffic purposes. This line would 
 then use the new Granite City road and its 
 connection to Seventh Street, abandoning 
 the present viaduct. From Seventh Street 
 a direct connection to Collinsville Avenue 
 would be made with consequent expedition 
 of traffic and a considerable saving in car 
 mileage. From Seventh and Collinsville it 
 should follow its present route westward. 
 
 No. 3. EAST ST. LOUIS & SUBURBAN 
 RAILWAY — COLLINSVILLE 
 DIVISION 
 The proposed change in alignment and 
 grade separation of the Collinsville Road 
 affords an excellent opportunity to reroute 
 the Collinsville line directly to the business 
 district and Eads Bridge approach via 
 New Collinsville Road, Ninth Street exten- 
 sion, thence over new street to Seventh, 
 to Collinsville Avenue and then westward, 
 as at present. This change would eliminate 
 a number of right-angle turns and conse- 
 quently accelerate travel. 
 
r\^ 
 
TRANSIT 
 
 35 
 
 No. 4. WASHINGTON PARK LINE 
 
 This line should also be removed from 
 Thirteenth Street by extending it north- 
 west on Nectar Avenue to the present 
 Collinsville Road, thence west to Ninth 
 Street, southwest to State Street via Ninth 
 and Tenth Streets, west on Rock Road to 
 Broadway, thence over Eads Bridge to ter- 
 minal at west end of Eads Bridge. 
 
 No. 5. STATE STREET LINE 
 
 This line to remain as at present except 
 between Broadway and Tenth Streets, 
 where it should be rerouted over Rock 
 Road once this improvement has been 
 made. The opening of Rock Road to per- 
 mit the diversion of traffic from Collins- 
 ville Avenue is the only immediate solution 
 to relieve the present congestion on that 
 street. 
 
 No. 6. EAST ST. LOUIS & SUBURBAN 
 
 RAILWAY— LEBANON AND 
 
 O'FALLON DIVISION 
 
 This line should also be rerouted over 
 
 Rock Road and operation abandoned on 
 
 Tenth Street, Missouri and Collinsville 
 
 Avenues. 
 
 No. 8. ALTA SITA LINE 
 
 This line should continue northwest on 
 Bond Avenue from Fifteenth to Main 
 Street, thence on Main Street to Broadway, 
 and on Broadway to the west end of Eads 
 Bridge. This would afford a better distri- 
 bution of service and provide a through 
 line to St. Louis for those living south of 
 Broadway. 
 
 No. 7. BELLEVILLE LINE 
 
 To operate as at present except west of 
 Tenth Street, where it should operate over 
 the Rock Road and abandon the use of 
 Tenth Street, Missouri and Collinsville 
 Avenues. 
 
 No. 9. PROPOSED NEW LINE 
 
 This line has been proposed for the pur- 
 pose of providing direct service from the 
 Stock Yards to the southern part of the 
 
 city to accommodate those workmen now 
 working in the Stock Yards and living in 
 the southern part of the city. Primarily 
 this line should connect with the proposed 
 Twenty-fifth Street crosstown line and 
 operate as one line between the Stock 
 Yards on the west to Twenty-fifth and 
 Lincoln on the east, routed as follows: 
 from the Stock Yards southeast on St. 
 Clair Avenue to Tenth Street, southwest 
 on Tenth Street to Piggott Avenue, thus 
 creating a most desirable crosstown line 
 on Tenth Street. From Tenth and Piggott 
 Avenue to continue southeast on PiggotL 
 to Fifteenth Street, thence to Gay, to 
 Twentieth, to Piggott, to Twenty-sixth and 
 Twenty-fifth Streets, terminating at Lin- 
 coln Avenue. 
 
 Ultimately, when the conditions warrant 
 a crosstown line on Fifteenth Street, this 
 line could well be converted into two dis- 
 tinct lines. One line could terminate at 
 the Stock Yards on the north and at Twen- 
 tieth and Gay on the south, as shown on 
 rerouting plan. The other — Twenty-fifth 
 Street Line — could operate south and east 
 from Fifteenth and Piggott as described 
 above, extending westward on Lincoln 
 from Twenty-fifth to Fifteenth Street, 
 thence southwest on Fifteenth Street to 
 Piggott Avenue. 
 
 No. 10. BROADWAY-ROSEMONT LINE 
 This line to be forked east of Twenty- 
 first Street, one branch operating over 
 Caseyville Avenue and the other over 
 Lynch and Richee Avenues. West of 
 Twenty-first Street it should be routed as 
 follows: west on Lynch to Fifteenth 
 Street, to St. Clair Avenue, to Collinsville 
 Avenue, thence from Collinsville and 
 Broadway to Missouri Avenue and City 
 Limits via Broadway, Twenty-second 
 Street, and Missouri Avenue. This would 
 be a purely local line and would pass 
 through the business district, an opera- 
 tion much to be desired. 
 
36 
 
 A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 No. 11. PROPOSED NEW LINE 
 (ST. CLAIR AVENUE) 
 It is proposed to create a new line be- 
 tween the Relay Depot at Missouri Avenue, 
 west of Second Street and St. Clair Ave- 
 nue and the City Limits via Missouri Ave- 
 nue, Rock Road, Tenth Street, and St. 
 Clair Avenue, thus providing a direct route 
 to the business district and the Relay 
 Depot for the population north of State 
 Street. 
 
 No. 12. CLEVELAND AVENUE LINE 
 
 The present routing of this line is tor- 
 tuous and its eastern terminus will not 
 permit of satisfactory extension. It should 
 be rerouted between the Relay Depot and 
 Illinois Avenue at the City Limits via Mis- 
 souri Avenue, Rock Road, and Illinois Ave- 
 nue. Operation to be abandoned on Mis- 
 souri, east of Rock Road, Fourteenth 
 Street, Cleveland Avenue, Eighteenth 
 Street, Louisiana Boulevard, and Twenty- 
 seventh Streets. This change would great- 
 ly simplify operation and permit of orderly 
 extensions. 
 
 No. 13. EAST ST. LOUIS, COLUMBIA & 
 WATERLOO RAILWAY 
 To be rerouted from Nineteenth and Gay 
 Avenue to Broadway and Collinsville via 
 Gay Avenue, Fifteenth Street, Piggott 
 Avenue, Tenth Street, and Broadway. 
 
 No. 14. PROPOSED NEW LINE 
 (MISSISSIPPI AVENUE) 
 
 The industrial development in the south- 
 ern part of the city and the area beyond 
 the City Limits along Mississippi Avenue 
 will undoubtedly justify transit facilities 
 in the near future. Mississippi Avenue, 
 under the proposed major street report, is 
 to be widened to 100 feet, which is ample 
 to accommodate a double-track trolley line. 
 Primarily this line could terminate on the 
 south at the north side of the Alton & 
 Southern Railroad, extend northwardly 
 along Mississippi Avenue to a connection 
 with Tenth Street, thence to Broadway 
 and Collinsville Avenue via Tenth Street 
 and Broadway. 
 
TRANSPORTATION 
 
 Transportation facilities are usually the 
 measure of a city's growth. No city can 
 hope to grow and expand without adequate 
 transportation and terminal facilities. 
 East St. Louis is essentially a city founded 
 on such interests ; in fact it may be said 
 that the present city's growth is to be at- 
 tributed directly to the fact that at this 
 point were established the terminals of the 
 first transcontinental railroads. To what 
 an extent the city is now a terminus of 
 railroad lines is best illustrated by accom- 
 panying plans (Nos. 14 and 18), which 
 show that on a strip of approximately one- 
 half mile width, from the east bank of the 
 Mississippi to the business district of East 
 St. Louis, railroads and terminals have 
 been built to the exclusion of practically 
 all other development. 
 
 The enormous growth of the city in the 
 past two decades was never anticipated. 
 As the city continues to grow there will 
 be inevitable conflicts of interests between 
 the municipality and the railroad and ter- 
 minal interests. How vitally the railroads 
 have affected the present growth of the 
 
 city is revealed by Plan No. 15, showing 
 railroads and occupied housing areas with- 
 in the city today. To the north, south, and 
 west it is practically impossible for the 
 city to expand. Railroad lines and yards 
 act as barriers to the extension of streets 
 or transit facilities in these three direc- 
 tions. This is not a healthy condition for 
 the city or for the railroads. The railroads 
 have undoubtedly helped to create the 
 present city and in so doing have enjoyed 
 almost unlimited privileges, but the time 
 has now come when they must recognize 
 the desirability, wisdom, and necessity of 
 co-operating with the city in solving its 
 problems. The city's problem is also the 
 railroads' problem, and through co-opera- 
 tion in solving this common problem the 
 railroads can best help themselves, for in- 
 creased growth means new industries and 
 more business, and consequently more traf- 
 fic and business for the railroads. 
 
 The point of greatest conflict between 
 the community and the railroads is that 
 of grade crossings. An accompanying 
 illustration (No. 16) shows the extremely 
 
 Cahokia Crt^'ek. looking north from \iaduct. This 
 creek will be diverted at the northern city limits and 
 the land reclaimed for railroad expansion. 
 
 Grade ci'ossins:^ 
 scene in East St. 
 lowered. 
 
 on St. 
 Louis. 
 
