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Guest		27-Jan-2018 19:23
I was born in ESTLOUIS in St. Mary's in 1936. My father was born there in 1899. A shame what happened to the town. I read not long ago that my beautiful gothic Church St. Elizabeth's burned. Houses on either side of my house are long gone. The people there have no pride obviously.....its sad.

Joe		29-Jan-2016 14:19
I am 51 years old born in East St. Louis raised in Washington Park. Went to St. Martins and Assumption High. Lived on Hallows ave. and (yes) walked to school. Used to enjoy going to Jones Park, going downtown to the Majestic theater and just walk around the city. Sat in high school and watched the St. Louis arch being built staring out the windows in classroom daydreaming. Sure was a great and safe place to grow up. Thanks for the memories.

Guest		07-Sep-2014 23:56
I was born at St. Mary's Hospital, Dec. 1957. My Grandparents founded Riedel's Restaurant on 19th and State Street. My parents and two brothers lived upstairs in one of three apts. We attended St. Joseph's Catholic school until I was in the fourth grade. My brothers and I walked home from school everyday. During the summer, we stopped at one of the houses across from Christian Welfare Hospital to get a snow cone. Two flavors only Rootbeer or Cherry! During the fall another house made REAL candy apples. Red or green! I remember Kruta's bakery, which is now located in Collinsville and it's still wonderful! The other bakery was Byersdofers. I also remember swimming at Jones' Park, the hot tamale man, the skating rink in Washington Park and Loisel Village to see Lena for a new pair of tennis shoes! Thanks Grandma! Businesses are building up on Missouri Ave and it's wonderful to see. I don't know if E. St.Louis will ever be what it used to be. My father always said, "If you can't get a job in E.St.Louis, you won't find a job anywhere."

Sir Demetrius		07-Aug-2014 18:55
my name is Sir Demetrius.born and raised in East st. Louis.I will be an East BOOGIAN for life. Despite the declining of our city due to the scandals rooted from major corporations and industries making tons of money from the resources of our city.they migrated to East st. Louis to hostage the benefits of our natural resources,but they never put a penny into the community.after their mission was completed they fled with their fly by night operations leaving East st. Louis with Rust Belted buildings and poor unemployment rates.they may have schemed, came here and left with a few gold bars,but we are still a GOLD MINE for SUCCESS and PROSPERITY we are more than meets the eye, PREPARE for the RISING of the PHOENIX...

Chester L. Haymore Jr		15-Nov-2013 18:30
Looking at these photos one can only say wow I’m 47 years old and I can remember the good and great times this city provide me with. The life lessons (Positive One’s) have kept me a humble man and a strong man. I only hate that the youth this city produce has no idea of how this town once thrived. My father and mother still reside in E. St. Louis and I have so many times asked my mother to leave and come to Arizona to live with me and she says NO! I guess her memories are stronger then mine of the city. I left the city in 1988 for collage and from there on to the military I’ve visit the city often but it’s mostly due to a death in my family my, dad owns a Liquor store on 15th Street and Lynch and the times has changed there as well. Haymore’s Package Liquor and downtown E. St. Louis has changed but one thing that will never change is the memories I have of my great city and I will forever remember Lincoln Sr. High School class of 1985. Chester L. Haymore Jr

Michelle		22-Jul-2013 03:30
Although I left East St. Louis, in 1981 it is and will always be home. I still have family there. I have to have White Castles, a Snoot, and some Chinese food. Nothing like the food.

Guest		19-Jun-2013 23:43
if they are making improvements lets see some pictures i was raised there would i go back hell no

jim clark		23-Nov-2012 00:17
jim clark i was born in st marys hospital in 1945 i was raised there it was a wonderfull town use to walk downtown all hours of the night go to the magestic theater abd went to the bars in my later years the 400 club and any one remember candy andys the drunker u got the better the ladies looked , drove a cab there never no problems lived on 8th and ohio next to kellys tavern next to the gompers homes that was getting bad i miss the town sooo much like lossing some one special to ur heart , hung around on 8th and st clair at gusses resturant in 1960 and 16th and st stclair, miss every one from there any one from that time era tha hung around there ,like to hear from u email me with name and contact tinman_711@yahoo.com well theres more i can say but it take to long its like some one dropped a bomb on east st louis it terrible i was just down there tuesday 2012 well its such a bummer

Guest		01-Oct-2012 15:32
Born (1940 St. Mary's Hospital) and raised in a Catholic household (St. Joseph's and Assumption High). BS in Accounting from SIU-E.St.Louis Branch). Did Audits on City, School District 189, Veterans (MLK) Bridge, and most political entities in area. I left in 1969 to persue a better life with more opportunities, but never regret my time spent growing up with some of the most hard-working, intelligent and honest people you could ever meet. Unfortunately, the financial stupidity of politicians deficit spending drove up taxes and drove out business. The same is now happening on a national level. God have mercy on us all!!!

