Granite City, Illinois
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| City of Granite City | |
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| City | |
 A Granite City Home.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Madison |
| Area | 17.2 sq mi (44.5 km²) |
| - land | 16.7 sq mi (43.3 km²) |
| - water | 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km²), 2.91% |
| Center | |
| - coordinates | Coordinates: |
| - elevation | 420 ft (128 m) |
| Population | 31,301 (2000) |
| Density | 1,876.2 /sq mi (724.4 /km²) |
| 1896 | |
| Mayor | Ed Hagnauer |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Postal code | 62040 |
| Area code | 618 |
  Location of Granite City within Illinois
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 U.S. Census map
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| Website : http://www.granitecity.com/ | |
Granite City is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 31,301 at the 2000 census. Roughly 67,000 people live in the immediate Granite City area. Granite City is part of the Greater St. Louis and was named by the Niedringhaus brothers who operated a Graniteware plant in the city. Granite City is often simply called "Granite."
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[edit] History
Granite City was officially founded in 1896, but the area was settled much earlier. During the early 1800s, settlers began to farm the rich fertile grounds to the east of St. Louis. During the 1830s, Six Mile was formed. Six Mile was a farming area that occupied the area of present day Granite City. It was named due to its proximity to St. Louis, six miles (10 km). Soon after, the national road was constructed through the area and by 1865 the first railroad was built.
Two German immigrants, Frederick and William Niedringhaus, came to St. Louis during the 1850s. At first they produced kitchen utensils by hand, but during the 1870s they patented the process of coating iron utensils with vitrified glass that gave the utensils the appearance of being coated with granite.[1] The coating was very effective in preventing oxidation of the iron and the utensils proved to be very popular. In 1891, they relocated their "graniteware" business to the Six Mile area and purchased 3,500 acres (14 km²).
In 1896, the brothers officially incorporated the area and named it Granite City, after the graniteware they produced. Their graniteware plant would later grow to occupy 1,250,000 square feet (116,000 m²) and employ over 4000 people. The plant prospered until the 1950s when aluminum, stainless steel, and pyrex replaced granite in utensils.
The job growth attracted many immigrants from most European nations. The graniteware plant helped attract other industrial corporations to the area and helped develop the area. Now several large manufacturing corporations operate in the city, including U.S. Steel, Precoat Metals, Tower Automotive, Capri-Sun, Kraft Foods, Heidtman Steel, ADM Packaged Oils, Nestle Company, Praire Farms, and American Steel.
On 3 November 1980, President Jimmy Carter, accompanied by Representative Melvin Price, gave a twenty-three minute campaign speech on the Granite City High School front lawn.
[edit] Geography
Granite City is located at (38.717849, -90.129529),[2] adjacent to the Chain of Rocks Canal on the Upper Mississippi River bordering Horseshoe Lake on its southeastern side. The city sits in the American Bottom, a wide, flat and fertile plain. Although at risk during the Great Flood of 1993, the city never flooded and is protected by a series of levees along both the Mississippi River and Chain of Rocks Canal. Granite City is located six miles (10 km) northeast of St. Louis in the Metro East.
Granite City is conveniently located within just a few miles of five interstate highways. Interstate 270 passes through the northern edge of the city and Interstates 255, 70, 55, and 64 all pass just to the south and east of the city.
Route 3 is a major thoroughfare along the western edge of the city and provides quick access to downtown St. Louis across the recently renovated McKinley Bridge.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.2 square miles (44.5 km²), of which, 16.7 square miles (43.2 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (2.85%) is water.
[edit] Cityscape
Granite City can be divided into eight areas: Downtown, East Granite, West Granite, North Granite, Nameoki strip, Community Heights, Bellemore area and the Wilson Park area. Most retailers and dining facilities are located on the Nameoki Strip, surrounding Nameoki Road.
The Wilson park area is notable for being home to the recently renovated Coolidge Middle School, Niedringhaus Elementary School, and Granite City High School as well as the city's crown jewel, Wilson Park. Wilson Park is sometimes called the "heart" of Granite City and is known for its nicely kept "turn of the century" homes.
East Granite is less defined, but is mostly modern residential subdivisions as well as both St. Elizabeth and Holy Family catholic schools. East Granite is north of the Blast Furnace at US steel. US Steel was formerly known as the Granite City Steel Co.
