Jackson County IL Archives News.....MURPHYSBORO CELEBRATING ITS CENTENNIAL THIS YEAR WITH LABOR AS ITS GUEST September 3, 1943
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Karima Allison quest@insightbb.com July 8, 2006, 9:29 pm

Murphysboro Daily Independent September 3, 1943


This is Murphysboro's Centennial Year. The city is commemorating 100 years of
existence and that is one of the reasons why it was chosen as the site of the
Tri-County Labor Day gathering.

Union labor joined with the citizens of Murphysboro in celebrating the city's
one hundredth anniversary. It was just 100 years ago - in February, 1843-that
the village of Murphysborough (the three last letters ugh were later dropped)
was organized as the new County Seat of Jackson County.

Historians have it that removal of the County Seat from old Brownsville, four
miles west on the Big Muddy River, where the old county building and jail had
burned, was actuated by a grant of 20 acres of land by Dr. John A. LOGAN, an
extensive land owner, with the present Court House site in the center of it.

Actually, however, some who have delved into early Jackson County history are
convinced that the land grand may have helped move the County Seat, that and a
little political maneuvering. But they believe the real urge to leave
Brownsville was the thirst for pure water and the fear of "Black Fever,"
probably malaria and typhoid, Brownsville people drank unfiltered Big Muddy
river water, and in seasons of hot weather fought fever.

Now there were water springs in the proposed new County Seat area-one south of
the present Bridge Street, another near the present intersection at 13th and
Mulberry Streets, and still another near the present Missouri-Pacific underhead
in West Walnut Street. Water from the springs was mineral in a degree and
supposedly of health-preserving quality.

So the village was organized and platted with a few north-south and east-west
streets, and within half a decade the original pretentious court house was build
with it's lofty bell tower that many years later attracted adventurous youths to
it's spooky third floor and belfry. For this third floor preserved incased in
glass the ugly nooses that had broken the necks of three bad men in the new
County Seat's time.

This is not intended to be a history of Murphysboro. Far from that. Rather the
background of it's early years when Mt. Carbon really was the industrial seat
and the live spot of the new town, and McGuire Hill (South Ninth street) the
gateway to trouble for any redshirted pioneer on evil bent, whether headed east
for Mt. Carbon or west Murphysborough.

It happens that Murphysboro's centennial year came in February of a year of
intensive preparation for global war, and the city's 100th birthday passed
without so much as a firing of a firecracker, or a speech from a leading citizen.

Later on a Centennial Pageant was planned to depict the history of the city and
county. But every time the men designated to whip the pageant program into shape
really had time to plan a pageant, this or that war work committee gave them
other, more immediate tasks. The consensus of patriotic opinion was that
gunpowder was more essential than birthday cake and capers. SO that was that,
and more money was left to go for the global war.

But the lack of time for preparation and the funds required for an ambitious
Centennial program fell far short of spoiling the Murphysboro Birthday party.
LABOR decided to take it's Labor Day to a city ONE HUNDRED years old. And
Murphysboro in turn decided to celebrate with labor in a joint expression of the
spirit of the day and time-patriotism.

Local leaders realized that Murphysboro, after all, like Jackson County, was
made by men who work-artisans, miners, farmers, businessmen.

Riverside Park, because of it's great size and conveniences, with it's Shell
Stage, baseball stadium, room lawns and large swimming pool, was chosen as the
place for the joint celebration. And tens of thousands of persons attending the
celebration from four counties agreed to share cars as well as fellowship.

Murphysboro car owners were advised to leave their cars at home to make room for
the incoming thousands of vehicles. Park officials cooperated with committees
Mayor Eugene A. COMTE, members of the City Council, civic organization heads,
the press, all welcomed Labor to Murphysboro for her Centennial Birthday Party.





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