Armenians and other immigrants who settled in Granite City’s Lincoln Place neighborhood played an important role in the development of the planned community. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the immigrant industrialist brothers Fredrick and William Niedringhaus established Granite City across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. Granite City began as an industrial town producing graniteware household items and industrial steel. The need for large amounts of cheap factory labor attracted thousands of immigrants, including Hungarians, Macedonians, Mexicans, and Armenians, among many others.

The Armenian Genocide is a significant event in modern Armenian history and prompted the immigration of many early Granite City Armenians. It continues to influence foreign relations with the Republic of Armenia and the lives and shared memories of Armenians and their descendants around the globe.

Norma Asadorian descended from Armenian immigrant ancestors who settled in the historic Lincoln Place neighborhood in Granite City. Before her retirement in 2012, Asadorian was an award-winning secondary school teacher for thirty-seven years. In the classroom, she taught a wide variety of social studies courses. She has continued her lifelong interest in history, languages, and archaeology as the founder and President of the Lincoln Place Heritage Association (LPHA). She is also a long-time Madison County Historical Society board member and works part-time for SIUE’s Historical Studies Department, where she observes and evaluates student teachers.