100 years ago: Metro-east cities adopt mid-week ‘half holidays’ for summer
Looking back at stories that appeared in the O’Fallon Progress 100, 75, and 50 years ago:
100 years ago, June 11, 1925
The midweek half-holiday idea has spread to our sister city of Lebanon, where the business firms have decided to close one afternoon in each week during the months of June, July and August, the same as in vogue in a number of other smaller cities. Troy inaugurated a similar plan last week.
Commencing today the Lebanon business men will close every Thursday afternoon from 12 o’clock noon until six p.m., in order to give the business people and their employees an opportunity for recreation during the hot summer months. Thirty-two merchants signed the petition to close their places of business.
Community picnics, baseball games and other entertainment is being planned for the half-holiday. The idea is not a new one, as many towns are adopting similar plans, and it will not be long until all the smaller cities will fall in line for the Thursday half-holiday just as Saturdays are now used in the larger cities.
75 years ago, June 8, 1950
At a meeting of the officers of the O’Fallon Home-Coming and Fall Festival Association and public-spirited citizens interested in further development of Community Park, an important step was taken Friday night when a proposal was unanimously adopted to acquire 14 more acres to the present 20-acre park and playground.
Purchase price is approximately $14,000. The additional acreage, belonging to the Willard estate, adjoins Community Park to the east, permitting plenty room for further expansion and development for many years to come.
The decision to purchase the grounds is reflected by O’Fallon’s rapid growth and increased population during the past few years. Those favoring the move pointed out that while the present developed 20-acre park is more than many cities the size of O’Fallon can point to with pride, it is to be assumed that to continue as a progressive city more park facilities will become necessary to keep step with the city’s advancement.
This site was offered first to O’Fallon by the Willard family as it is understood several others were interested in the farm for homesite development. With the association acquiring the 14 acres next to the park, it is planned by the Willards’ to dispose of the remaining 14 acres to other interests for home building subdivision, being ideally located for such purposes.
The Association took immediate steps to finance the proposition through the sale of $14,000 in first mortgage notes to be subscribed by local citizens as an investment. The notes, in $100 denominations, will bear interest at the rate of 3-1/2 per cent per annum. Retirement of the notes is to begin in January, 1952 and is to continue annually, the indebtedness to paid off in or before 10 years. The notes are to be retired by drawing of numbers each year. John L. Anheuser, L. E. Schwarz and James Lautz were named as a committee for the sale of the first mortgage notes.
Citizens interested in investing in the proposition are requested to make application to chairman Anheuser as soon as possible.
(The addition of this land increased Community Park to its present size.)
50 years ago, June 12, 1975
A summer employment program for youth has been started in O’Fallon, according to (O’Fallon Township) Supervisor John L. Anheuser. Anheuser said it is part of a federally financed manpower program.
The program will use eight young people for 11 weeks and the young people will be paid $2.10 an hour. No local funds will be used and the selection was by the Manpower Office in Belleville for low income families.
They are assigned as follows: two for help in park clean-up; two for the swimming pool, one maintenance and one the concession stand; two high school for maintenance and janitor work; one clerk-typist for the city engineer and one city cleanup and grass cutting.