1930's		There was lighted miniature golf course located on the West City curve, owned and operated by the Dietz brothers.
1930's		Long before the Days Inn and the Super 8 Motels, there was a roller skating rink, loud music and all, operating at that location on West Main Street.
30's - 40's		Traveling medicine show set up every summer, where present Day's Inn is now located. Handsome man called "Bubbles" and his troop put on a great show. They sold bottles of "medicinal elixir", which would cure or kill any misery you suffered from. This "elixir" truly had a great "kick" to it, people were happy for days.
1940's		One imaginative, lifelong fisherman loved to pretend to be fishing in rain-flooded West Main Street, sitting on his car fender, in front of Loman's West Side Tavern. Believable!
40's - 50's		First licensed Barber Shop to open in West City was successfully operated by personable man who learned his trade (shave and a haircut), while doing time in prison. Had a great business, and never cut off an ear. He was well respected and trusted by the citizens of West City.
1950's		Restaurant called THE MIX, owned and operated by Noble and Bernice Reed Mick sold and original specialty sandwich, the Chickenburger. They applied for and received a patent for this luscious sandwich.
1950's		An enterprising West City citizen build a diner at his home, and moved it four blocks to a lot on West Main Street, where he immediately opened for business with his wife as the cook. He didn't make his fortune, but he did receive much kudos for his ingenuity.
May 1953		The Mayor and City Council of West City issued ten (10) liquor licenses. Nine (9) Class A - saloon; One (1) Class B - package liquor. Some of the taverns operating through the years in West City were: Red Onion Goat's Irish Village West Side To-Ha (Hardface's) Town Club Midway West City Curve White House West Side
1900-1950's		There was not much discrimination in West City. The majority of the men were coal miners, and EVERYBODY was poor. One way of surviving the hard winters of Southern Illinois was "borrowing" coal from Illinois Central Railroad tracks and cars, that ran east and west at the of S. Central Street. The good citizens of West City filled their toesacks, wagons and wheelbarrows each and every day. This black gold was used by families in their cooking and heating stoves. You had to be very diligent and sneaky to avoid the clutches of Illinois Central Railroad Detective BALLAD. Mothers threatened their children with the reputed mean and cruel BALLARD. His fierce and tenacious reputation grew over the years with the help of four young West City boys, who wrote a song "BALLAD OF BALLARD", to the tune of "Strawberry Rone". To this day you can ask any West City old-timer about BALLARD, and their eyes will glaze over, they will smile and proceed to tell you a harrowing tale of how they outsmarted the dreaded Illinois Central Railroad Detective BALLARD. In fact one little fellow growing up in West City was known to have a stubborn streak, and his family bestowed the nickname of the infamous Ballard on him. BALLARD was and still is a legend in West City. Strange, but nobody ever seemed to know is first name.