 Clair Avenue; a common 
 Note gates have not been 
 
CO 
 
 I— I 
 
 . B 
 
 CO 
 
 CO 
 
 
 
 CO? 
 
 OS 
 
 ,*/ 
 
 / 
 
 / 
 / 
 
 tji 
 
 -; 
 
 ^Ittai 
 
 H 
 
 
 v-- 
 
 ^>. 
 
 ^ 
 
 ►J 
 < - 
 
TRANSPORTATION 
 
 39 
 
 Presi-nt ^ollins^■ilIe Road grade crossing. Note 
 how the standing freiglit cars obstruct tlie view of 
 approacliing- trains. 
 
 Gi'ade crossing at Twenty-first and State Streets. 
 It is imperative tliat these inner belt line grade 
 crossings be eliminated, else the city's development 
 will be seriously retarded 
 
 large number of grade crossings that ex- 
 ist. Few railroads have been elevated and 
 the flat grades have practically prevented 
 the depression of either railroads or 
 streets. It is doubtful if any city in the 
 United States is confronted with a more 
 serious railroad problem than is East 
 St. Louis. The problem is not that of any 
 one particular railroad, for an attempt to 
 change either the grades or streets at one 
 part of the city may seriously interfere 
 with later grade crossing removals else- 
 where. The great need is for a compre- 
 hensive plan of railroad and terminal 
 arrangement, with elevation and grade 
 crossing elimination. It would seem that 
 the present is a time particularly oppor- 
 tune for such a study. The railroads, now 
 back in private hands, are confronted with 
 numerous problems of reconstruction and 
 extension, and must make definite pro- 
 grams for new work which cannot of 
 necessity be undertaken all at once but as 
 conditions justify. 
 
 Plan No. 16 shows present grade cross- 
 ings and those which are particularly im- 
 portant because of their relation to the 
 development of the major street plan. It 
 would be possible to avoid any neces- 
 
 sity for grade crossing elimination a,t about 
 two-thirds of the points shown on the plan 
 
 if the grade crossing removals could be 
 accomplished on the major streets. Such 
 a scheme should appeal to the railroads as 
 a matter of sound business procedure and 
 to follow it should mean much future econ- 
 omy to them ; by following such a plan 
 the best interest of the city will also be 
 served. 
 
 Certainly much could be accomplished in 
 meeting the numerous transportation prob- 
 lems if a general plan for the entire city 
 were devised taking into consideration the 
 questions of grade crossing removal, re- 
 routing and realignment of the roads, sepa- 
 ration of the terminal facilities, separation 
 of industrial districts and the like. While 
 many of these questions have been consid- 
 ered in this report, the matter should be 
 given much more extensive study, for 
 which neither time nor funds have been 
 available at the present time. The ques- 
 tion is one involving numerous highly tech- 
 nical questions. It is suggested, therefore, 
 that a commission be appointed which 
 might be known as the East Side Railroad 
 Commission, to make a thorough study 
 and report of present conditions, with rec- 
 
TRANSPORTATION 
 
 41 
 
 Sliowins;- traffic delayed at one of the many 
 crossings on St. Clair Ayenue. 
 
 ommendations as to how the various prob- 
 lems confronting the raih'oads and the 
 municipahty may be met. The Commis- 
 sion would probably best be made up of at 
 least five members, of whom two should 
 be engineers appointed by the railroads, 
 two engineers appointed by the city, and 
 a fifth member to be appointed by mutual 
 agreement. This commission should be 
 given funds contributed partly by the city 
 and partly by the railroads to make its 
 studies and employ the necessary assist- 
 ance, and should be required to present 
 its studies and recommendations within a 
 period of possibly one year. No more im- 
 portant or far-reaching result could be ob- 
 tained than through the work of such a 
 commission. It may safely be said that 
 the future growth of East St. Louis and 
 of neighboring cities and towns is almost 
 entirely dependent upon how the transpor- 
 tation problems of the East Side are to be 
 met in the next few years. The appoint- 
 ment of such a commission will afford early 
 and intelligent conclusions which may be- 
 come reasonable bases for action. 
 
 Some of the obvious suggestions that 
 may be made with respect to the transpor- 
 tation situation in East St. Louis are as 
 follows : 
 
 Orade orosxing at Tenth Street and Southern 
 Raihsay het\\'een tlie lousiness district and approach 
 to St. Louis Municipal Bridge. Continual switching 
 at this ijoint causes many costly delays to vehicular 
 transportation. 
 
 1. Elevate inner and outer Belt Lines. 
 
 2. Eliminate the dangerous Collinsville 
 Road grade crossing by slight elevation of 
 the B. & 0. and Vandalia, and by extending 
 Ninth Street north under these railroads 
 to meet Collinsville Road as suggested else- 
 where in this report (Plan No. 4). 
 
 3. Eliminate the more important grade 
 crossings on St. Clair Avenue, probably 
 through elevation of railroad lines. 
 
 4. Eliminate grade crossings on the 
 Southern Railway, probably by the build- 
 ing of viaducts over the Southern Railway 
 at Main, Eighth, Tenth, Fifteenth, Nine- 
 teenth, and Twenty-sixth Streets. 
 
 5. Create new classification yards fur- 
 ther to the east on such roads as the Van- 
 dalia, B. & 0., Southern, Cotton Belt, and 
 others. 
 
 6. Construct a new union station. 
 Obviously these recommendations can 
 
 not be carried out without some definite 
 plan of transportation development for the 
 whole city unless attended by considerable 
 uncertainty as to what eventual rearrange- 
 ments may be necessary. A single illus- 
 tration of this situation is that of the 
 L. & N. Railroad, which now enters over a 
 private right-of-way in the northeast part 
 
TRANSPORTATION 
 
 43 
 
 Plan No. 17. — All passeng-cr cars entering- or leaving St. Louis to and from the north, east and south via Illinois use 
 the Merchants BridRi- and the Eads Bridge. Note the lack of direct and systematic routing of passenger 
 cars The relative density of the flow of passenger cars is shown by the width of the lines. 
 
 of the city. This railroad, like all others, 
 is now at grade. There are many indus- 
 tries on its present route. It would seem 
 more desirable to reroute this line in the 
 eastern part of the city so that it might 
 enter over the Vandalia or B. & 0. right- 
 of-way, if suitable traffic arrangements 
 could be made, rather than to undertake 
 the enormous expense of elevation for 
 grade crossing elimination at not less than 
 ten major streets which the line crosses. 
 Plan No. 18 shows the present distribu- 
 tion of industries and railroads in the city 
 and the proposed Major Street Plan. From 
 this it will be seen that to carry out sug- 
 gestions numbers 1 and 2 above, and to re- 
 route the L. & N. Railroad, would provide, 
 
 through the development of the Major 
 Street Plan, direct routes to Granite City, 
 Collinsville, and Edwardsville via Ninth 
 Street and Collinsville Road and to Belle- 
 ville via State Street, entirely free from 
 railroad grade crossings with their present 
 attendant inconveniences and delays. 
 
 A Union Station 
 
 Considerable study has been given to 
 the question of the location of a union sta- 
 tion for East St. Louis. Plan No. 17 shows 
 the routing and volume of present railroad 
 passenger traffic in East St. Louis. The 
 tremendous freight congestion along North 
 Broadway in St. Louis has caused a con- 
 tinued decrease in the use of the Mer- 
 

 bsh^;^. 
 
 to > L 
 
 
 -^ o 
 
 "■■a 
 £i3 
 
 •J2 
 g3 
 
 " 2 
 
 :^ to 
 
 I'' 
 
TRANSPORTATION 
 
 45 
 
 Plan No. 19. — Proposed plan showing rerouting- of passenger cars and loeatir)n of a Union Station at 21st and State sti'eets. 
 Approximately 90 per cent of the total traffic \^'ould use the St. Louis Municipal Bridge and thus relieve 
 the congestion in the freight terminals on both sides of the river. Note the simplification of routing as 
 compared with present routings, Plan No. 17. 
 
 chants' Bridge for passenger trains and a 
 consequent increase in the use of the Eads 
 Bridge for this purpose. While the St. 
 Louis Municipal Bridge is not well located 
 for direct vehicular connections between 
 the business district of St. Louis and East 
 St. Louis, this Municipal Bridge does seem 
 to afford particularly favorable opportuni- 
 ties for the routing of passenger trains, 
 particularly since its use would avoid the 
 very objectionable confusion of passenger 
 and freight movement at the eastern ter- 
 minus of the Eads Bridge as well as the 
 unpleasant passage through the tunnel at 
 the western end in St. Louis. Already the 
 Eads Bridge is used nearly to its capacity. 
 
 It could profitably be used exclusively for 
 freight purposes. 
 
