Editing Quincy, Illinois (section)

===20th and 21st centuries===
[[File:Quincyflood.jpg|thumb|Quincy during the [[Great Flood of 1993]]. Quincy was protected by the bluffs; however, [[West Quincy, Missouri]], across the river, was completely submerged.]]
Throughout the 19th century, Quincy had grown from a backwater hamlet along the Mississippi River to become one of the state's most important cities and ports. Activity from rail and steamboat continued to flourish and Quincy benefited from the increased traffic. It was during the early decades of the 20th century that many of the city's historic buildings in the [[Downtown Quincy Historic District]] were constructed, including the city's first skyscraper, the Western Catholic Union Building, in 1925.<ref>{{YouTube|38BUQv27Ifw|WCU Building}}</ref>

The increasing presence of the automobile led Quincy to consider alternatives to Mississippi River crossings. Prior to the automobile, the most common means of crossing the near-mile wide river was by boat or ferry. In 1928, construction began on the [[Quincy Memorial Bridge|Memorial Bridge]] which was a two-lane truss toll bridge; it opened in May 1930. By 1945, the city had repaid its outstanding bonds and eliminated the toll.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adamscohistory.org/Memorial_Bridge.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=January 2, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102195820/http://www.adamscohistory.org/Memorial_Bridge.pdf |archive-date=January 2, 2014 }}</ref>

On [[Tornado outbreak of April 1945|April 12, 1945]], a tornado ripped through the business district of Quincy and severely damaged the courthouse. The wind was so severe that it blew the roof off the structure, damaging it beyond repair.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/?n=adams_tor |title=Adams County |publisher=Crh.noaa.gov |access-date=March 5, 2014}}</ref> Because the incident occurred a few hours after news reached Quincy of President Roosevelt's death, several residents joked that "FDR and God were just fighting over the power-up there."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adamscohistory.org/Tornadoes_and_Quincy.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=August 23, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102200042/http://www.adamscohistory.org/Tornadoes_and_Quincy.pdf |archive-date=January 2, 2014 }}</ref>  Five years passed before [[Adams County Courthouse (Illinois)|a new courthouse]] was completed.<ref>Weiser, Dennis.  ''Illinois courthouses: an illustrated history''. [[Virginia Beach, Virginia|Virginia Beach]]: Donning, 2009, 14.</ref>

On September 27, 1976, three [[improvised explosive device]]s were detonated at the Colt Industries Inc. Quincy Compressor Division Plant. A team of [[Explosive ordnance disposal (United States Navy)|EOD]] Specialists from [[Fort Leonard Wood]], in the area in support of the [[United States Secret Service|Secret Service]] during a visit to Quincy by Republican vice-presidential candidate [[Bob Dole]], was called to respond. A fourth unexploded IED was discovered by Quincy firefighters during a search of the plant. During an examination of the device, it detonated, killing the EOD team supervisor, Sergeant Major Kenneth Foster Sr. and seriously injuring the Illinois State Arson Inspector.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://goordnance.army.mil/HallOfFame/2010/2017/SGMFOSTER.html|title=Sergeant Major Kenneth R. Foster Sr. |publisher=[[US Army]] |date= |access-date=May 31, 2024}}</ref>

In 1987, the cable-stayed [[Bayview Bridge]] was constructed with the intent of alleviating traffic on the aging Memorial Bridge. Today the two bridges complement each other by Bayview carrying westbound traffic and Memorial carrying eastbound. Although lighting was originally intended for the Bayview Bridge during its construction phase, the actual installation of lights did not occur until 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.connecttristates.com/news/story.aspx?id=1242372 |title=Quincy bridge lighting celebration announced |publisher=[[KHQA-TV]] |date= August 11, 2015|access-date=August 14, 2014}}</ref>

During the [[Great Flood of 1993|Mississippi River flood of 1993]], riverside businesses and industries suffered extensive damage when the river crested at a record 32.2 feet (9.81&nbsp;m), {{convert|15|ft|m}} above flood stage. For a time, the Bayview Bridge, one of Quincy's two bridges, was the only bridge open across the Mississippi River between [[Alton, Illinois]] and [[Burlington, Iowa]]. The Memorial Bridge was closed from the end of June, due to water over its western approach. On July 16, 1993, the Bayview Bridge closed when the river submerged the land on the west side of the Mississippi River at Taylor, Missouri; Quincy's bridges reopened 73 days later on September 26, 1993.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.isws.illinois.edu/pubdoc/MP/ISWSMP-151.pdf|title=The 1993 Flood on the Mississippi River in Illinois|publisher=Illinois State Water Survey|year=1994|pages=96}}</ref>

On November 19, 1996, the [[United Express Flight 5925]] collided on landing at Quincy with another Beechcraft, a private [[King Air]], that was taking off from an intersecting runway. All occupants of both planes, twelve on board the 5925 and two on board the King Air, were killed as a result.<ref name="NTSB_report">{{cite journal
|title=Aircraft Accident Report, Runway Collision, United Express Flight 5925 and Beechcraft King Air A90, Quincy Municipal Airport, Quincy, Illinois, November 19, 1996
|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR9704.pdf
|publisher=[[National Transportation Safety Board]] |id=NTSB/AAR-97/04 |date=July 1, 1997 |access-date=September 16, 2017 }}</ref>

A flood in June 2008 submerged much of Quincy's riverfront and low-lying regions not protected by the bluffs. Record Mississippi River levels occurred on June 22, 2008. The Red Cross<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mercantilebk.com/secure/redcross.html |title=American Red Cross of Adams County Online Donation Form |publisher=Mercantilebk.com |access-date=March 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809042253/http://www.mercantilebk.com/secure/redcross.html |archive-date=August 9, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> accepted donations for Quincy and other communities in Adams County, as natural disaster funds were depleted in 2010.

Quincy has been twice recognized as an [[All-America City]] and is a participant in the [[Tree City USA]] program. In the fall of 2010, [[Forbes]] listed Quincy as the eighth "Best Small City To Raise A Family."<ref>{{cite web |last=Levy |first=Francesca |url=http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/the-best-small-cities-to-raise-a-family.html |title=The Best Small Cities To Raise A Family - Yahoo Homes |publisher=Realestate.yahoo.com |date=October 25, 2010 |access-date=March 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130125075340/http://homes.yahoo.com/news/best-small-cities-raise-family-220607181.html |archive-date=January 25, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In January 2024, Quincy Police Chief Adam Yates announced a full strength staff of 73 sworn police officers.<ref> https://muddyrivernews.com/top-stories/back-to-full-strength-qpd-up-to-73-sworn-officers/20240103075450/</ref>