Downtown is at the south-western part of the city and is home to much of the city's industry, including the Granite City Steel Works. Downtown Granite suffered a downturn in the 1970s, which vacated much of its commercial buildings and in turn, urban decay began. More recently however, there has been a revitalization effort to revive the downtown area much like what Belleville, IL, Edwardsville, IL, and St. Charles, MO have done, although it is still in its early stages. Revitalization efforts include installing tree filled medians on Niedringhaus Avenue, street repaving, tax incentives, and new zoning restrictions. There is also a significant push for a new cinema, although it's still in the planning stage.
West Granite is located to the west of downtown across the railroad lines. West Granite contains both industrial and lower income residential areas and has been struggling to fight its above average crime rate. Lincoln Place (which in 1907, was named Hungry Hollow) became inhabited by approximately 10,000 immigrants from Macedonia, Hungary, Mexico and other parts of Central and Eastern Europe. In 1910, many Armenian immigrants migrated to Hungry Hollow.
[edit] Dining, shopping, & attractions
Most dining and shopping establishments in Granite City are located along Nameoki Road, Madison Avenue, and Johnson Road.
Popular dining establishments include Applebee's, Krieger's Sports Bar & Grill, Mick & Mack's Sports Bar & Grill, El Torerro, Apple Tree Family Restaurant, Vin Hoa, Starbucks, Imo's Pizza, Jerry's Cafeteria, Pizza World, and Ravanelli's Restaurant. The city also has several fast food chains. Weathervane Ice Creme and Mr. Twist are two local ice cream places.
Over the last couple of years several retailers have moved into the city. Fashion stores, sports stores, and electronics retailers can be found throughout the new Nameoki Commons complex. WalMart, K-Mart, and Big Lots are the three largest retailers in town. A number of grocery stores including Schnucks, Shop N' Save, Save-A-Lot, Farm Fresh, Cionko's Meat Market, Aldi's and the Farmer's Market are located within the city.
For racing fans, there is the Tri-City Speedway, one of the area's dirt tracks. Formerly known for its 1/2 mile and 1/4 mile, it was recently renovated in 2007 as a 3/8 mile dirt oval with 10 degrees of banking in the corners. Former Nascar legend Rusty Wallace, his brothers Mike and Kenny, and Kenny Shrader and Tony Stewart, are just a handful of NASCAR drivers to have raced there. The Gateway International Raceway (capacity: 60,000) located just south of the city contains a 1.25-mile (2.01 km) oval track, drag strip, and an infield roadcourse. Gateway International Raceway annually hosts the Busch Series and Craftsmen Truck Series races.
[edit] Events, parades, and traditions
The Granite City Park District has "Movies Under the Stars" which is a movie series shown at Wilson Park. Movies will run on Fridays May 11; June 15; and August 10th. Movies are shown in the outfield of Sykes Field and are free to the public.
The Granite City Park District also hosts Big Band Concerts at Wilson Park in the Centennial Pavilion beginning at 7:30 pm on the following Thursday nights; May 24; June 7 & 21; July 12 & 26; and August 9th. Concerts are free to the public.
The Patriots in the Park 4th of July celebration is a weekend long event, including food, live entertainment, rides and it ends with a fireworks display. For more information on this or any of the above events go to the Granite City Park District website or phone 618-877-3059.
St. Elizabeth Catholic Church hosts an annual carnival during the first week of June. There is food, live music and carnival rides. Parking and the live music is free. Contact St. Elizabeth Church at 618-877-3300 2300 Pontoon Rd Granite City, IL. 62040
Holy Family Catholic Church also hosts an annual carnival. Contact Holy Family church at 618-452-8244 2606 Washington Ave. Granite City, IL. 62040
The Mexican Honorary Commission (MHC) has an annual Heritage Festival in historic Lincoln Place. They also host a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta celebration and a September Fiesta celebration. Both events include authentic, home made Mexican food, live performances by the MHC dancers, and a live Mexican band. For more information call 618-877-4995.
There are several parades in Granite City including: The Baseball parade which features all the teams that play ball for the Granite City Park District. Contact the Granite City Park District for the date.
The Labor Day parade represents the local unions. This parade is always on Labor Day at 10 am.
