Leclaire

Title: Edwardsville woman writes about Leclaire, a village with heart

Author: Teri Maddox

Publisher: News-Democrat

Date: 11/14/2010



Cindy Reinhardt discovered historic treasure when she moved to the Leclaire neighborhood of Edwardsville 16 years ago.



The original village was founded in 1890 as an experiment in cooperative living by St. Louis businessman N.O. Nelson. He wanted to provide employees at his new factory an attractive place to live with opportunities for home ownership, education and recreation.



"The more I learn about Nelson, the more fascinating the story becomes," said Cindy, 59. "His level of philanthropy was so much broader than any of us knew. He was very involved with the Social Betterment Movement.





"He was just an incredible man. He had the welfare of his workers at heart. He didn't just talk the talk. He really followed through with his vision."



Cindy is a Friends of Leclaire board member, Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission member and retired assistant manager at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville bookstore.



Arcadia Publishing recently released her book, "Leclaire," as part of its "Images of America" series. The paperback contains more than 200 photographs with captions that explain the history of the 125-acre village, which was annexed by the city of Edwardsville in 1935.



How did the book project begin? "I had been thinking about writing a book for years, but it was a matter of not having enough time to do it. I sold Arcadia books (at SIUE), and I knew Leclaire was a perfect fit for their series. As soon as I retired, I submitted a proposal, and it was accepted."



Which is your favorite photo? "There's one toward the back of the book that reminds me of a painting. I've often thought I should blow it up and put it on my wall. It's so beautiful. It shows people who are visiting Leclaire (wearing fancy clothes and carrying umbrellas). We're fairly certain they're at the Leclaire farm, and they're probably picking wildflowers."



Do you have another favorite? An early 1900s photo of three football players. "They played football really early (1897) in Leclaire. The team was known as the Leclaire Tigers, which later became the Edwardsville Tigers. The high school was where Columbus School is, and there wasn't room for a football field. So they would take the streetcar down to Leclaire."



What was your biggest surprise? Learning about a 1911 murder at 922 Holyoake. (Cindy and her husband, Mike, own the home and rent it out.) "The murder victim is pictured in the book. It's on page 85. She's with her horse. I just recently got a picture of her husband. He's the one who killed her. He was sentenced to 45 years at Menard state prison, but he was released in 1923."



How can people get the book? It's available for $21.99 at Borders, Walgreens, Market Basket and AfterWords Bookstore in Edwardsville and SIUE University Bookstore. It's also being sold to raise money for Friends of Leclaire at friends@historic-leclaire.org.



People who have Leclaire photos and are willing to let them be scanned should call Cindy at 656-1294.

Title: New book traces quaint neighborhood's history

Author: Ken West

Publisher: Suburban Journals

Date: 10/4/2010



Living in historic Leclaire has left a lasting impression on Cindy Reinhardt - so much that she's penned a 128-page book about the quaint Edwardsville neighborhood.



"I had so much fun doing this," said Reinhardt, 58, a retired Southern Illinois University Edwardsville bookstore worker. "People were generous with their pictures and their family stories."



"Leclaire" is scheduled for release on Oct. 11. The 130-page tome is part of the "Images of America" series published by Arcadia Publishing of New Hampshire, which has printed historical books about hundreds of areas across the country.



Like other releases, "Leclaire" includes dozens of historical photos, about 200 in all. Reinhardt, who has lived in the Leclaire neighborhood for 15 years, culled pictures from around the country to tell the area's story.



"I had people in the Carolinas, California, Washington, Mississippi who sent me family photos," she said.



Leclaire was created largely by the industrialist N.O. Nelson, who in the 1890s built a factory just south of Edwardsville. A businessman and philanthropist, he had a vision different than other manufacturers. He set up profit sharing for his employees and established a company town that provided workers with competitive prices on food and other items.



Descendents of those early workers helped contribute materials for the book. Reinhardt used a 1907 city directory. "I would look through names and try to contact people and I put out a call for photos in the newspaper," she said.



A member of the Friends of Leclaire Board, Reinhardt also used her group's newsletter to find sources related to the village, which later became part of Edwardsville.



This is the second Arcadia book published about Madison County in the past month; Cheryl Eichar Jett, of Cahokia, released "Route 66 in Madison County." Reinhardt helped Jett gather photos for the book.



"We kind of joke we are Arcadia Book central here because Cindy and Cheryl both do their researching here," said Mary Westerhold, operations manager for the Madison County Historical Museum and Archival Library in Edwardsville. "They pass along photos or digital copies of what they find, so it helps us."



Reinhardt said she isn't necessarily looking for a best seller.



"If I can sell some books, fine," she said, "but if I can tell the story of Leclaire that's fine with me."