Guest		26-Jun-2012 23:49
Was born in Christian Welfare Hospital. Went to Woodrow Wilson, Lansdowne, East Side High freshman year, then it was time to leave the town I grew up in. There was Kruta Bakery, Jones Park, Mitchell's Confectionary. The Stockyards etc. but new folk were moving in and other folk moving out in that order. Political corruption, homes and businesses being set on fire and it just seemed to be from boredom lack of better things to do for some of the younger new citizens. It was a clean safe place at the time but that certainly has changed. Could walk to your friends house, ride a bus to ESL, could ride a bus to St Louis if one wanted and be safe. No way would I take a wrong turn and go through that place now, it is like a war zone as someone else stated. House I grew up in was one that at some point was burned down like so many others.

Guest		13-Jun-2012 01:54
i use to live in east st. louis and use to go out every friday and saturday night at the alavon and wilbert lounge its was so many of them thats i cant name them all and i also went to rock jr. high thats was the school to go to.its so bad that it had to come to be so ugly

Guest		11-Jun-2012 17:47
I was born 55 years ago and lived there until 5th grade. Jefferson grade school is were I attended. I remember going to the pool in the summer and the music they played. Jones Park was a great place and we would ride are bikes there. memories that fill my heart. good luck to all that continue to live there and good things are going to happen. At christmas we would walk to Sears and see the train they would set up.

Mary (Ovies) Porras		23-Apr-2012 15:55
I lived in ESL from 1958-1970, when it was still very segregated and use to take the bus to downtown ESL then across the bridge to St.L. My siblings and I made great friends and still have family in Collinsville and Belleville. Dad worked at the RaceTracks, Mom worked at St. Marys Hospital, sister worked for "Ma-Bell' as an operator, uncle was firefighter in Collinsville, and the history goes on and on....... Jones Park was the spot in the summer, as well as the roller rink in Washington Park. Times have changed, but memories live on forever and ever......

oldtimer		04-Mar-2012 02:11
As I child in the 1950s I grew up on 8th street near the old St. Peter's Lutheran Church and just down the street from St. Mary's hospital. We loved the place, walked "downtown," went to the Majestic for movies, ate tamales from the "hot tamale man," shopped at A&P, enjoyed the library, sold pop bottles, old newspapers, and rags for spending money, and had about as good a childhood as one can have. Love the old photos...but life there must be very sad these days.

Guest		11-Feb-2012 05:51
Hello, I am 35 year old female who wa born and raised in East Saint Louis,Illinois. At the age of 21 I left the city to purue a better life for my children (2) at the time. Growing up in this city I can't complain about much a a child because my mother and father of a different household kept my siblings and I safe. Not until I was a teenager did I began to experience the hardship and see the worse days of life.This was not because the city was a bad place but it wa what I made the city of for myself. On thi page I see more bad than good of this city, when in all reality you make your own joys of of life. Yes some of us left because of the high crime rate or the drug infestation but that lead back to our own city people. As an ex-drug dealer I saw our own city police not fighting againt crime because they wanted to clean the streets but because a dealer wouldn't give them free drug. At this time (1992-1998) our city was going through the wore times I had ever seen. Our government and protective law didn't mean us any good at all. Thats where our problem lied i that our system did'nt care about it's city people and prejudiceness still played a major part in the city. Locating to a new state and city I till see the ame type of crime as in old E.Boogie, the difference is that the police actually mean business, the states government pushes the issue and helps the city be it black, white, purple or whatever race. Sometime I go home to visit and I see that it' only getting worse and I don't blame the people but the oversee'ers of the city for not building and giving this city a dream to look forward to. They can begin by rebuilding downtown and stop the constant hangouts at the gas stations. There is still a future for the city but it has to be done by a better governing leader.

Guest		09-Apr-2011 20:10
Born in Christian Welfare in 1947, attended Morrison, Clark Jr. High then East Side (go Flyers-beat those Maroons). ESL was never I "rich" place but it did have Hannigan's, Bob & Jerry's, Prices, Kruta's, A&W, Sam's BBQ. I was drafted in 1969 and never returned. These pictures sure hurt but then every city is made by it's citizens. ESL, and the land around, is beautiful. To the current residents: you have the potential to make that city great again.

creola hankins		04-Mar-2011 15:48
I was raised an East Saint Louis those r some old pic the city has came up a lot but we still have work to do i love East Saint Louis an always will we have a lot of good people here and a lot of bad but what city don't

Guest		28-Dec-2010 21:52
I was born at Christian Welfare also. Live in the Gomphers low income housing with parent, aunts & uncles, grandparents from both parents. Later we moved to Caseyville, Il. Mom and Dad had a bakery in Washington Park, and my grandfather was one of the archeologitst that work on research on the Mounds. Wow! Haven't thought of that for years.

