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Happy September Granite City! Summer is winding down, the kids are back in school and before we know it, Halloween will be here. Remember The Melting Pot Market is Saturday, September 11 from 8am to Noon, you don't want to miss it! We hope everyone has a fun and safe Labor Day weekend, and don't forget to head down to the Granite City Cinema and support our hometown's newest contribution to the Downtown Revitalization efforts. Also, Welcome to the Complex, Granite City's new Youth Center! There are a lot of good things happening - it's September in Granite City! |
Do you have a birthday or anniversary coming up? Send us a picture or greeting and we will post it free of charge! Send us your fund raiser information and we will spread the word Contact us at GraniteCityGossip @yahoo.com today! |
Can you identify this month's GCGossip home page photo? |
The morning of Monday, November 2, 1925, dawned chilly and quite foggy in Granite City, Illinois, a suburb outside of St. Louis, MO. Roy Griffin awoke before dawn, put on the round, gold-trimmed spectacles that barely covered his most dramatic facial feature, the large, gentle brown eyes that conveyed a kind compassion that endeared him to all. He arose from his warm bed and got ready for work, putting on his clean and freshly pressed dark wool uniform, then heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth and hair. There was no longer much dark brown hair to brush, but that didn't bother him. He was still fit and trim and had an easy smile that made him look a full decade younger than his almost-39 years. |
Once he was groomed and ready to go, Roy headed to the cheery kitchen at the back of the two-story, bungalow-style house for his workday ritual of morning coffee with his wife, Nora. The childless couple spent every morning together at the table like this, possibly reading the paper, talking about the day's events, or exchanging the latest gossip about Mr. So-and-So, the crazy neighbor down the block. This morning time together was the nicest part of the day for both of them, but it didn't last long, for just as the sun dawned on the horizon, Roy gathered his lunchbox, kissed Nora goodbye, and headed out the front door to work. As he closed the door to the warm house behind him, Roy got his first rush of cold, fall air, and he pulled up the navy blue collar on his uniform as he quickly made his way to the Alton, Granite & St. Louis Traction Company station, where he had worked for the last 17 years as a streetcar motorman. He liked his job piloting the modern Birney streetcar on the "Red Line" route between Alton and St. Louis, even on gloomy, fog-filled mornings like today. It sure beat working in an office or factory like some of his seven siblings did or slaving away on a farm that barely produced enough to support a family, as his father had done. Upon his arrival at the station at 7:00 a.m., Roy cheerfully greeted his fellow workers, many of whom, like him, belonged to the Triple Lodge No. 835 of the A.F. & A.M. (Free Masons), where Roy was Senior Warden. After placing a few more logs in the potbelly stove .... READ MORE with additional pictures |
Roy Griffen c. 1923 |
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Now Showing at the new Granite City Cinema "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" "The Town" "Legend of the Guardians" 3D Click on the marquee for show times & prices! |
Is this you? Click to find out! |
Thank you for visiting GraniteCityGossip.com, celebrating over four years of service to our community, August 2006 - August 2010 Please come back soon! Last update September 26, 2010 |
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