East St. Louis, IL: Memories and Places - Bobbie L. Washington
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- Опубліковано 8 чер 2009
- A photographic retrospective of East St. Louis and the wonderful architecture that was ignored and abandon. It was the home of jazz great Miles Davis, Olympic champion Jackie Joiner-Kersee, dancer and choreographer Katherine Dunham, tennis champion Jimmy Connors, Hollywood filmmakers Reginald Hudlin, and Warren Hudlin.
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Never ashamed of where I come from, but so so saddened every time I come back to visit. Seems like it's not fun to come back anymore because the only time I come now is when someone dies.East St. Louis is my home town, but it's been dying since before any of us were even though of. God have mercy on it and our people still there.
Yeah, you touched a nerve. Death has become a common denominator as we get older. When I was growing up there, we experienced a lot of our friends dying young due to violence, drugs, and accidents. You never get use to death or at least you shouldn't. Memories can only last for 75 years from what I've been told, if you are lucky.
Bobbie L. Washington i went to Lilly freeman elementary
This is almost everywhere in every city you go now
We had to go back home to East ST 3 months ago for a funeral and we ate so many snoots and st pauls because we dont get them here in TX
Thanks for sharing. The memories. Ill be heading back next month. I miss home.
my mother born there in 1947
Ive studied its history deeply.
What a well done video. You have described the condition of East St. Louis very well - factual and with not too much emotion (although I am sure you feel it). I never lived in this city but my family did. I attended church on State St until the mid-1980's. My doctor was there, we went shopping at Sears and got ice cream at Custard's Last Stand. I am saddened every time I drive through East St. Louis today. And I feel so sorry for the people who still live there. Anyway, thank you, Bobbie, for your very interesting video.
I was born in E. Saint Louis in 1952. 3528 Bond Avenue. Phone, Upton 35507. It was absolutely beautiful way back then. A very large water fountain was directly across the the street from our house, which was Virginia Park. We moved when I was 12 to Bettendorf Iowa. I am 69 years now. I will always hold my memories of life and love in my first home. E. St. Louis is now in the hands of gangs. It is filthy, no stores and garbage everywhere. The buildings are boarded up. Some people, mostly black still live there. Not too many tho. I saw all of this 3 weeks ago when I visited there. Just wanted to see my old home. I cried when I did. Do not EVER go to this town as it is extremely dangerous and the GANGS will kill you if they want to.
I haven't been back in years because there is nothing to go back to. The house that I used to live in has been torn down as well as the entire block of homes. I saw this on Google maps one day. I used to live on Tudor Avenue across the street from the I-70 entrance and exit ramps. Ironically, after all these years, I still call it home even though I live somewhere else. All of my foundational memories are there, East St. Louis, that defined me as to who I am today.
Upton, amazing how we can still remember the little things after all these years
What decade was the real falling ofnthis city? 60s? 70s? Or 80s?
@@pablotupone4190 major decline around 1965
Grew up.in Washington Park in the 60s and 70s. Enjoyed swimming at Jones Park and going to the old library. My Dad used to take me to a great little diner on State St, West of Kingshighway as well as Price's for a Nightmare.
I grew up in Loisel Village area,between 86th and Goeltz on a one block street Martell Drive! Born in Christian Welfare Hospital in 1956!Went to Assumption High school,graduated in '74,moved in '75.Have a ton of great memories of living there.Prices,Hannigans burger joint at 77th and State St.St.Phillips grade school.Loisel Village shopping center.,the French Village Drive-in,Sam's BBQ!
@@jettechdonatkins Oh yeah nobody can forget Sam's BBQ with a little extra sauced bread
@@williammoseley17I think Sandy's is still open. They had good snoots too.
@@thomaskennedy9705 They have moved a lot over the years and not the same quality as back in the 70s. Last time I had one there was when they were at 8th and Missouri. Obvious they were frying them at the time cutting corners.
Yanno... watching your video brought back some vivid memories for me totally. I swear..., a few of those places I do remember for sure like the Klaus Coffee Co. To be honest, I never knew the name of the place at all but it was located at 14th & State Street. I know that because my grandma lived not far from there and I remember it as being a bakery. I've not smelled a bakery like that since but will always remember the bakery and its wonderful smell. My grandma's gone now but won't forget.