 A study was made for a possible rerout- 
 ing of passenger train service in connection 
 with the establishment of a new union sta- 
 tion at State Street and the Inner Belt 
 Line (Twenty-first Street), anticipating 
 the use of the St. Louis Municipal Bridge. 
 Plan No. 19 shows the density of traffic 
 that would result from such a rerouting. 
 Since it would be impossible to have the 
 lines from the southeast and south reach 
 this union station, a secondary station for 
 the accommodation of these southern lines 
 (Southern, Cotton Belt, M. & 0., I. C, and 
 Mo. Pac.) would have to be established 
 
46 
 
 A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 Plan No. 20. — Alternative reroutins scheme similar to Plan No. IB, except that the New Union Station would be located 
 near the present Relay Depot instead of at 21st and State streets. 
 
 at Tenth Street and the Municipal 
 Bridge. From the numerous studies 
 that have been rsiade, this seems to 
 be the most satisfactory solution possi- 
 ble. It has numerous advantagas, includ- 
 ing the relief of the present congestion 
 at the throat of the Eads Bridge and 
 the various terminals along the river front 
 by taking practically all of the north, 
 northeast, and eastern passenger traffic 
 out of the congested river front terminal 
 area. 
 
 An alternative union station plan is pre- 
 sented herewith and the reroutings result- 
 ing from it are shown on Plan No. 20. This 
 alternative plan would involve a new ap- 
 proach from the present Relay Depot to 
 
 the Municipal Bridge at Tenth Street. Such 
 an arrangement would permit of the loca- 
 tion of a union station at Tenth Street and 
 the Municipal Bridge which would accom- 
 modate practically all lines entering the 
 city from the north, east, and south, and 
 allow the present Relay Depot to be used 
 as a secondary station. 
 
 River Transportation 
 
 There has been much favorable opinion 
 expressed with respect to the revival of 
 traffic on the Mississippi River. The 
 United States Government has made ap- 
 propriations for the establishment of a 
 barge line and several tugs and steel barges 
 of large capacity have recently been con- 
 
TRANSPORTATION 
 
 47 
 
 structed and put into service. River ter- 
 minals have been constructed at New Or- 
 leans and at St. Louis, where one con- 
 crete dock of 900 feet frontage and 
 equipped with modern machinery already 
 has been established. There is now one 
 large industry in East St. Louis receiving 
 its raw material by river shipments. There 
 is no doubt but that river traffic will in- 
 crease, but to what extent is a more or 
 less uncertain speculation at the present 
 time. Though much uncertainty exists 
 with respect to the future of river traffic, 
 it is generally conceded that the building 
 of adequate terminals is essential. East 
 St. Louis should anticipate and plan for, if 
 not construct, new river terminals for fu- 
 ture use. The almost complete control of 
 the river front by the railroads makes the 
 acquisition of any site for river terminals 
 exceedingly difficult. This question should 
 
 receive serious consideration should there 
 be appointed a Railroad Commission such 
 as has been suggested above. Such a com- 
 mission might, for instance, find it prac- 
 ticable to rearrange railroads in the large 
 area south of Trendley Avenue to the Mu- 
 nicipal Bridge. Were this possible, a sub- 
 stantial industrial terminal might be cre- 
 ated in the area east of Main Street and 
 close to the river dock through the erec- 
 tion of loft buildings and other structures 
 incidental to an extensive terminal devel- 
 opment scheme. One of the difficulties 
 confronting such a plan is that the land 
 which would be needed is now in the hands 
 of the Terminal Railroad Association and 
 acquisition by the city or by an operating 
 company would have to be a matter of ne- 
 gotiation and railroad realignment within 
 the area mentioned. 
 
ZONING 
 
 When the preparation of the present plan 
 was authorized, no State law existed that 
 would permit the preparation and adoption 
 of a scheme for regulating the height, area, 
 and use of buildings within the city. Sub- 
 sequently the Legislature, in 1919, passed 
 such an act. Unfortunately, this act is 
 deficient in many respects and burdensome 
 of operation. It is expected and hoped 
 that a new zoning law may be enacted at 
 the next session of the Legislature. East 
 St. Louis may then with advantage under- 
 take the preparation of a zoning scheme, 
 although it has not yet experienced many 
 
 of the difficulties that have made zoning 
 ordinances in other cities immediately and 
 imperatively necessary. The present com- 
 prehensive plan will serve as an excellent 
 guide for such a zoning study and plan, 
 practically all the necessary study maps 
 having been made for this report, except- 
 ing only those of building heights and area 
 and of land values. Further study of the 
 railroad and terminal problems by a 
 special commission, as above suggested, 
 should also precede the undertaking of a 
 zoning plan. 
 
 SEWERS AND WATER SUPPLY 
 
 An accompanying plan (No. 21) shows 
 the extent to which the water supply 
 and sewer system have been built. A 
 comparison of this plan with Plan No. 
 7, showing the distribution of popu- 
 lation, indicates that water supply has 
 at least kept pace with the expansion 
 of population ; the construction of sew- 
 ers, however, has fallen behind, although 
 contracts have recently been let and sew- 
 
 ers are now under construction for a 
 considerable portion of the populated area 
 on either side of State Street east of 
 Twenty-first Street. There is a large 
 district, though, which lacks sewerage fa- 
 cilities, including Alta Sita, the colored 
 section in the vicinity of Piggott Avenue, 
 the northeast part of the city and the gen- 
 eral vicinity of Washington Park. 
 
HOUSING 
 
 East St. Louis has a pronounced housing 
 problem. Two phases of the housing prob- 
 lem are particularly acute. The first phase 
 is that of a seriously threatened hous- 
 ing shortage which is causing advances in 
 rentals and purchase prices of homes. The 
 second phase is a lack of adequate housing 
 laws and the lax enforcement of existing 
 laws which might be productive of a high- 
 er standard of housing conditions. 
 
 How much more acute will be the hous- 
 ing shortage in East St. Louis can be de- 
 termined only after a statistical study of 
 the increase in population in the past few 
 years, together with what may be expect- 
 ed from expansion of existing industrial 
 plants and the development of wholly new 
 industries. The increasing cost of materi- 
 als and labor have resulted in a decline in 
 house building. In order to meet this situ- 
 ation, a housing company has been organ- 
 ized and an initial group of twenty-five 
 houses will be built within the next few 
 months. In the past six months only 
 ninety-eight permits have been issued for 
 new houses. This is but an indication of the 
 shortage in housing that is bound to occur 
 
 from lack of building caused by present 
 high prices. It is doubtful if the present 
 prices of materials and labor will be re- 
 duced to any appreciable extent in the next 
 few years. Whether a proportionate ad- 
 justment in wage scales will occur so that 
 houses may be built and sold, is also a 
 ''speculative question. Certainly the present 
 situation can only be met through some 
 such wholesale building plan as is now pro- 
 posed, since contractors and investors have 
 practically withdrawn from the house- 
 building field. The twenty-five houses 
 which it is proposed to build this spring will 
 not serve entirely to relieve the housing 
 shortage that exists. The normal increase 
 in population for a city the size of East St. 
 Louis would indicate the necessity of build- 
 ing at least five hundred homes per year. 
 The developments in the housing situation 
 within the next few months and the ex- 
 perience gained in the building and dis- 
 posal of the twenty-five houses previously 
 mentioned will furnish grounds for a later 
 decision with respect to future procedure. 
 The other phase of the housing problem 
 — adoption and enforcement of proper 
 
 TypHS of good hous'-a. Ti-ecs ])V(i]}'-T]y planted 
 wouTd add much tri tlie appi-Mi:inue of this street and 
 enhance the value of the residential property. 
 
 Houses below street grade and in bad repair. 
 
HOUSING 
 
 51 
 
 housing and sanitary laws — has always 
 confronted East St. Louis. A satisfactory 
 type of workingman's home has never been 
 developed. The majority of houses today 
 are of one-story frame construction, hav- 
 ing only the bare necessities of a good 
 home. A considerable portion of the built- 
 up areas east of Tenth Street and south of 
 the Southern Railroad and in several other 
 districts of the city are without sewers. 
 Many of the houses in the older districts 
 are below grade and it is consequently 
 almost impossible to effect proper drain- 
 age for them. Fortunately there has been 
 no tendency toward lot congestion, either 
 in the form of tenements or by erecting 
 more than one house per lot. On the other 
 hand, there has been considerable laxity in 
 adopting and enforcing suitable sanitary 
 provisions. A recent survey by the State 
 Health Department reveals the fact that 
 there are over 7,700 outdoor privy vaults, 
 compared with a little over 5,000 indoor 
 toilets in the city. More than 1,200 of 
 these latter were found to be in bad con- 
 dition and approximately one-half of the 
 privy vaults were maintained in violation 
 of city ordinance section 734, providing 
 that no privy vaults shall be maintained on 
 a lot adjacent to a sewer. In the past year 
 considerable action has been taken upon 
 the part of the city to improve conditions 
 with respect to the removal of garbage and 
 refuse. Little or no effort had previously 
 been made to collect and dispose of house- 
 hold waste. There had been almost no 
 collection of ashes and refuse. The result 
 has been the cluttering up of streets, alleys 
 and vacant property. In April, 1919, the 
 city made a contract for the collection 
 and disposal of garbage, but no provision 
 was made with respect to the frequency 
 of collection. A fund of $20,000 was ap- 
 propriated for garbage and refuse disposal 
 in this same year. 
 
