100 years ago: O’Fallon businessmen sponsor city’s first Halloween parade
100 years ago, Nov. 5, 1925
Ghosts, witches, goblins, pirates, clowns, brides, funny faces, hideous faces and what not roamed the streets in O’Fallon Saturday night to participate in the Hallowe’en parade and celebration as arranged by the Business Men’s Association.
It was the first of its kind attempted in the city and the success was far beyond expectations an estimated crowd of 500 maskers turning out for the event.
While most of them were children, the celebrators were augmented by masked merchants and many other grownups, who came out to enjoy the fun with the children. Shortly after 7 o’clock, the unique parade, headed by the Rebekah Drum Corps, moved over the principal streets, the sidewalks being crowded with spectators.
At the conclusion the maskers were provided with noise producers and confetti, followed by a brief street party at which the youngsters had the time of their lives.
An interesting feature of the affair was the absence of rowdyism and everybody entered into the spirit of having a good time. Among the hundreds of costumes many pretty characters appeared and the judges had some difficulty in making the awards, which were as follows: Best juvenile group, Francis Swope jazz band; best costume, Miss Beulah Bailey; Best gent character, Miss Sue Poser; best comic gent, Elton Remelius; best comic lady, Mrs. Edna Ayers.
The merchants are highly elated over the success of the celebration and indications are that it will be an annual affair.
This parade is not connected to the current O’Fallon Rotary Club Children’s Halloween parade that started in 2011.
75 years ago, Nov. 2, 1950
More than 800 persons, about half of them children, attended the O’Fallon Parent-Teachers Association Hallowe’en party and carnival held in the High School Gymnasium. Most of the children attended in costume.
Mrs. Clarence Waters, president of the association, said the affair was a huge success from a standpoint of giving the children and their parents a good time as well as keeping the children off the streets and out of mischief.
50 years ago, Nov. 6, 1975
The value of single-family residences built in O’Fallon so far this year is reaching the $4 million mark according to figures released Monday night by Zoning Administrator Dave Horton.
A total of 86 permits have been issued this year as of Oct. 31 for single-family residential construction which outdistances last year’s total building permit issuance of 53 permits.
Last year, single-family residences built in the city were valued at $2,026,000.
The figure for the first 10 months of 1975 is $3,844,000. The average value of a home built in O’Fallon this year is $45,200. Last year’s value was $38,200. The most popular priced home built this year is in the $50,000 to $59,999 price range.
Last year the most popular priced home built was in the $20,000 to $29,999 price bracket.
So far this year, the number of permits for the following priced homes have been issued: $20,000 – 29,999, 15; $30,000 - $39,999, 14; $40,000 - $49,999, 13; $50,000 - $59,999, 27; $60,000 - $69,999, 15; $70,000 - $79,000, 2. The 86 permits issued so far this year are only surpassed by the total number of permits issued during the entire 1972 building season – 97.
In Horton’s report, local contractors were also listed according to the number of homes they have built in the city during this year. Smiley Homes Inc. has built 26 homes in the city valued at $812,000 with an average cost of $31,700. State Construction Co. has built the highest valued homes. The company has built 22 homes valued at $1,313,000, with an average cost of $59,700. Fairwood West Development Corporation and Lowell T. Smith Builder have both built more than $300,000 worth of homes. Bob Morton Construction has built more than $200,000 worth of homes.