Guest		22-Aug-2010 18:12
when i think about home, i cry, the thoughts, the memories, all the lovie, the family the food oh my goodness the food, where in the world can you go to BBQ shack and ask for a snoot and they goin know exactly what you talkn bout???!! THE E.ST. BOOGIE!!! The Red Door, Sheba'a on State street, they had the bomob cheesebugers....goin grocery shopping at the local Red Fox right up the street from E. Side H.S. the football games at E.side ...I love E. St. Louis, i pray often for the life to be absorbed back into the city i once knew...

Guest		22-Jul-2010 15:52
people who say that they are "working" on the city and blaming the politicians are dead wrong. i just got back from a trip to east st louis and there are no cars going in or out of st louis. its a warzone. there are detectives investigating the latest murders. but thats about it. the government cant do anything because if they build something new, the people there dont give a shit and they tear it down or burn it or graffiti it. theres nothing you can do. its to late for the city,

Guest		21-May-2010 15:15
I am from East St. Louis and I still live in the area and I must say these are some old pictures because they have and still is improving East St. Louis

Guest		16-May-2010 16:17
shon- i was born in E - saint that is and always will be home no matter were i end up east boogie luv

DB		01-May-2010 05:19
If I as an outsider wanted to move in and start one small business to improve the city what is most needed and where?

Richard Jr		15-Nov-2009 06:59
Was born at Christian Welfare Hospital, lived on goose hill then to the Orr Weathers apts. Went to Garfield(now demolished) Carver, Lilly-Freeman then Hughes Quinn then we moved to Scott AFB. East St was was and always will be home for me. I have been all around the world but am very sad for how my hme has declined.

C. THURMAN		30-Oct-2009 14:58
let me tell you the difference from home ( east st louis ) where i reside now im in atlanta, ga the attitudes are insane, people dont like my straight forwardness they feel that im trying to judge them no im not, if you ask me a stupid question im giving you the stupid truth. DOWNTOWN WAS THE HANG OUT SPOT , WHAT HAPPEND? TO MY EAST BOOGIE"S PAST , FORMER AND PRESENT ALWAYS HOLD IT DOWN E.S.L. STYLE

Shirley A Johnson		15-Sep-2009 18:55
We can come together, we must come together to survive mentally, physically and morally in this city and all others suffering the blight of abandonment by those we have trusted with our votes.

bridget_123		21-May-2009 15:52
Shae what is your real name. I went to college with Coach William Fennoy's daughter ShaNeco at Grambling. Though I moved away before I got the chance to go to Lincoln, I remember seeing the signed outside the school saying Al and Jackie goes to state.

robert		25-Apr-2009 03:21
Was born and raised in East St Louis, went to St Martin of Tours School and graduated from Assumption High School in 88(next to the last class before they closed the school)its a shame to see how the city has gone down, but I will proudly say I am from East St Louis from now until I die. To the guest trying to find out about the name of the paper that was there in the 70s, it was the Metro East Journal.

Guest		11-Mar-2009 19:15
I was born there, too. How can we get together to make ESL the heart of America?

Cooper. DeMario		01-Feb-2009 04:50
For all the East Siders this is Coop Aka Ceo of Mocooprecords, also a very strong leader and mentor all that I have to give the world and I've been all over from east to west America to Moscow and every thing I teach and preach comes from the city I love we made us the strongiest two man team EAST ST. an I. love always D. Cooper class/98 one....

Marilyn Meadows Boggs		14-Oct-2008 18:22
I was born @ St. Mary's Hospital in E. St. Louis in 1956...raised in Collinsville, Illinois...but, have fond memorie's of shopping with my Grandmother on Collinsville Avenue during the Christmas season...make's me cry when I look at some of the photo's on the web...it was a friendly, happy place back in the 60's...I am PROUD that I was born there...I have traveled all over the U.S., now reside in Houston, TX...but, miss HOME! I graduated from Collinsville Senior High in 1974....anyone out there from that class?????

guest		27-Sep-2008 06:20
I grew up in East St Louis until my mom moved me and my sister to Atlanta in 1978 or so. I would love to form a committee to get this city back. Whether anyone out there knows.. this is prime real estate. Don't see what is see what it will be. I am in I will be emailing you.

