St. Clair County
Remnants Of The Past

Freedom Train Notes First Anniversary

The American Freedom Train observed the first anniversary of its operation on April 1 with a Bicentennial “birthday” party in Jefferson City, Missouri.
As of that date the train had completed 12 months of its 21-month journey, traveled 15,295 on its 21,000 mile route, visited 74 of the scheduled 135 host cities; visited 31 of the 48 contiguous states, hosted 4,219,910 of the expected 8 million visitors, and was displayed to approximately 28,200,000 people at track-side.
During its subsequent seven and a half days stop underneath the “Gateway to the West” in St. Louis, the train was visited by a total of 113,022 persons.
In three days in Little Rock, Arkansas, the train stayed open late to accommodate those standing in line, playing to more than 100 percent capacity.
(St. Clair County Courier, 27 May 1976)

In 1862, the valuation of slaves was placed at $150 each and assessed at that figure.
(St. Clair County Courier, 15 July 1976)

The railroad was built in 1898, the same year that Homer Gerster was born. There were stockyards and a section house where the section foreman and his family lived. There was also a canning factory.
Bob Wingfield and Bro. Haymes built most of the rock building in 1913 and sold it to D.E. Quaintance for a grocery store. Rubin Hardin had a blacksmith shop.
(St. Clair County Courier, 13 May 1976)

Mrs. W.H. Grantley and daughter Alice of Appleton City, St. Clair Co. Mo. Are the guests of H.F. Royce. They came in with Mr. Royce from Mo.,
where he visited during his recent trip through the west.
(The Willimantic Chronicle, Windham Co., CT, 30 July 1884)