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Belleville Commercial College

by Judy Belleville
In 1893, high school was not a requirement. But to fill a need, Professor Joseph Foeller of St. Louis, MO opened the Belleville Commercial College on E. Main St. in Belleville. Although named a college, one could attend immediately out of grade school if desired. The college offered a business curriculum including bookkeeping, accounting, practical English, business arithmetic, typing and shorthand. Below is a sample of the “speed writing”, or Gregg Shorthand, a student could take and many did. Dictating devices were yet to be invented. The school offered courses year round and were from 2 weeks to a semester in length. The school also offered an employment service that included Belleville, the Belleville area and St. Louis, MO. The school, located on the second and third floor of the Belleville Savings Bank at 18 East Main St., closed in 1951.

Angela Briedenbach and Roy Foeller, descendants of the founder, contributed equipment, photos and archives to the permanent collection of the Labor & Industry Museum.
Shorthand sample
Gregg Shorthand, first published in 1888, is speedwriting using symbols. Pictured is correspondence using shorthand symbols for words and brief forms. A brief form is a symbol for two words such as the first two words shown, “it is”.

 
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In 1912, Ely-Walker Dry Goods Co. of St. Louis, MO, announced they were opening a Belleville branch in the Rentchler Agricultural Works Building at East B and Delmar. The wage was $4.50 per week. In 1917, employees clashed between union and non-union representation. On, March 30, 1918, employees went on strike for union recognition.The photo shows a small portion of the 160 employees of Ely-Walker in 1928. Donated by Pat & Jack Lindsey and Teresa Schaeffer.

The drawing is from "Signature of 450,000", a publication of the ILGWU, 1965. Donated by Betty Julian.
 
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Excelsior Foundry is one of numerous companies established by the Rogers family since emigrating from Ireland to Belleville in 1876. The 1877 street directory lists John and Robert Rogers as Iron & Brass Founders. Later, Robert Rogers moved into stove making by founding Rogers Foundry and Stove Works. Excelsior Foundry was founded in 1891 by Edward P. Rogers and George B. McClellan Rogers.

The ca. 1930 product catalog shows a complete line of sugar cane milling equipment, evaporators and furnaces. Donated by Frank P. Rogers.

Today, the foundry specializes in gray iron castings for industry that are shipped worldwide.

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