In the early 1920s Mattoon was proclaimed "The Buckle on the Corn Belt" to encourage people and businesses to settle there. As it developed, the city faced war, the Great Depression, fire, and natural disasters, yet emerged stronger and more united. Lytle Park, originally called West Side Park, was established in 1912 through the leadership of H.S. Lytle, and a large swimming pool added in 1928-29 made it a leading picnic spot in the county and drew patrons from many area towns. Mattoon also long embraced community celebrations such as parades, including the Mattoon Pet Parade in the 1930s and 1940s. Tragedy struck on May 26, 1917, when a devastating tornado killed forty-five adults and nineteen children, injured 467 people, and caused more than $1.28 million in property damage. Another disaster came on Aug. 30, 1907, when an interurban railroad collision involving a passenger car bound for the Coles County Fair killed twelve people and injured sixty. During the Depression era, the "Walkathon Derby Show" was staged in a tent five miles east of Mattoon on old Route 16. Mattoon also supported the war effort: its American Red Cross chapter was organized on May 25, 1917, volunteers served soldiers passing through on troop trains during World War I, the Chuse Engine and Manufacturing Company shifted to producing equipment for the armed services during World War I, and the Atlas Diesel Factory made casings for 155-millimeter shells during World War II. In 1945, the town celebrated the return of General MacArthur.