Santa's Holiday Avenue parade is always held the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The parade is held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving every year.
Santa's Cabin welcomes children of all ages. Pets can also visit Santa at this cabin which opens immediately following the Santa's Holiday Avenue Parade, which is held annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. In 1995 the cabin was in severe disrepair when the Santa's Holiday Avenue Committee chaired by City Clerk Judy Whitaker worked to remodeled it. The cabin is run by volunteers only. For more information regarding the Parade or to make a donation call Judy Whitaker at 618-452-6200 or email at jwhitaker@granitecity.illinois.gov.
[edit] Recreation
The Granite City Park District owns 13 parks. Wilson Park is the most notable. A 1 1/4 mile long paved trail encircles the 74 acre park which contains a pool, ice rink, park office, tennis courts, several pavilions, baseball fields, and a wedding area. The Park District offers baseball, flag football, tennis, soccer, basketball, and hockey programs for the youth.
Every summer around July 4th, Wilson Park hosts the Patriots in the Park program. The program includes live entertainment, carriage rides, carnival rides, food & beverage stands, and the second largest fireworks display in the St. Louis area.
Madison County Transit provides an outstanding 85-mile (137 km) network of newly paved, well maintained bikeways throughout the county as well as Granite City. For more information, go to http://www.mcttrails.org
The new YMCA, part of the River's Edge Development was recently completed. The complex includes aquatics programs, a youth center, weightlifting, batting cages, basketball/tennis courts, and a child care center.
For those who golf, there are three golf courses near Granite City. The Legacy Golf Course and the Arlington Golf Course both offer eighteen hole championship courses. Another nearby course is River's Edge located at the army depot off Route 3.
Horseshoe Lake State Park wraps around Horseshoe Lake, a 2,400-acre (9.7 km²) natural lake, the largest lake in the St. Louis area. The park provides a wonderful place for picnicking, cycling, fishing, wildlife viewing, and small boating. Hunting is allowed during hunting season and a small primitive campground is located on Walker's Island.
[edit] Education
Granite City Community District #9 enrolls 7100 students from throughout the Granite City area. The District operates seven elementary schools (Mitchell, Niedringhaus, Wilson, Worthen, Frohardt, Prather, and Maryville), two middle schools (Grigsby and Coolidge), and one high school (Granite City High School (GCHS)) and the Granite City Early Childhood Center. Recently the high school underwent a 14 million dollar renovation. The district is notable for its wide array of sports, clubs, and technical programs that students may participate in cost free. Recently the track, baseball field, and high school gymnasium were renovated. The High School has achieved a 96.3% graduation rate, nearly ten percent higher than the state average.
Two private Catholic K-8 schools are located in the city, Holy Family and St. Elizabeth.
The Southwestern Illinois College Campus(SWIC) is located at the northern end of the city. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville(SIUE) is located just miles away.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 31,301 people, 12,773 households, and 8,455 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,876.2 people per square mile (724.5/km²). There were 14,022 housing units at an average density of 840.5/sq mi (324.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.73% White, 1.99% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.86% of the population.
There were 12,773 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,615, and the median income for a family was $42,130. Males had a median income of $34,226 versus $23,510 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,691. About 8.8% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Famous residents
- John Bracamontes - Member of MENSA, Search Engine Optimization Specialist
- Robert Olen Butler - Pulitzer Prize-winning Fiction Writer
- Ryan "Dangerous" Davis - Professional Boxer
- Owen Friend - Former MLB Player
- Mike Genovese - Actor
- Andrew Goodpaster - Former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and Four Star U.S. Army General
- Kevin Greene - Former NFL Linebacker
- Peter Maer - CBS News White House Correspondent
- Dal Maxvill - Former MLB Shortstop, Gold Glove winner, and Cardinals General Manager
- Flip Spiceland - CNN Weather Anchor
- Ralph T. Smith - Former U.S. Senator
- William E. Winter - Former 7UP President
[edit] References
- ^ The Founding of Granite City - eco-absence.org
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
Granite City, A Pictorial History, 1896-1996. Granite City, Ill.: G. Bradley Publishing, 1995.
http://www.granitecity.illinois.gov
http://park.granitecity.com/wfapp/park?ACTION=About
http://city.wildfire.net/wfapp?ACTION=Node&NodeID=1
[edit] External links
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