Marion (Nick) Nixon		23-Sep-2008 15:28
Like previous statements I LOVE E.ST.LOUIS ILL AND WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO RETURN HOME AND FIX THE CURRENT PROBLEM THE CITY FACES. I NEED THE HELP OF THE FEDERAL, CITY, STATE GOVERNMENT AND EVERYBODY FROM E.ST LOUIS THAT CARE. WEATHER YOU ARE STILL LIVING THERE OR NOT. LETS COME TOGETHER AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. I AM NOT SURE THE HELP WILL BE THERE. HOWWVER, I AM WILLING TO TRY AND HELP. IF THERE IS ANYBODY THAT FEEL THE WAY I DO PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT NIXONMARION@BELLSOUTH.NET. LETS RETURN TO THIS ONCE FINE CITY AND FIX THE PARBLEM IT FACES. I KNOW WE CAN!!!!!!!!!!

Janice Pfeiffer Castiller		31-Mar-2008 19:52
I was raised in East St. Louis/Washington Park. I graduated from STA in 1967 and left the area in the early 70s although most of my family still live in Belleville/Fairview Heights. These pictures bring back so many memories. I often wonder what my life would have been like had I stayed in East St. Louis.

Guest		15-Mar-2008 00:39
Does anyone know how I can get the name of the ESTL newspaper that was active in 1972 -1975? I am trying to find an archive artile on the burning death of a mother and daughter in Washinton Park? If anyone who were there around that time and can remember, please let me here from you. ladycamaro40@hotmail.com

Shae		22-Feb-2008 17:45
These pictures bring back a lot of good memories for me even though they show run down buildings. I was born in Christian Welfare in 1970. Received a great education through district 189 and was an athlete who played basketball for Coach McDonald and ran track for Coach Fennoy. I am proud to be a product of E.Saint Louis. My prayer is that some of the other products who are now successful will give back to the community. I only wish I was in a position to do so. I still have family in the area and visit quite often. I will be attending my 20th year class reunion in August and can't wait to reminisce about all the good times. If anyone would like to chat about E. St., just shoot me an email.

Guest		28-Dec-2007 06:30
East St. Louis was once a thriving city with a beautiful down town area called Collinsville Avenue and many people from all over st,louis included came there to shop and socialize in the 40's,50's and part of the 60's. A lot of politicicans got rich in East St. Louis, and a lot of politicians ruined East S. Louis!

Eric		24-Oct-2007 01:04
I am 45 years old born in Centreville raised in E.St Louis... Now reside in Detroit. I've travelled the world over thanks to the military and have always been proud to say I'm from E.St Louis. Sometimes I find myself wiping a tear from my eye when I stand on Collinsville Ave. When that sad feeling comes I think about sitting at the Jupiter food counter and eating those great hot dogswhen I was a kid. I've tried to duplicate the taste but never come close. And the Chinese food is second to none. I think about how good those snoots are. I think about the many famous people that this once great city has produced and I somehow manage to smile.

Guest		28-Jul-2007 15:47
I was born and raised in East St. Louis, Washington Park (aka, Charlie Park) as well and I am proud to be an East St. Louisian. My mother and the rest of my family all were born there and no matter what anyone or any federal agency has to say about "THE BOOGIE", I think that it is one of the greatest cities in the USA!!!! I no longer reside there but frequent home as much as possible, I to am not ashamed to admit where I am from and will never play down East Boogie... To those who know and to those who don't, ESTL will never fade away.

zoezoe		11-May-2007 15:52
Be proud. I am sad to see how some in our country live....yet a mile away the opportunities are much different. What can we do? It is something that weighs very heavy on me, not just for east st louis, but all over. we can help africa?? what about our own backyard & saving what's here. I grew up on an Indian Reservation & same conditions exist on several in our country. I am only one person, but I pray God will show me what this 1 person can do thru him.

r		28-Aug-2006 21:22
I was born and raised in East St. Louis, and although the community was not nor has been economically strong for decades the people of this city will not nor have they quit to strive to beat the odds. E.St.Louis is no different thany any urban city in Amercia. The powers that be exploit the impoverished, lead them down the wrong path and unfortunately our kind aids them in keeping this city, this proud city down. I am not ashamed to admit where I am from nor will ever stop associating myself with my city. I love East St. Louis because when ever you met a person who was born and raised there and they leave to better themselves they are successful not because simply because of opportunity elsewhere but because of determination, hard work, underlined with pride and dignity. Never have I met anyone that is from "The Boogie" that has not announced proud roots from the city. No matter how the media portrays this city it will never fade away or diminish, never!! I will be an East St.Louisan 'til the day I die.