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Millennium Musings With all the excitement—or dread—surrounding the arrival of the 3rd millennium, it would be neglectful of an historian not to point out that, actually, the beginning of the 21st century either, 1.) from an historical point of view has already happened (the birth of Christ was miscalculated by several years when our current calendar was set up), or 2.) from a mathematical point of view -- won’t take place until Jan. 1, 2001. Yet there’s something special and exciting about the number 2000 that seems to invite celebration. As the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them! O’Fallon has certainly seen remarkable change these past 100 years. We started the century out as a small railroad and coal town surrounded by a vast rural expanse and are ending it as a bustling, fast—growing city with great mercantile promise and the growing pains that go with it. O'Fallon has always had a somewhat progressive bent. Even the name of our city’s oldest surviving newspaper proclaims it——the O’Fallon Progress wasn’t so called by accident. It’s important, however, to not neglect remembering and preserving our town’s history. While you can’t live in the past, understanding it puts the present in perspective and gives direction to the future. These next few years will give us, as a community, an opportunity to reflect on some important milestones in our history. 2001 will mark the centennial of O’Fallon High School. 2002 (or close to it) is the bicentennial of the first American settlement in this area by Capt. Joseph Ogle. The most notable milestone, however, is the 150th anniversary of the founding of O’Fallon in 2004. These anniversaries as well as others will not go unnoticed in this column.
Happy New Year 2000 to all the readers of Our Town!
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