 In order to improve the existing housing 
 conditions and in order to stimulate build- 
 ing of new homes of proper types, there 
 should be created a housing committee to 
 encourage the work of and to co-operate 
 with the present housing company, to se- 
 cure the preparation and adoption of an 
 adequate housing and building code, to en- 
 list public support and sentiment in favor 
 of the proper enforcement of this code, to 
 enlarge the fire limits, and to undertake 
 such other measures as will tend to remove 
 many of the present deficiencies in the ex- 
 isting housing facilities of East St. Louis. 
 The housing situation seldom commands 
 public attention until the problems become 
 acute. Good housing is essential to good 
 business in any city and the present hous- 
 ing problems of East St. Louis should re- 
 ceive the attention of the business inter- 
 ests. The present housing shortage will 
 tend to encourage increase of housing evils 
 such as increasing congestion and over- 
 crowding of rooms. Unless measures are 
 taken to prevent the spread of these evils 
 a considerable increase in contagious and 
 infectious diseases will be inevitable. 
 
 Present ordinance provisions with re- 
 spect to housing which should be more 
 rigidly enforced than at present are : 
 
 1. "Unsanitary Buildings. Sec. 638.— 
 (Nuisance.) Any building or part thereof, 
 which by reason of its unsanitary condi- 
 tion, or of its being infected with disease, 
 is unfit for human habitation, or which 
 from any other cause is a source of sick- 
 ness among the inhabitants of this city, 
 or which otherwise endangers the public 
 health, is hereby declared to constitute a 
 public nuisance." 
 
 2. "Vacation of Buildings. Sec. 640. 
 Whenever it shall be decided by the com- 
 missioner of health that any building or 
 part thereof is unfit for human habitation 
 by reason of its being so infected with 
 disease, or from other causes, as to be 
 
52 
 
 A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 likely to cause sickness among the occu- 
 pants, and notice of such decision shall 
 have been affixed conspicuously on the 
 building, or part thereof, so decided to be 
 unfit for human habitation, and personally 
 served upon the owner, agent or lessee, if 
 the same can be found in the State, or the 
 persons in possession, charge or control 
 of such building, requiring persons therein 
 to vacate such building or part thereof for 
 the reasons to be stated therein as afore- 
 said, it shall be the duty of the commis- 
 sioner to see to it that such building or 
 part thereof is vacated within ten days 
 from the date of such notice, or within a 
 shorter time (not less than twenty-four 
 hours in any case) as may be specified in 
 said notice, if in the opinion of said com- 
 missioner such building or portion thereof 
 should be vacated within less than ten 
 days. Said commissioner shall have the 
 power and authority to call upon the de- 
 partment of police or upon any member 
 thereof for such assistance as may be 
 necessary to enable him to enforce the pro- 
 visions of this section, and it shall be the 
 duty of any member of the department of 
 police so called upon to render such assist- 
 ance as may be required of him by said 
 commissioner of health." 
 
 3. "Removal of Ashes, Garbage, etc. 
 
 Sec. 617. (Commissioner of Health to 
 Have Charge of Disposition.) The com- 
 missioner of health shall see to it that all 
 garbage, filth, litter, dirt, ashes, manure, 
 offal, swill, and other like materials are 
 removed from the streets and alleys of the 
 city and he shall be charged with the 
 removal and disposition of same." (This 
 ordinance is not enforced because of lack 
 of funds and organizations.) 
 
 The following provisions are not con- 
 tained within present ordinances of the 
 city ; they are taken from the "Model 
 Housing Law," by Lawrence Vieller, and 
 are herewith suggested as indicative of the 
 need of a proper housing code for East St. 
 Louis. 
 
 1. "Access to Yard. There must be 
 access from the street or alley to the yard." 
 
 2. "Cellar Entrance. There shall be an 
 outside cellar entrance." 
 
 3. "Hall and Stair Partitions. Tenements 
 over two stories in height or with more 
 than two families on a floor must have 
 stair halls enclosed on all sides with walls 
 of brick or approved fireproof material not 
 less than eight inches thick. Doors open- 
 ing from such stair hall shall be fireproof 
 and self-closing. There shall be no tran- 
 som or similar opening from such stair hall 
 to other parts of the house. Entrance 
 
 This results from the lack of power' to control the 
 sub-division of land. Note the angle at which the 
 houses face the street. 
 
 Dangerous grade crossings have retarded the 
 development of residential areas east of the railroad 
 belt lines at Twenty-first and State Streets. 
 
HOUSING 
 
 53 
 
 halls must comply with the above pro- 
 visions and be 41/2 feet wide." 
 
 4. "Percentage of Lot to be Occupied. 
 
 Corner lot, street on three sides. .90% 
 
 Corner lot 859^ 
 
 Interior lot, depth up to 60 feet. .70% 
 
 60 to 105 feet 65'/;' 
 
 105 to 155 feet 55%, 
 
 155 to 205 feet 50% 
 
 Over 205 feet 40%" 
 
 5. "Yards — Interior Lots — 25% of the 
 depth of the lot but never less than 15 feet. 
 Increased 5^^ of the above depth for each 
 story above three and decreased 5% for 
 each story below three. 
 
 Corner Lots — 15% of the depth of the 
 lot but never less than 15 feet. Increased 
 5 % of the above depth for each story above 
 three and decreased 5% for each story be- 
 low three. 
 
 6. "Inner Courts. 
 
 Height of building Width of court 
 
 1 story 6 feet 
 
 2 stories 7 feet 
 
 3 stories 8 feet 
 
 4 stories ' . . 9 feet 
 
 5 stories 11 feet 
 
 and shall increase 2 feet for each additional 
 
 story above five. The length of an inner 
 court shall never be less than twice the 
 minimum width. The length of an inner 
 court shall never be greater than four 
 times its width. 
 
 Intakes. Every inner court shall have 
 two or more horizontal air intakes at the 
 bottom . One such intake shall always com- 
 municate directly with the street or front 
 yard and one with the rear yard, and each 
 shall be three feet wide and seven feet 
 high and shall be left open or provided 
 with an open gate." 
 
 7. "Buildings on Same Lot. 
 
 Distance between 
 Height of building two buildings 
 
 1 story 20 feet 
 
 2 stories 30 feet 
 
 3 stories 30 feet 
 
 4 stories 35 feet 
 
 5 stories 40 feet 
 
 5 feet for every additional 
 
 story." 
 
 8. "Rooms — Minimum Area. One room 
 150 square feet floor area; all others ex- 
 cept water closet compartments and bath- 
 rooms, 90 square feet in area and seven 
 feet wide." 
 
 9. "Cellar Floors. Must be damp-proof 
 and waterproof." 
 
 10. "Halls — Lighting and Ventilation. 
 Every public hall must have at each story 
 at least one window opening directly upon 
 the street, yard, or court. Such window 
 shall be at the end of the hall with the 
 natural direction of the light parallel to 
 the hall's axis. Any part of a hall shut off 
 or recessed from any other part of said 
 hall shall be deemed a separate hall and 
 shall be separately lighted and ventilated. 
 
 Halls — Window Area. At least one of 
 the windows in every public hall shall be 
 21/2 feet wide or 5 feet high, measured be- 
 tween the stop-beads. In the roof over 
 each stair well, there shall be a ventilating 
 skylight with ridge ventilators having an 
 opening of 40 square inches or such sky- 
 light shall have fixed or movable louvres." 
 
 11. "Water Supply. There shall be a 
 sink or wash-bowl with running water in 
 each apartment, suite or group of rooms." 
 
 12. "Water Closet Accommodation. 
 There shall be a separate water closet in a 
 separate compartment located within each 
 apartment, suite, or group of rooms. 
 
 Window Area of Water Closets. Every 
 window must be three square feet between 
 stop-beads and the total area of windows 
 must be six square feet between stop- 
 beads." 
 
 13. "Drainage of Court Areas and Yards. 
 All courts, areas, and yards shall be prop- 
 erly graded and drained and, when re- 
 quired by the Health Officer, concreted." 
 
 14. "Ashes and Garbage. The owner 
 shall provide suitable tight metal cans 
 with covers for holding ashes, rubbish, 
 garbage, refuse, etc. Chute and bins for 
 such purposes are prohibited." 
 
s^,^ 
 
 'f a '" 
 
 
 C C to 
 O' oj M 
 hog 
 
 ci o J 
 
 
 5-« c 
 ^ o o 
 
 St: c. 
 o c3 a> 
 
 O K ^ 
 
 S O 03 
 
 Ci C _^ 
 
 rt ^ s 
 
 [< O; OJ 
 
 - C^ 
 
 ^5 a> 
 
 p Oi "r- 
 Oj i '^ 
 
 c m _ 
 
 c £ ^ 
 
 rv >.^ 
 
THE CITY'S APPEARANCE 
 
 It is now a generally accepted fact that 
 the industrial city wishing to attract new 
 industries as well as to retain its present 
 ones must offer to the manufacturer not 
 merely good industrial sites, low freight 
 rates and switching charges, and public 
 utility services at economical prices, but 
 the city must also offer to the employees 
 of industries good living conditions, good 
 housing conditions, ample recreation facili- 
 ties, and those other things which will tend 
 to make life in that city pleasant for the 
 workmen's families. Not the least of those 
 amenities which a city should offer is a 
 pleasing aspect. It must be admitted that 
 East St. Louis today offers anything but a 
 pleasing appearance to its citizens and to 
 those who visit the city. There are many 
 comparatively inexpensive things that the 
 city could do which, in a few years, would 
 materially alter its present aspect. As a 
 matter of good business as well as of civic 
 pride these seemingly small and insignifi- 
 cant matters should be given serious con- 
 sideration. 
 
