[davisfh]

" East St. Louis, Illinois"

In an act of utter stupidity, I transited this area on my way from Bellville, IL, to St. Louis, MO. The year was 1963, as I recall. After I and my family were deep into this forbidden territory, I prayed to God that he would see us through this Godawful territory and he did. I vowed at that time, that I would never commit such an act of stupidity again.

I can only imagine what East St. Louis, IL, is like at this time. It must be absolutely Gothic.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I traveled to Belleville two or three times a year when I had the coal account at the Stag Brewery. I always stayed in a western St. Louis suburb and drove to Belleville very early in the day, figuring the bad guys were still asleep.