Granite City A Pictorial History You can take a visual tour of Granite City by opening this book. The sights that make our city unusual have been recorded by many Granite City photographers and collected in this volume. The Granite City story begins with two brothers-- William F. and Frederick G. Niedringhaus -- who came to St. Louis from Westphalia, Germany in 1855. In 1857, after years of apprenticeship , they had started their own tin shop. by 1890, the Niedringhaus family had developed one of the major industries in the United States -- the making of granite ware. As their business flourished and expanded, they started a search for a new location. In August, 1891, they took a trip across the Mississippi River and came to a small farming community known as Kinder located in the American Bottom, one of the most famous wheat and corn raising areas in the country. They decided this would be an ideal place for their firm and a city. In 1892, the brothers purchased 3,500 acres of farmland. Two years later, construction on the Granite City Steel Works and the Stamping Works was well underway. The early development of Granite City, Illinois -- the community that grew up around these industrial plants is also shown in photographs. How industry laid out the town, graded and cindered the streets, and provided the water supply are covered in text and photos. In this gallery of pictures, there are churches, schools, sports, parks, fashions, and elegant homes on "Silk Stocking Row." You'll see historical highlights of special people, places and events that made Granite City what it is today. Of course, this book would not be complete without pictures of the immigrants who arrived in Granite City between 1890 and 1920, and worked in the construction gangs, mills, and factories. This "melting pot" of people prompted us to choose "Progress Through Heritage" for our 100th anniversary logo. Look at the photos - read - enjoy! |