 Chief among the things which lend at- 
 tractiveness and add comfort and value to 
 all residential districts is proper planting 
 of street trees. There is now an utter lack 
 of adecjuate tree planting in East St. Louis. 
 There is neither a definite plan nor pro- 
 gram for providing street trees in residen- 
 tial districts ; the result is that most 
 streets present a barren, or at best a rag- 
 ged appearance throughout the year. Trees 
 are inexpensive, yet they do help greatly 
 to provide comfort during the warm sum- 
 mer months. It is urgently recommended 
 that local legislation be passed authorizing 
 the City Commission to plant, maintain, 
 and levy assessments for the planting of 
 trees. Already the Park Board has taken 
 upon itself the task of planting trees on a 
 few city streets, but obviously it would be 
 an unwarranted tax on the Park Board to 
 plant all the streets in the city without 
 compensation. The majority of individual 
 owners would be willing to pay the assess- 
 ment for such tree planting, an amount 
 probably not more than $5.00 for each 
 
 An example of good tree planting. 
 
 An example of bad tree planting. Note the dif- 
 ferent kinds of trees and irregular spacing. 
 
56 
 
 A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 Projecting signs not only mar tlie appearance of 
 the street, but also that of tlie building. 
 
 Unsightly poles and wires on Collinsville Avenue, 
 the main business street of East St. Louis. These 
 should be placed in the alley or preferably the wires 
 should be run in underground conduits. 
 
 small residence lot. In the appendix will 
 be found a proposed ordinance which would 
 make possible the execution of the above 
 recommendation with respect to the plant- 
 ing of trees and levying the required 
 assessments. Through the operation of 
 such an ordinance the City Commission 
 would be enabled to prepare and carry out 
 a tree-planting program for the entire city. 
 Permanent types of trees such as Elms, 
 Norway Maples or Native Oaks should be 
 used rather than the less permanent Syca- 
 mores and Poplars now so common. 
 
 In the business section of the city, where 
 it would be more or less impracticable to 
 plant trees, a decided improvement in the 
 appearance of streets such as Collinsville 
 Avenue could be effected by the removal 
 of the numerous poles and wires by placing 
 them in underground conduits. The utili- 
 ties corporations would probably be willing 
 to co-operate in some carefully prepared 
 plan for gradually eliminating poles and 
 
 wires on the more important streets. Some 
 cities, notably St. Louis, have adopted ordi- 
 nances providing for the removal of poles, 
 and wires over a given length of streets 
 each year. Such an ordinance providing 
 for the clearing of at least one or two miles 
 of poles and wires on the most important 
 major streets each year could well be en- 
 acted in East St. Louis. 
 
 One of the principal sources of ugliness- 
 in cities in recent years has been the bill- 
 board. Recent court decisions have indi- 
 cated that cities may control the location 
 and design of billboards. Under zoning 
 ordinances adopted in some of the larger 
 cities it has been possible to exclude bill- 
 boards from sections of the city zoned for 
 residential purposes. An ordinance for the 
 regulation of billboards has already been 
 adopted and should be rigidly enforced. 
 
 Sidewalk encroachments often become a 
 source of public annoyance and inconven- 
 ience, especially when not carefully regu- 
 
THE CITY'S APPEARANCE 
 
 57 
 
 Sidewalk eiKTuachmein which should be prohibited. 
 
 Ill 
 
 j-fn 
 
 ' 5. 
 
 -^•"'■va •---'^^ - 3-..««»«ii<» sipa.^'^ T-,'^ —V 
 
 All area bi-low the street grade in tin- liusiness 
 disti-ict of Kast St. Louis, within a few huudred feet 
 f)f its busiest coi-ner. 
 
 lated. On Collinsville Avenue, East St. 
 Louis' most important street, which al- 
 ready has inadequate roadway and side- 
 walk widths numerous merchants have 
 formed the habit of using a part of the 
 sidewalk space for mercantile purposes. 
 This not merely reduces the effectiveness 
 of sidewalk width but helps to contribute 
 to an untidy street appearance. The city 
 has the right to keep the sidewalks free of 
 encumbrances and should diligently exer- 
 cise that right. 
 
 Many cities prepare and enforce a uni- 
 form sidewalk specification for curbs and 
 
 LLLVATIOM OF POLL, 
 W[O.L AND BRACllLT 
 
 DLTAIL OF 
 LIGHTING Mt.ACt;LT. 
 
 - COMBINATION •TKjDLLLY-WIE.L- POLL' 
 
 -AND-LIGHTIMS -STANDAE.D- ) 
 
 A simple, satisfactory and economical method of 
 combining trolley wire pole and lighting standard. 
 
 gutters. This could well be done by the 
 city engineering department to prevent 
 irregularity in the plan of sidewalks, as 
 well as to preserve uniformity in design 
 and appearance of sidewalks, curbs, and 
 gutters. 
 
 A uniform lighting plan should also be 
 devised for the entire city. Several desir- 
 able types of lighting standards should be 
 designed for use in various districts. A 
 combination standard for street lighting 
 and for the support of trolley wires should 
 be adopted on Collinsville Avenue and the 
 other important streets of the business dis- 
 trict. 
 
 If the Rock Road be widened and ex- 
 tended to Broadway or Main Street, pre- 
 viously mentioned as one of the foremost 
 improvements needed in East St. Louis, 
 an opportunity will present itself for 
 designing a most interesting plaza at the 
 intersection of Tenth Street, State Street,, 
 and Rock Road. The State Street inter- 
 section will be one of the most import- 
 ant in the city and undoubtedly this will 
 become very nearly the center of the fu- 
 ture business district. The opportunity 
 now exists for planning here a street 
 intersection which in later years will be 
 considered one of the city's most note- 
 
Plan and View of the Proposed Public Building Giouji between the two blocks bounded 
 by Fiftli and Seventh Streets, and Illinois and St. Liouis Avenues. The buildings could be so 
 designed and arran^^d as to have frontage on sun'ounding streets as well as to constitute a 
 satisfactory and complete public building group. 
 
THE CITY'S APPEARANCE 
 
 59 
 
 View from tlie St. Louis ;\Iiini<.ipal Bridjin sliow- 
 g- tlie present Kast St. Louis approach. 
 
 Higli School; a large and attracti\"e Ijuildiiig on too 
 small a site. 
 
 worthy improvements. Likewise, a similar 
 street plaza could be created at the inter- 
 section of Broadway and Rock Road, ex- 
 tended as proposed. 
 
 Cities are frequently judged by first im- 
 pressions. Particularly is this true where 
 the principal approaches to a city are over 
 important bridges. The present approach 
 to East St. Louis from the Eads Bridge 
 gives a most uncomplimentary and un- 
 pleasant first impression. This is also true 
 of the approach from the St. Louis Munici- 
 pal Bridge. An accompanying drawing 
 (page 54) illustrates what might very 
 properly and easily be done at the Munici- 
 pal Bridge approach. Tenth Street should 
 be widened and a considerable street space 
 should be provided at the entrance to the 
 bridge so that automobiles may enter 
 Tenth Street without an abrupt turn and 
 transit lines from across the river be given 
 space for looping. In this plan, provision 
 has been made for a car line loop as well as 
 a waiting station and platform. Undoubt- 
 edly there will be an early increase of prop- 
 erty values at this point ; the city should 
 soon take advantage of its opportunity by 
 creating a more favorable approach to the 
 bridge than now exis-ts. 
 
 An exceptionally pleasing bridge ap- 
 proach would be possible if at some future 
 
 time there were to be constructed the 
 bridge proposed over the Mississippi at 
 Trendley Avenue. Piggott Avenue, Trend- 
 ley Avenue, and Main Street come together 
 at what would be the entrance to the 
 bridge, and by acquiring sufficient prop- 
 erty at this point, a most attractive bridge 
 entrance could be constructed. 
 
 A Civic Center 
 
 In the design of its public buildings a 
 city usually attempts to give expression 
 to the community spirit. A well-designed 
 building is often spoiled, however, by a 
 poor location. More often than not public 
 buildings are scattered about the city with- 
 out regard to the best fulfillment of their 
 respective functions. Where opportunity 
 presents there should be a grouping of 
 public buildings about a common center, 
 producing a much more efi'ective setting 
 for each as well as securing the economy 
 of concentrating public business at a com- 
 mon point. 
 
 The present city hall in East St. Louis 
 will have outlived its usefulness within a 
 comparatively few years. A new library 
 building is already needed. A new court 
 house will undoubtedly be required within 
 a few years and could possibly be located 
 in East St. Louis. It would therefore 
 
60 
 
 A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 Present <"^ity Hall, thnimii imposing' in iippearance 
 it will soon be inadequate in size. 
 
