East St. Louis in St. Clair County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

S. 5th St. and Railroad Ave.

Remembering the 1917 East St. Louis Race Riot

Photographed By Jason Voigt, November 5, 2019

1. S. 5th St. and Railroad Ave. Marker

Inscription. The most severe property damage happened here. Houses and rail cars on the adjacent tracks were destroyed by the rioters. Very little remained standing in this area.

Erected 2017 by The East St. Louis 1917 Centennial Commission & Cultural Initiative, the Meridian Society, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. (Marker Number 12.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Illinois, Remembering the 1917 East St. Louis Race Riot series list. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1917.

Location. 38° 37.389′ N, 90° 9.765′ W. Marker is in East St. Louis, Illinois, in St. Clair County. Marker is at the intersection of South 5th Street and Railroad Avenue when traveling north on South 5th Street. It is on the grounds of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's East St. Louis Center, facing 5th Street and a parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 601 James R Thompson Boulevard, East Saint Louis IL 62201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. S. 4th St. and Railroad Ave. (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); East St. Louis Race Massacre, July 1917 (about 500 feet away); S. 6th St. and Railroad Ave. (about 500 feet

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away); S. 4th St. and E. Broadway (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named S. 4th St. and E. Broadway (about 700 feet away); N. 4th St. and Division Ave. (approx. 0.2 miles away); 700 East Broadway (approx. 0.2 miles away); S. 8th St. and Brady Ave. (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in East St. Louis.

Regarding S. 5th St. and Railroad Ave.. Many African American families lived in the homes adjacent to the tracks, and the tracks at the time had dozens of rail cars sitting still on them. Some fled their homes and hid among the freight. Rioters burned the rail cars. In the end, 44 rail cars were destroyed, as was the Southern Railway warehouse near South 2nd Street and East Broadway, where the rail cars were to be unloaded.

Source: Elliott Rudwick, "Race Riot at East St. Louis-1917" pp. 52-53

Additional keywords. 1917 race riot

Photographed By Jason Voigt, November 5, 2019

2. S. 5th St. and Railroad Ave. Marker

Broadview Hotel can be seen in the background

Credits. This page was last revised on November 7, 2019. It was originally submitted on November 7, 2019, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 259 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 7, 2019, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.