Carterville, Cambria and Crainville
from the introduction by Glenn Poshard, President of Southern Illinois University
Tri-C’s are Americana at its best.
There’s a sense of community, of pulling together, of caring about the welfare of your neighbor that’s just not found everywhere in America. We hear the phrase “quality of life” used to describe communities such as these, but here, it goes even beyond this well worn description.
Try attending Cambria’s Labor Day Parade or Carterville’s Veteran’s Day Memorial Celebration and I guarantee you will find a tug at the heartstrings when workers and veterans are honored with Old Glory waving in the breeze. Spend a crisp fall evening at Free Fair and strike up a conversation with friends while the kids ride the ferris wheel and the “scrambler”.
And it’s a special treat when all three towns turn out on Friday night to cheer on the Lion’s football team, a team steeped in a winning tradition, and to hear the cannon roar after every touchdown.
Sit for a sunny Sunday afternoon at the excellent city parks and watch the kids play while you contemplate the morning sermon from one of the many area churches. Be ready for the scare of your life when goblins stroll down main street during the annual Halloween Parade, a tradition for many years.
And if you want to step back in time, take the Christmas stroll down main street Carterville with the whole family and experience community at its best. The many shops are creatively decorated so even Bob Cratchit would have to smile.
All these towns have been blessed with excellent city government over many years, with city parks, fire stations, and other community projects being completed by volunteer efforts from dedicated citizens. Attend a city council meeting or a social function at Crainville’s and Carterville’s beautiful new city halls and community centers and you’ll understand what “community” is all about.
You can enjoy every recreational activity from golf to tennis and swimming and eat in some of the finest restaurants in the area without even leaving town.
If this sounds like an advertisement for Americana, it is. Unabashedly so.
While I take a great deal of pride in the Tri-C communities, I take equal pride in the students and professors of our College of Mass Communications and Media Arts. They have captured, as nearly as anyone can, the community spirit of these towns. My words seem small compared to the many photos here which tell the story better than I ever could.
Read more about the Tri-C communities:
The Strength of the Lion is in the Pride
Southern Illinois’ First Television Station
Conservation, Rehabilitation and Education