 Federal Building; a stately building with 
 setting. 
 
 poor 
 
 seem wise to suggest placing these build- 
 ings together in a desirable building group 
 or civic center. Such a group should be 
 located not far from the business district 
 and at the same time should not occupy 
 property which might otherwise be more 
 properly used for business purposes. In 
 searching for the best location for such a 
 public building group it seemed that the 
 two blocks bounded by Illinois Avenue, 
 Fifth Street, St. Louis Avenue and Seventh 
 Street would serve such a purpose. This 
 location is near the business district and 
 is now occupied with improvements of low 
 value. An accompanying plan (page 58) 
 illustrates a new library, court house, new 
 city hall, municipal auditorium, and one 
 other public building arranged in a digni- 
 
 fied setting. The most important building, 
 the court house, could be placed on Illinois 
 Avenue, dominating the group. The other 
 buildings would be arranged on either side 
 of Sixth Street, widened from the old Rock 
 Road, as reopened. Likewise, Sixth Street 
 would form an excellent street approach 
 to the north, while within the group Sixth 
 Street would be widened into a spacious 
 plaza. The court house has been planned 
 to span Sixth Street with a campanile im- 
 mediately above to serve as a focal point. 
 Either one or both blocks immediately 
 south of the civic center should be utilized 
 for the playground and neighborhood park 
 needed to serve this section, as previously 
 indicated. 
 
LEGAL AND FINANCIAL ASPECTS 
 OF THE CITY PLAN 
 
 One of the most important parts of a 
 city planning program is that of securing 
 the enactment of such legislation as will 
 permit of the execution of various parts 
 of the city plan in the most practical, eco- 
 nomical, and satisfactory manner. Consid- 
 erable difficulty has been encountered in 
 attempting to secure information with re- 
 spect to the powers now possessed by the 
 city for carrying out numerous parts of 
 the city plan here recommended. It is 
 suggested that as a first step in such a 
 procedure there should be a codification of 
 all the laws and ordinances that affect the 
 City of East St. Louis. This seems never 
 to have been done and is an absolute essen- 
 tial, not merely for purposes of the city 
 plan, but for all municipal activities. 
 
 Undoubtedly the city within the next 
 few years will need a new charter or a 
 revision and enlargement of the present 
 one. When this is secured numerous pro- 
 visions should be included which will make 
 possible the expedition of city planning 
 work. It is impossible to state now just 
 what the changes in the charter should be. 
 As an illustration, however, it is suggested 
 that provision be made for the issuance of 
 long-term bonds for permanent improve- 
 ments so that the cost may be distributed 
 over a period of years proportionate to the 
 distribution of the benefit of such improve- 
 ments. It might be well to provide for the 
 issuance of bonds over a period of twenty- 
 five years for street opening projects, 
 granting the privilege of annual benefit 
 assessment payments over a similar period 
 of years and possibly granting the addi- 
 tional privilege of deferring any payments 
 for benefits for a period of five years after 
 the completion of such an improvement. 
 
 This would enable property actually to 
 earn and enjoy the advantage of an incre- 
 ment in value by the time benefit assess- 
 ments had to be paid rather than to place 
 upon that property the possible burden of 
 foreclosure where the owner could not at 
 once meet the obligations. 
 
 One of the most necessary adjuncts of 
 the city planning work will be the appoint- 
 ment of a permanent city plan commission 
 with a small annual appropriation to carry 
 on the work of city planning in an orderly 
 and continuous manner. While it is true 
 that as a result of the present work sev- 
 eral improvements have been started in 
 connection with the city plan, it is too 
 much to expect the plan of itself to stand 
 and be followed without continuous direc- 
 tion. There consequently has been pre- 
 pared and included in the appendix a pro- 
 posed ordinance for the creation of a city 
 plan commission. There will also be found 
 in the appendix a state law providing for 
 the appointment of such a city plan com- 
 mission. 
 
 A new State Constitutional Convention 
 is now in session in Illinois. In anticipation 
 of this convention a committee of the Chi- 
 cago City Club has made an extended in- 
 vestigation of the powers that would be 
 needed to carry out the work of city plan- 
 ning properly in all cities within the State 
 of Illinois. This committee has prepared 
 a number of proposed constitutional 
 amendments and legislative enactments. 
 The text of these is too voluminous for 
 inclusion in this report, copies of which, 
 however, have been filed at the office of 
 the War Civics Committee. It is urged 
 that the municipal authorities and others 
 interested lend their support to the adop- 
 
62 
 
 A CITY PLAN FOR EAST ST. LOUIS 
 
 tion of these constitutional amendments 
 and legislative enactments which, after 
 adoption, will form a foundation for effec- 
 tive city planning accomplishment in Illi- 
 nois equal, if not superior, to that enjoyed 
 by cities of any other State. 
 
 A brief summary of the powers sought 
 are as follows : 
 
 I. By Constitutional Amendment — 
 
 1. Right to restrict occupancy of 
 land to be included in the city 
 plan. 
 
 2. Authority to establish new street 
 lines ahead of the time the im- 
 provement is to be made. 
 
 3. Right to condemn fee in land. 
 
 4. Right to condemn reversionary 
 rights in land. 
 
 5. Power to condemn excess land. 
 
 6. Power to condemn for replotting 
 and sale. 
 
 7. Right to spread special assess- 
 ments (benefits) for building 
 transportation lines. 
 
 II. By Legislative Enactment — 
 
 1. Power for municipalities to ap- 
 point City Plan Commissions. 
 
 2. Creation of a State City Plan 
 Bureau or Commission. 
 
 3. Right of the City Plan Commis- 
 sion to control new developments 
 both inside and beyond city lim- 
 its. 
 
 4. Authority to establish zones. 
 
 5. Broad powers to dispose of city 
 plan problems for the general 
 welfare. 
 
 6. Power to condemn land beyond 
 municipal limits for any purpose 
 for which it has power to acquire 
 property in the city limits. 
 
 7. Authority to construct improve- 
 ments of various kinds beyond 
 municipal limits. 
 
 8. Power to co-operate with other 
 governing agencies. 
 
 9. Power to own, develop and dis- 
 pose of real estate. 
 
 10. Power to condemn land for the 
 use of other corporations or 
 agencies. 
 
 11. Power to condemn land belonging 
 to other governing agencies. 
 
 12. Power to condemn and replat in 
 the interest of the general wel- 
 fare. 
 
 13. Power to take and execute op- 
 tions on property. 
 
 14. Right for the City Planning Com- 
 mission to designate streets on 
 which to build etreet car and 
 rapid transit lines. 
 
 15. Broad powers to condemn ease- 
 ments for the general welfare. 
 
 Financial Considerations 
 
 The tremendous physical handicaps that 
 have attended the growth of East St. 
 Louis and its peculiar and overwhelming 
 railroad developments have prevented the 
 growth of an incentive to the many public 
 improvements needed to make an attract- 
 ive community. Genuine public spirit has 
 been almost unknown. The city has grown 
 in a haphazard manner; the lack of a sys- 
 tematic plan has been accompanied by a 
 lack of regard for the very necessary mat- 
 ters of legislation and finance so vital to 
 progress. Public improvements cost money 
 and perhaps the realization of the cost of 
 the many things needed by the city has 
 served heretofore to dampen enthusiasm 
 for constructive accompHshments. Yet, 
 public improvements, though costly, bring 
 their own reward and justification in the 
 creation of new values and new business 
 activity. It is undoubtedly this realiza- 
 tion that has caused the recent community 
 stock-taking and planning of the past two 
 years. Not the least important of the 
 studies made has been that of the city's 
 financial situation by the Bureau of Mu- 
 nicipal Research of New York. Many of 
 
LEGAL AND FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF THE CITY PLAN 
 
 63 
 
 the conclusions arrived at in this study 
 have a distinct bearing upon the carrying 
 out of the city plan. The following con- 
 clusions, taken from the aforementioned 
 report, are especially important: 
 
 The City of East St. Louis is hampered 
 by an archaic system of state tax adminis- 
 tration. 
 
 The State Board of Equalization, which 
 makes the original assessment of railroad 
 property and corporate stock and equalizes 
 the assessed valuation between counties, 
 has outlived its usefulness. 
 
 The work of the County Board of Re- 
 view is unscientific and unsatisfactory. 
 
 The City Commission is without power 
 to levy tax for municipal purposes upon 
 general property ; it can only advise as to 
 the amount required and the county clerk 
 fixes the rate under the provisions of the 
 Juul law. 
 
 Three collectors are empowered by law 
 to receive the taxes and assessments laid 
 upon property within the city. 
 
 The city administration is burdened by 
 a number of superimposed administrations 
 and has no power to act directly and com- 
 pletely at any stage in the tax procedure. 
 
 The present revenues of the city are 
 inadequate. The loss of liquor licenses will 
 produce a critical situation. 
 
 City expenditures cannot be curtailed 
 sufficiently to offset the lack of revenue. 
 
 The principal sources from which the 
 city's revenue may be increased are: (1) 
 general property, either through an in- 
 creased total of valuation of property or 
 through an increased rate ; (2) new mis- 
 cellaneous taxes, such as business taxes 
 and franchise taxes; (3) improved meth- 
 ods of tax collection. 
 
