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.
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Over the next century, the automobile, wars, economic depression, and technological innovation transformed daily life in ways unimaginable to those citizens of 1914.
In that time, it had become a regional hub for surrounding communities, with robust commercial, manufacturing, coal-mining, and agricultural sectors.
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