It wouldn't be so sad, if it hadn't been destroyed on purpose.
Yeah when the whites tried to burn them out
beautiful memories- I went to Hughes Quinn when it looked like that-Pepsi Cola used to have a warehouse under the McArthur Bridge on 10TH street
The Ainad Temple still stands ❤❤❤
I grew up in ESL in the 60s and 70s . Flint, Camden, ESL, Gary, same Shit different toliet
Unfortunate but true
I have relatives in the area of N. 11th St. @ Summit Avenue. My uncle lived @ 13th & Pennsylvania (I don't even think any houses are still on that block). My dad bought a house on Waverly Ave. not too far from 25th St. but wound up selling it because my Mom was afraid to liv e in E. St. Louis. I spent many summers there on vacation from Chicago visiting relatives. Those pig snoot sandwiches are good though. I also love St. Paul sandwiches you can find at any Chinese take out in the city.
Love snoot can't find anywhere else!!
Bobby,this was awesome! I was born at Christian Welfare Hospital in '56,went to St.Phillpis grade school and Assumption High.Graduated in '74.Worked at Tri-City Grocery in Loisel Village '73-;75.Had a great time there! Do you remember any of these places? Thank you so much for this!
I’m from east St. Louis have family there
Well done.
I’m from U.City but had friends in E.St.L. ( both black and white).
Dangerous, yes, But if you weren’t looking for trouble, ... well ,I never had any.
Sad, what it has become.
Was born in E. Saint Loius Il in 1963. We moved to Bellevelle when I was 3. Lived on Post Place, not sure of exact address.
My house is gone also. I have no hometown to go back to.
In this new era of social media, who would ever believe that all of your childhood memories have vanished. My home is gone, the elementary school I attended is gone, the junior high school is gone and the high school is nothing like it was originally.
You make it seem like East St. Louis is a hopeless pit of hell, when in fact when I looked at if from Google Earth, it was beautiful and big despite the crime. There are abandoned homes in every city, but most of it is organized, highly populated and has some of the best danm local bus service on earth, given that some of your buses cross the Eads bridge onto the state of Missouri. Never have I heard of city buses leaving the state. The city isn't the problem, it's some of the lazy ass people that live there. The only black town I know of with this much organization and wealth, compared to lxl, Boley, Vernon, OK, Rosewood FL , OK, Detroit, Langston OK, Redbird, OK, and Nutbush TN. None of the places I mentioned have ANY bus service. You have great memories you need to tap into. Not everything's gone, plus you have the world famous Missouri river between states. Fuck Greyhound bus lines, you can ride metrolink for $1.25 per trip, or a monthly bus pass. What I hate about ESL is the corrupt police, the crime of course, and that the people there don't seem to give a shit about what happens to their town!
Gospelwatcher
The problems :
No major business or industry ( = no tax base for the city). Very few jobs. ( Most have to commute to St.L. for work).
Corrupt government
( VERY corrupt).
AND a population who has pretty much just given up. Those who could - moved out.
Those who cannot, stay.
Property Owners who sell houses that one cannot afford to pay the prices of and unwilling to fix problems.
This is just the surface ❗️
The population has gone from 80,000, to some 18,000.
(That’s a LOT of abandoned properties)!
My old house on 23rd, half block off State Street is still there. One of 4 left on the block. Your right though Christina, we have no hometown left. grade schools are gone, my beautiful Catholic Church, St. Elizabeth's burnt down. High School is now a Fing prison. No business, even the memories are fading with nothing to refresh them. It just sucks.
It is sad for the people who haven't a house , a school or a church to go back to visit. The 60's and 70's were a fun, safer time in my neighborhood around 41st and Bunkum. I guess memories are all we have left.
Clark Middle School (33rd & State) burned down Friday. from what I understand,the building was to be turned into apartment housing and the work was to be funded by some of the stimulus money also. I remember passing by the building several times as some of my cousins lived close (24th & Louisiana).