 Already, in accordance with these con- 
 clusions and recommendations, the city has 
 taken steps to increase its revenue and 
 readjust itself financially. East St. Louis 
 
 has actually spent less money, proportion- 
 ately, and consequently has less public im- 
 provements to show than other cities. The 
 compensation and satisfaction that may be 
 derived from this situation is that in secur- 
 ing the necessary authority to make im- 
 provements a well-rounded-out plan of 
 community action will meanwhile have 
 been prepared and in the course of a few 
 years such expenditures as may be made 
 can, with good judgment, be made to bring 
 a maximum of desirable improvements. 
 An illustration of how deficient the city 
 has been can well be obtained from the 
 following table (No. 3) prepared from the 
 United States Census Statistics for 1918. 
 
 Financial Standing of East St. Louis as 
 Compared with other Illinois Cities. 
 
 Name of <;ity 
 
 h 
 
 .5^ 
 
 aj o 
 
 
 ui on 
 to S, 
 
 w^ OJ 
 
 <; cfM 
 
 East St. Louis. .77,312 
 
 Peoria 72,184 
 
 Springfield . . . .62,873 
 Rookford 56,739 
 
 86th $15.36 $171.49 
 
 93rd 23.86 344.14 
 
 104th 20.25 250.25 
 
 119th 25.44 406.46 
 
 Governmental Governmental 
 
 Cost Payments Revenue Receipts 
 
 Per Capita Per Capita 
 
 East St. Louis $16.25 $15.91 
 
 Peoria 25.01 24.15 
 
 Springfield 27.53 20.45 
 
 Roclitord 27.36 26.01 
 
 Of 131 cities in the United States having 
 a population of 50,000 or over, East St. 
 Louis has next to the lowest assets and 
 value of public property and is very nearly 
 the lowest in revenue receipts from taxes 
 and in expenditures for governmental pur- 
 poses. 
 
 Obviously the conclusion to be drawn 
 from these figures is that East St. Louis 
 can afford to raise revenues from which it 
 may gradually make improvements at 
 least comparable, if not superior, to those 
 of other cities. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
PROPOSED ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING CREATION OF A PERMANENT CITY 
 
 PLAN COMMISSION 
 
 An Ordinance Creating a City Plan Com- 
 mission, Prescribing the Number 
 and Qualifications of its Members 
 and Defining the Duties Thereof. 
 Be It Ordained by the City Commission of 
 the City of East St. Louis, as follows : 
 Section 1. PURPOSE. In order to make 
 adequate provision for and to prepare a 
 comprehensive city plan for the purpose of 
 guiding and directing the future develop- 
 ment and growth of East St. Louis, there 
 is hereby created an additional department 
 of the City Government to be known as 
 the City Plan Commission. 
 
 Sec. 2. MEMBERS. The City Plan 
 Commission shall consist of seven mem- 
 bers, three of whom shall be the commis- 
 sioner of streets, the city engineer, and 
 the president of the Park Board. The 
 other four members shall be citizens hold- 
 ing no public office, who shall be qualified 
 by knowledge or experience to act on mat- 
 ters pertaining to the development of a 
 city plan. The four citizen members shall 
 be appointed by the City Commission in 
 the first instance for periods of one, two, 
 three, and four-year terms respectively 
 and thereafter all appointments shall be 
 made for terms of four years. Appoint- 
 ments to fill vacancies shall be for the un- 
 expired term only. All members of the 
 Commission shall serve without pay. 
 
 Sec. 3. PROCEDURE. Four members 
 shall be a quorum. The Commission may 
 make and alter rules and regulations for 
 its organization and procedure consistent 
 with the ordinances of the city and laws 
 of the state. The City Plan Commission 
 shall make an annual report to the City 
 Commission of its transactions and recom- 
 mendations. The City Commission may 
 
 employ city planners, engineers, and other 
 persons whose salaries and wages and 
 other necessary expenses of the Commis- 
 sion and its members shall be provided for 
 at the discretion of the City Commission 
 by proper appropriations and ordinances; 
 provided, however, that the total sum so 
 expended in any one year shall not exceed 
 the appropriation for such year as herein- 
 after provided. 
 
 Sec. 4. POWERS AND DUTIES. The 
 powers and duties of the Commission shall 
 be to prepare a comprehensive plan for the 
 city and to make such maps and plans of 
 the whole or any portion of such munici- 
 pality and of any land outside the munici- 
 pality, which in the opinion of the Commis- 
 sion bears relation to the plan of the 
 municipality. Such plan or plans may show 
 the Commission's studies and recommen- 
 dations respecting the width and arrange- 
 ments of streets and alleys, the location of 
 bridges, viaducts, parks, playgrounds, 
 boulevards or other public grounds or pub- 
 lic improvements, the platting of private 
 property into lots, plots, streets, and 
 alleys, the location and development of any 
 transit, transportation, or other facilities 
 of communication, the grouping of public 
 buildings, the design or placing of any 
 memorials, works of art, street lighting 
 standards, street name signs, billboards or 
 projecting signs, or other things pertaining 
 to the city's appearance. 
 
 The Commission may prepare and sub- 
 mit to the City Commission for its adop- 
 tion an ordinance regulating the height, 
 area, and use of buildings by districts with- 
 in the city, such plan having been prepared 
 in the interest of promoting the health, 
 safety, and general welfare of the com- 
 
munity. The Commission may also make 
 such investigation, study, and report of 
 housing conditions in the city as it may 
 from time to time see fit or upon instruc- 
 tion by the City Commission. 
 
 It shall also be the duty of the Commis- 
 sion to prepare and recommend such state 
 and municipal legislation as may be neces- 
 sary for carrying out the recommendations 
 and suggestions of the Commission. 
 
 All plans, plats, or replats of lands laid 
 out in lots or plots, and the streets, alleys, 
 or other portions of the same intended to 
 be dedicated to public or private use, shall 
 first be submitted to the City Plan Com- 
 mission and approved by it before it shall 
 be recorded- It shall be unlawful to receive 
 or record such plan, plat, or replat in any 
 public office unless the same shall bear 
 thereon, by endorsement or otherwise, the 
 approval of the City Plan Commission. The 
 disapproval of any such plan, plat, or replat 
 by the City Plan Commission shall be 
 deemed a refusal of the proposed dedica- 
 tion shown thereon. 
 
 The clerk of the City Commission shall, 
 upon introduction, furnish to the City 
 Planning Commission, for its consid- 
 eration, a copy of all ordinances and bills 
 relating to the location of any public 
 building of the city and to the location, 
 extension, widening, enlargement, orna- 
 
 mentation, and parking of any street, 
 boulevard, parkway, park playground, 
 or other public grounds, and to the vaca- 
 tion of any street, or other alteration 
 of the city plan of streets and high- 
 ways, and to the location of any bridge, 
 tunnel, subway, or any surface, under- 
 ground, or elevated railway. The said 
 Commission may make a report or sugges- 
 tion in relation thereto, if it deems a report 
 necessary or advisable for the consider- 
 ation of the City Commission. All such 
 reports when delivered to the clerk of the 
 City Commission shall be for the informa- 
 tion of the public as well as of the City 
 Commission, and the Commission shall fur- 
 nish to any newspaper of the city, on re- 
 quest, for publication, a copy of any such 
 report. 
 
 Sec. 5. It shall be lawful for the City 
 Commission to appropriate any amount of 
 money from the current revenue of the 
 city not exceeding $10,000 in any one year 
 for the expense of such City Plan Commis- 
 sion, such money being raised in the same 
 manner as for the expenses of other city 
 departments. 
 
 Sec. 6. EFFECTIVENESS. This ordi- 
 nance shall become effective on and after 
 January 1, 1921, and shall not be consid- 
 ered to repeal any other ordinance but 
 shall be deemed accumulative. 
 
 PROPOSED LAW AUTHORIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BUILDING 
 
 LINES. 
 
 AN ACT to authorize the establish- 
 ment of building lines on streets in cities 
 which now have or hereafter may have 
 25,000 or more inhabitants and to pro- 
 vide the manner in which damages and 
 benefits may be determined and paid. 
 Be It Enacted by the General Assembly 
 of the State of Illinois, as follows ; 
 
 Section 1. The word "street," as used 
 in this act, means any public highway, 
 esplanade, boulevard, parkway, square or 
 street or any part or side, of any of the 
 same. 
 
 Sec. 2. It shall be lawful for any city 
 now having or which may hereafter have 
 25,000 or more inhabitants, to provide by 
 
ordinance for the establishment of build- 
 ing lines on any public street or highway. 
 Such building line shall be established by 
 the same procedure as that provided by 
 law in such city for the acquiring of land 
 for the opening of streets. After the estab- 
 lishment of any such line no building or 
 other structure shall be erected, recon- 
 structed or substantially repaired and no 
 new building or other structure or part 
 thereof shall be re-erected within said lines 
 so established. 
 
 Sec. 3- Whenever and wherever a build- 
 ing line shall be established as aforesaid, 
 all structures extending within such build- 
 ing lines shall be required to conform to 
 the new line within a period of not more 
 than twenty-five years from the time of 
 establishing said lines; such time to be 
 provided in the ordinance, providing for 
 the establishment of such line. At the 
 expiration of the time limit in which all 
 structures are so required to conform to 
 the new building line, the proper municipal 
 authorities shall proceed in the manner 
 
 then provided by law relating to condem- 
 nation proceedings by such cities to re- 
 move all structures then within such line, 
 provided, however, that all owners of prop- 
 erty so affected shall receive due notice and 
 hearing in the manner then provided by 
 such law in the determination of the addi- 
 tional damages sustained by the removal 
 of such structure then within the building 
 line. 
 
