Belleville: 1914 and Beyond (Images of America)

In 1914, celebrants marked the anniversary of the founding of Belleville, Illinois, by observing the progress the city had made since it was established a hundred years before. In that time, it had become a regional hub for surrounding communities, with robust commercial, manufacturing, coal-mining, and agricultural sectors. Over the next century, the automobile, wars, economic depression, and technological innovation transformed daily life in ways unimaginable to those citizens of 1914. Bellevilleans€ civic volunteerism would serve the city well as Belleville approached its bicentennial. In 2011, the National Civic League designated it an All-American City.