It was Clark Junior High when I went there from 75-78
@soln4suhreborn OMG, lol.... yunno, I just read a comment above about Pig Snoot therefore I'm a northerner resident now and have been one well over a decade since leaving the area years ago. As I read the comment on pig snoot..., I instantly remembered the St. Paul Sandwiches and how rare they are here where I live just as are the pig snoot.
Surprise..., surprise..., I scroll down the page and see your comment on St. Paul Sandwiches, lmao. Whoa... talk about right oughta your mouth, lol.
I was through the old neighborhood(N32nd) last year. I had a snoot at Big Mamma's. What is a St. Paul? Kind of sad, I hardly recognized it there.
The tennis star Jimmy Connors was born in East St Louis, right?
Yes, he was born there.
@@BobbieLWashington but i think he left east st louis when he was very young, like age 8...he moved to California to continue improving in tennis...
Yes and his father was a prominent city official. But he mainly grew up in city next door, Belleville. I believe he lived on same street as Illinois Senator Dick Durbin when he was young child in East St Louis.
@@BobbieLWashington LaPhonso Ellis, former NBA player, also born in East St Louis. Attended Lincoln High School
I have property on 1328,1330 Nectar Avenue; can anyone tell me what was the property like in the past and what was it. Its across from the factory.
With everyone looking out for the big banks and the auto biz, perhaps this country needs to take a look at the death of a city. It's been slow in the making, like a malignant cancer slowly being amputated a bit at a time by jobs closing, ineffective government and people who leave, like myself, who have nothing to comeback to job wise. Some big money will swoop in and get the land for cheap and turn it into Sin City on the Mississippi and the state corrupt government will sign off on it.
Bobbie L. Washington l
East.Saint Louis old.
I WAS RAISED HERE, HOME OF COMEDIAN CHOCOLATE STORM
I know the school district did a lot of school consolidation many many moons ago. My old elementary school, Washington, was wiped out long ago and Lincoln Senior High was merged with East Side. And for Clark to be proposed for apartments, are there any schools being planned or has it become a lost cause of action because there isn't a viable tax base to support one?
Clark was demolished years ago
I have relatives in Chicago as well. It is rare when I hear someone use the term "pig snoot". I haven't heard that in quite some time. It brings back those memories of those sandwiches bathe in barbecue sauce with a slice or two of white bread. Maybe one day the city will rebuild into something better. Maybe some of that stimulus money will do the trick.
that stimulus money went straight into the pockets of those connected. Always does. 11 years after Bobbie's comment, you can't say I'm lying!
and Nichols was the best BBQ and Johnny Wong on Broadway had the best Rice House around and I haven't tasted BBQ or rice that can match their food😉😉😉😉 and don't forget that we had a Mall and Bowling alley and a music store at shop city
Is pig snoots still being served in East St.Louis?
Yes
He forgot Ike Turner , and the dude that played rerun on what's happening
The late Fred Berry
@@BobbieLWashington that's him , Thank you , I couldn't remember his real name .
I'm not sure,but I seriously believe it is a lost cause. I spoke to a relative and she said it's most likely that once the bldg. is demo'd and lot is cleared,that'll probably be the end of it. I don't see any more schools coming up in East St. Louis for a while because of the tax base. If a few businesses would invest in East St. Louis instead of Sauget or Alorton to avoid paying taxes in the city,things would change drastically.
newagetojo
Sad, but true.
you forgot kellen winslow. jimmy conners was from belleville
Jimmy Conners was from ESL. He went to Assumption HS with me his freshman year then they moved to Belleville. He was ashamed to say he was from ESL but he was.
You know what happened to East St Louis??? The politician stealing the money With they crooked ass
A long time ago, I used to work for the government. I wanted to lend my expertise to the city as I was in a position to fund low-income cities. I tried to lend my service to then-mayor Carl Officer, Jr. Alas, Officer, Jr. was an idiot and a buffoon, and my knowledge was passed up.
@@BobbieLWashington this city has gone down hill because of our own black crooked politicians- a lot of people in city don't vote --because all you do is vote one crook out to be replaced with another crook and the cycle goes on
4:00 The answer is Democrats.