 Sec. 4. In payment for the real estate, 
 improvements and easements to be taken 
 and acquired for the establishment of such 
 building lines as are herein provided and 
 of the damages sustained thereby, benefits 
 shall be assessed and collected in the same 
 manner as provided by law in proceedings 
 in any such city for the acquiring of lands 
 for the opening of streets. 
 
 Sec. 5. This act shall not limit or abridge 
 any power now or hereafter conferred by 
 law on such cities to establish building 
 lines or take any property or any interest 
 therein by eminent domain. 
 
 PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT GRANTING POWER OF 
 
 EXCESS CONDEMNATION. 
 
 Submitting to the Qualified Voters of 
 the State of Illinois an Amendment 
 to the Constitution Thereof Grant- 
 ing to the State, Municipal Corpo- 
 rations and Other Political Subdi- 
 visions of the State the Power of 
 Excess Condemnation. 
 Section 1. To provide for excess con- 
 demnation by the state, municipal corpora- 
 tions, and other political subdivisions of 
 the state — that at the general election to 
 be held on the Tuesday next following the 
 first Monday in November, A. D. 1920, an 
 amendment to the Constitution of Illinois 
 shall be submitted to the qualified voters 
 
 of the state, in the following words : When- 
 ever the state, a municipal corporation, or 
 any political subdivision of the state au- 
 thorized by law to take private property 
 for public use, shall appropriate or con- 
 demn any private property for public use, 
 whatsoever, or when the state, a municipal 
 corporation, or any political subdivision of 
 the state authorized by law to take private 
 property for public use in furtherance of 
 such public use, shall provide for any pub- 
 lic work or improvements which shall dam- 
 age or benefit private property, the state, 
 municipal corporation, or any political sub- 
 division of the state authorized by law to 
 
take private property for public use, may 
 provide for the appropriation in fee by the 
 state, municipal corporation, or other po- 
 litical subdivision of private property or 
 any easement or use therein in excess of 
 that actually required for such specific pur- 
 pose, under such conditions as shall be pre- 
 scribed by the legislature or general laws 
 of the state, or as prescribed by the char- 
 ter and ordinance provisions of any such 
 municipal corporation operating under spe- 
 cial charter, and such excess property or 
 right therein so acquired by the state, mu- 
 nicipal corporation, or other political sub- 
 division, may be sold, leased, or otherwise 
 disposed of by it under such terms and 
 conditions as may be prescribed by the 
 
 laws of the state and the charter and ordi- 
 nance provisions of any municipality, cor- 
 poration or other political subdivision, and 
 this right of the state, municipal corpora- 
 tion, or other political subdivision to 
 acquire and sell such excess property is 
 hereby declared to be a public use; pro- 
 vided, however, that such excess shall be 
 condemned and compensation therefor 
 ascertained in the same proceeding, and in 
 the same manner as near as may be, as 
 the private property, easement, or use ac- 
 tually needed, as aforesaid; and provided, 
 further, that the value of such excess shall 
 be paid for by the state, municipal cor- 
 poration, or other political subdivision as 
 the case may be. 
 
 PROPOSED ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE REGULATION OF 
 
 PROJECTING SIGNS. 
 
 Regulation of Projecting Signs. Any 
 sign now erected or that may hereafter be 
 erected on or attached to a building, can- 
 opy, balcony, bridge, wall or any other 
 structure, that may become decayed or 
 from any cause become unsafe, shall be 
 taken down and removed or otherwise 
 properly secured, upon written notice from 
 the building commissioner. No sign ex- 
 ceeding twenty (20) square feet in area 
 shall be erected on or attached to any 
 building, canopy, balcony, bridge, wall or 
 any other structure, without a permit from 
 the division of building and inspection. No 
 sign exceeding thirty-five (35) square feet 
 in area shall hereafter be erected on or 
 attached to any building, canopy, balcony, 
 bridge, wall or other structure, unless such 
 sign is constructed wholly of metal or 
 other non-combustible material. When two 
 or more signs are attached to any build- 
 ing, canopy, balcony, bridge, wall or other 
 structure, one above the other, the width 
 
 or height of all the signs shall be meas- 
 ured as if the entire number constituted 
 but one solid sign and the space between 
 such signs shall be included in the calcu- 
 lation of the width of the signs, unless 
 there be a clear space of at least six (6) 
 feet between such signs- No sign shall 
 project more than thirty-six (36) inches 
 beyond the building line of any street or 
 alley, unless such sign be securely built 
 on the top of or attached to a canopy, or 
 like permanent fixture of a building. No 
 sign or combination of signs erected on 
 the top of any canopy or other like fix- 
 ture, when projecting more than thirty-six 
 (36) inches over the building line of any 
 street or alley shall exceed ten (10) feet 
 in height, nor shall any sign, attached 
 thereto, project beyond the outer line of 
 such canopy, or other like fixture. No sign 
 attached to any building, canopy, balcony, 
 or other structure shall extend downward 
 nearer than eight (8) feet to the ground 
 
or pavement of any street or alley, nor 
 shall any sign be so placed as to obstruct 
 any fire escape, or so situated as to inter- 
 fere with the operations of the fire depart- 
 ment. Every sign hereafter erected upon 
 or attached to any building, canopy, bal- 
 cony, bridge or other structure shall be 
 supported by heavy iron braces or supports 
 
 Armly bolted in a secure manner to such 
 building, canopy, balcony, bridge, or other 
 structure, and it shall be unlawful for any 
 person, firm or corporation to erect or 
 cause to be erected, or refuse to remove 
 or properly secure an unsafe sign in vio- 
 lation of this ordinance. 
 
 PROPOSED ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE PLANTING OF TREES. 
 
 An Ordinance Providing for the Plant- 
 ing of Trees Upon the Streets and 
 Other Public Places in the City of 
 East St. Louis, Providing the Pro- 
 cedure for the Doing of the Work 
 or Letting of Contracts Therefor, 
 and Providing for the Assessment of 
 Special Taxes Against the Property 
 in Front of Which Such Trees are 
 Planted. 
 Be It Ordained by the City of East St. 
 Louis, as follows: 
 Section 1. Whenever in the judgment 
 of the City Commission it is necessary or 
 desirable that shade trees be planted along 
 any street, or part of any street, or public 
 place, the City Commission shall prepare 
 plans therefor showing the place where it 
 is proposed to plant the trees, the kind of 
 trees selected, the approximate size and 
 number, and shall designate a time on 
 which it will consider the projected plant- 
 ing of trees on said street or part thereof, 
 or the said public place, and shall give ten 
 days' public notice in the paper or papers 
 doing the city publishing, of the time, 
 place and matter to be considered and of 
 the estimated cost of the trees and the 
 planting thereof and incidental expenses. 
 Within ten days after the aforesaid hear- 
 ing by the City Commission is concluded, 
 the City Commission shall file in its office 
 its final plans and decisions, amended or 
 approved, showing definitely the kind of 
 trees to be planted, the approximate size 
 
 and number, the place where the same are 
 to be planted and an estimate of the ap- 
 proximate total cost of the entire work 
 determined upon. If no such work is de- 
 termined upon, the City Commission's de- 
 cision shall so state. In case of a decision 
 by the said Commission that the said work 
 or any part thereof shall be done, the own- 
 ers of the greater area of the land in the 
 district affected by such proposed ordi- 
 nance may within three days file in the 
 office of the City Commission their writ- 
 ten remonstrance against the said pro- 
 posed work, and the City Commission, if 
 such remonstrance be duly filed, shall at 
 its next meeting reconsider and either re- 
 verse or abide by its said decision. In 
 case no remonstrance is filed or if the City 
 Commission shall abide by its said decision, 
 that the said work or part thereof shall 
 proceed, the City Commission shall there- 
 for prepare and pass an ordinance author- 
 izing the said proposed work and providing 
 an appropriation for doing the said work, 
 and the cost thereof shall be divided pro 
 rata by the City Commission among the 
 several owners of the property in front of 
 which the said trees are planted, the said 
 division to be made in the proportion that 
 the cost of each tree planted bears to the 
 total cost of all the trees planted in such 
 district in accordance with such ordinance. 
 Sec. 2. The City Commission shall pre- 
 pare a special tax bill against each lot or 
 parcel of real estate, in front of which 
 
trees have been planted, in accordance with 
 the aforesaid ordinance for the propor- 
 tional part chargeable as aforesaid to said 
 lot or parcel of real estate, which said bill 
 shall be collected by the Collector with 
 other taxes assessed against the said prop- 
 erty, and each of the said bills shall be 
 a first lien on the property affected thereby 
 
 until paid. Unless especially provided to 
 the contrary in any ordinance for tree 
 planting as aforesaid, tree planting shall 
 be done under contracts let by the City 
 Commission in pursuance of the ordinance 
 authorizing the same and in accordance 
 with the provisions regarding the letting 
 of contracts.