~~~History~~~

 Late 1800's
West City was a small settlement adjoining Benton on the west. 

 Early 1900's
Immigrants from Poland, Lithuania and England settled 
in to work in the many coal mines.

 March 29, 1911

Of 350 inhabitants, John Mulkey led 33 citizens, represented by Attorney 
Robert Hickman, to Judge Thomas J. Layman of the Franklin County Court and 
presented a petition to incorporate West City, Illinois as a Village. 



March 29, 1911
List of 33 people who petitioned for the 
Incorporation for Village 
of West City, Illinois

ADAMS, Jack
ADAMS, Joe
BROWNING, R.A.
CARTER, Alpha
DUDEK, John Dudek
FLETCHER, R.J.
FLETCHER, Walter D.
GULLEY, Daniel
MANDRELL, R.C.
MANDRELL, R.E.
McCOLLUM, Rolla 
McHENRY, W.E.
McINTIRE, J.E.
McNEAL, George W.
MOCKBY, W.H.
MULKEY, John
ROGERS, W.E.
RUEMMLER, C.T.
SANDERS, A.E.
SANDERS, Ephriam James
SANDERS, Jacob Leonard
SHIPE, G.A.
SIMPSON, Thomas
SMOTHERS, Jeff
SUMMERS, Birty
TIPLING, William
TRUE, John
UPCHURCH, Henry
WEST, Edgar
WEST, Joe
WILLIAMS, E.L.
WILLIAMS, J.H.
WILSON, Marion






April 15, 1911
Election held and the six Trustees elected: 

ADAMS, Jack
FLETCHER, Ben
McINTIRE, Ed 
MOORE, Marshall
SANDERS, J.J. 
TOBBLY, L. I. 




June 1, 1911
Judge Layman declared West City to be
 
duly and legally organized under the general
 
laws of the State of Illinois as the 

Village of West City.



 1919

Congress passed the Volstead (Prohibition) Act. 
West City became notorious for bootlegging and gambling. 
The Birger and Shelton gangs vied for control of the wide-open village. 


April 1923
Elections Held

ADAMS, Joe - Mayor 
REED, Leslie - City Clerk 
LAIRSEY, John - Treasurer
NEUNLIST, R. E. - Attorney 
PANCHARD, Bruce - Trustee
GANT, C. C. - Trustee
CLINTON, George - Trustee
STEWART, H. E. - Trustee
ROGERS, W.R. - Trustee
LONG, R. N. - Trustee


Mayor Adams aligned himself with the Shelton's and became the bitter enemy of Charlie Birger.




December 12, 1926
Mayor Joe Adams was fatally shot at his home. 
He was allied with the Shelton Brothers Gang, prohibition-era bootleggers. 
His murder was ordered by rival gangster Charles Birger.
Two hired young assassins knocked on his door and informed his wife they 
had a message for him. When the Mayor came to the door, they gunned him 
down in front of his wife Beulah and young daughter Arian. Sheriff Jim 
Pritchard gathered evidence and arrested Charlie Birger for the murder. 

 April 19, 1928
Charles Birger was found guilty of murdering Mayor Joe Adams and 
hanged by the neck at 9:48 a.m. in a public execution in Benton.
After the downfall of the Birger gang and the repeal of the Volstead Act, the 
Village of West City earned much of their income from legitimate taverns and nightclubs. 

 1963

Interstate 57 split the Village of West City down the middle from North to South. 
Preliminary work of buying homes and clearing sites began for the eventual construction.
Interstate 57 to run from Chicago on the North to Cairo on the South.

 1964
Actual construction and completion of I-57 from Chicago to Cairo(1964-1974).

 1979

With the advent of I-57, Rend Lake Plaza was initiated. 
Wal-Mart and Big John's Supermarket were completed and in operation.
Two big-city stoplights soon followed.

 1978

Village Hall was built, Expanded their Police Department, 
Street & Water Department and Volunteer Fire Department.

 1980's and 1990's

Large part of their income being funneled back into the Village. 
Have come a long way from dirt roads and outhouses.
Rend Lake Plaza still growing 50 active shops, restaurants, motels,
gas stations, and industrial businesses, etc. 
Boast their own water and sewer systems, and a network of asphalt streets. 


 Schools 
At one time there were three in West City limits
Old Jordon 
Washington School
New Jordon 

 Churches
 
Prospect, later called First Baptist Church 
(was the only organized Church in the corporate limits of West City until 1921) 
Harmony Freewill Baptist
Trinity Baptist Church (no longer in existence)