What's Happening

On Tuesday at 9: 15 AM a 1920 combo (cooks with gas and/or wood)range manufactured by Belleville Stove Co. will be delivered at the Schmidt Art Center. Also, the City Maintenance Department is dropping off a 1913 Sewing Machine and a 1920 hot (electric) permanent wave machine (shocking!!!).

At 2PM, volunteers will be at the Schmidt Art Center, learning to demonstrate these three dimensional objects (plus others) These objects are meant to depict and further explain the Clara Brian photographs which will be display at the center from November 16 through December 9.

The Schmidt Art Center is on the main campus of Southwestern Illinois College, 2500 Carlyle Ave. The photography exhibit will highlight rural life in Illinois shortly after World War I. The photographs, taken between 1918 and 1926, demonstrate Clara Brian's role as a "home demonstration agent" with the Illinois Home Bureau during that era. She would travel the state bringing technological advances to the rural women of Illinois and often photograph them in route.

There will be two public events at the Art Center in mid-November -- BOTH ARE FREE:

1. The exhibit's opening reception will be held on Thursday, Nov 16th from 6 to 8PM. Attendees will be the first in the region to view the black and white photographs and Labor & Industry Museum exhibits.

2. Family Day will be held on Saturday, November 18th from 10 AM to 2 PM. This event will also be an opportunity to visit and talk with Labor & Industry Museum volunteers who will be demonstrating and discussing the objects on display.

The Labor & Industry Museum will unveil an American Flag Exhibit on November 12, 2005, in commemoration of Veterans Day. The flags, which relate to Belleville and Belleville area history, date from 1851 to 2005 and are each unique in fabric and use. The flags, along with related memorabilia, will be displayed throughout the museum.

One of the most unique flags is a hand stenciled flag of tremendous proportion that at one time hung at the Neuhoff-Bressler Brewery (later Star). It has 31 stars on one side and 33 on the other and was owned by a German revolutionary and immigrant to Belleville, George Neuhoff. The 31 stars recognize California's entry into the union and Oregon's entry two years later. The 1972 flag that flew over the historic St. Clair County Courthouse when it was demolished will be displayed with memorabilia.

There are 13 flags in all (including among others, a Union Hall Flag, a Grand Army of the Republic Flag and a flag flown over Scott AFB, etc) plus a wool Spanish-American War Veteran Coffin Drape Flag. The exhibit will run through May, 2006, and there will be hands-on activities for children.

Labor and Industry Museum's 1895 Harrison JUMBO Steam Traction Engine, is featured in the Vintage Farm Tractors 2005 calendar by Ralph W. Sanders. This calendar will be sold nationwide. The Museum will be selling the calendar for $12.00. The month of October 2005 has an 11 1/2 X 12-inch color photo of the Harrison Steam Engine. All tractor fans that admire the timeless beauty of vintage farm tractors will treasure this popular calendar, filled with striking photos of classic farm tractors. Detailed shots of tractor apparatuses are included with each month's major photos. The history of JUMBO is shown with the October picture and also the Editor Ralph W. Sanders specifically mentions JUMBO in his introduction. Mike Hutsch and the Jumbo Keepers are to be complimented on a JOB WELL DONE! Calendars will be available for sale at all of the Museum functions, at the Labor and Industry Museum every Saturday between 10 am and 4 pm, and at all of JUMBO'S appearances. This calendar is a great educator, gift and keepsake.

Our new exhibit about the St. Louis National Stockyards, formerly located at National City, Illinois across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, MO, will open on May 1, 2004.

Of special interest is a 5' x 7' overview of the yards. The 650 acre terminal livestock facility was directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, MO. Thirty-one railroads converged at National City, IL., which was a true company town with business centering around the yards. The stockyard companies provided postal service, telegraph service, police and fire protection. Also in the exhibit are the original handwritten minutes of the exchange, artifacts from the prestigious Allerton House (later called the National Hotel), a 6' long hog house gate, archival materials from commission houses and co-ops, photos of the yards, and a 10 minute video which includes footage from the devastating fire of 1986, information on "Mr. Stockyards" an award program of the Stockyards Company, and information about social activities at the yards. The video opens which wonderful shots of prize cattle, hogs and sheep.

The St. Louis National Stockyards and packing houses employed over 14,000 people not including employees of secondary businesses around the yards such as grain, feed and fertilizer merchants, lumber dealers, veterinarians and hog serum companies and railroad employees. Today nothing is left of National City. The Yards, which were established in 1873, closed in 1997. All records are now held in storage at the Oklahoma City Stockyards.

At one time, the St. Louis National Stockyards had the largest horse and mule market in the world -- and placed second in the marketing of hogs. This is a unique exhibit in that all materials were gathered from former employees of the yards.