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DECATUR, stepped out of
the mud in the decade from 1880 to 1890. From that time on,
she trod paved streets. This was the period when the public square
and down town business section changed from the country village to
the modern city type. The old square, which had been a mudhole
since the beginning of the city, and which had been a bone of
contention for many years because of its filthiness, finally was
paved. Up to that time, the only thing in Decatur that might have
been called a pavement was the cobblestone block on Merchant street
and on East Prairie, from Main to Water, which had been put
down in 1883, mostly at the expense of private citizens. The
paving of Lincoln square, which was of brick, was laid in 1884 as an
experiment. Its cost was $7,296. The city council did not
get this work done without opposition. Business men and others
protested. "Kicks" were being made right and left. But
after it was down, people began to realize the benefit. Little
opposition was expressed for future paving programs. The
experiment was considered a success. Two years afterwards the
city began a paving program, and since then hardly has a year gone
by without seeing stretches of new paving laid. In 1886 the
council passed ordinance for the paving of nearly two miles of
streets at a cost of $70,000. These streets included down town
sections of North Main, Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Water, William,
Morgan, and Eldorado. In the year 1888 2.4 miles of pavement was
laid at a cost of $78,000. The following year paving for 2.3
miles was laid at a cost of $80,000. By 1890 Decatur had spent
$300,000 on paving. This was all done during the regime of M.
F. Kanan as mayor. All the first pavements laid here
were of brick. Official action was taken by the city council June
8, 1887, to name the old square "Lincoln Square." Decatur had its
first concrete sidewalks also in the early '80's. It also had its
first passenger elevator. The elevator was installed in the
Haworth building erected in 1883 at Water and North Park streets,
the site of the Citizens Bank. It was during the latter part of
the decade from 1880 to 1890 that Decatur began to grown in earnest.
During that period the population increased from 9,547 to 16, 841,
and most of that gain came during the last few years of the ten year
period. It was a period of civic activity, when extensive work in
paving and sewer construction was done, when bigger and better
buildings were erected, when much real estate development was
brought about. New additions were laid out to the city, and
were being built up. Decatur was being widely advertised in those
days. It was becoming known as a wide-awake, growing city.
People were being attracted to it. Another improvement which was
fought vigorously at first was the sewer construction. In 1888
the ordinance was passed for the building of the Union street sewer.
So great was the opposition that a mass meeting of citizens was
called for Sept. 16 to make protest. In spite of that,
however, the improvement went through. By 1890 the main sewers
in the $250,000 sewer project outlined were installed. The
Union street sewer ended just below Decatur street and from there
followed a natural ditch to the river. The Broadway sewer,
likewise, ended at Wood street. A paid city fire department was
organized in 1884. In 1888 the Morgan street firehouse was
erected.
Other improvements which came were enlarging of the waterworks,
and establishment of a city lighting system. There stories are
told in other chapters. The Citizens Street Railway company was
organized in 1883 and Decatur began getting real street car service.
The old Priest line was discontinued. Free delivery of mail
started in 1884. Telephone service was being increased. In
1880 there had been just fifty-five telephones in use in the city.
Lines were now being extended, however. In 1882 the line
between Decatur and Springfield was installed. Decatur had its
first real city directory in 1883, and that brought about the
beginning of the system of house numbering now in use. Decatur
had had several city directories before this, but from the time C.
O. Ebel came and compiled a directory in 1883, Decatur has
had this record almost annually, a dependable volume which is a
history of Decatur in itself. In 1884 the Wabash railroad shops
were moved to Decatur from Peoria. That was the beginning of
the vast Wabash interests in Decatur today. That is our
biggest industry. The Decatur Coal company, which had been
organized in 1881, sunk two coal shafts. It also had a mine at
Niantic. The Powers Opera house made in religious, social
and school circles. Among the new churches erected were the
English Lutheran on North Main street, the First Baptist on North
Water street, German Methodist at Jackson and North streets, and St.
Paul's German Lutheran on West Wood street.
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ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHURCH
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH In 1882 took place the
great Harrison revival, which lasted twenty-one weeks and
resulted in 2,000 professions of conversion. In December, 1888,
the Congregational church was organized. Rev. W. C. Miller
was the first pastor. The Decatur club was organized in 1883.
Oakland park was enjoying the height of its popularity, immense
crowds gathering there for temperance and other big meetings.
Jasper and Marietta schools were erected in this period. The State
Grange held its annual meeting in Decatur in January, 1883.2
BUSINESS New business enterprises were being started all
over the city. Many of them are still in Decatur today.
Among them are the Bachman Brothers furniture store, started in
1881; Brommersbach florist business, begun in 1881; Decatur
Lumber company, started in 1888; R. S. Bohon store, opened
about 1883; and the V. H. Parks and Son plant, established in
1887. V. H. Parke had come to Decatur in 1852 and first
engaged in the livery business, then in the implement business,
being the first exclusive implement dealer in Decatur. Young
Brothers and Maris in 1882 began a wholesale grocery business that
for years supplied all Central Illinois. In 1887 Spencer,
Lehman & Co. began manufacturing and dealing in implements
and vehicles. Reed Spencer of that firm lived to the
age of ninety-four, passing away in August, 1930. The
Spencer, Lehman & Co. was succeeded by the Tenney
& Sikking company. Other business enterprises started were
Alexander, Westbay & Co., manufacturers of double knee
hose; Prescott music house; John A. Keck company, box
manufacturer; Bradley Brothers store; Scovill furniture
store; George R. Bacon & Co., paper dealers; J. H. Bevans,
book store; Decatur Iron Felloe Wagon company; Quinn and
Seeforth, cigar manufacturers; Tait Brothers & Co.,
manufacturers of corn planters, check rowers, harrows and other
machinery; and various others, like many named, leaders then, but
now out of existence. The Field and Wilson Plumbing
company, which later became the Field, Shorh & Co.,
was started in 1885 by W. C. Field and Fred Wilson. The
Decatur Leader Manufacturing company plant, predecessor to the
Leader Iron works, was established in the 1888 by Davis Brown.
It was incorporated as the Leader Iron works in 1903, the plant
having been purchased by W. C. Field, W. A. Shorb and
others. In 1904 the company bought land in the northeast
section of Decatur and erected a new plant. The old plant was
located south of Fairview park, in what is now Park Place.
[INSERT PICTURE HERE]
GARFIELD MEMORIAL It was during the '80s
that the check rower industry in Decatur was at its height.
Other factories were flourishing. Much of the advertising
which Decatur was receiving in those days was due to its successful
manufacturing establishments, which were sending their products all
over the country. On Sept. 27, 1881, Decatur did homage to
President James A. Garfield, whose death had resulted from an
assassin's bullet. Memorial services were held in Central park
at the same time the funeral was taking place in Cleveland, O.
Buildings were draped in mourning; flags were at half mast.
From 12:30 to 1:30 bells were tolled. To duplicate the scene
at the funeral a catafalque was constructed, bearing a draped
casket, and drawn by four black horses belonging to J. B. Bullard,
undertaker. A picture of the catafalque was taken on Lincoln
square, at that time covered with grass.
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1.
Some of that first sidewalk, in
front of the old J. W. Haworth home, at Jackson
and Eldorado, did duty for fifty years.
About that first walk hangs an interesting tale.
The Haworths hired men from Chicago to lay that
walk, which was put down in checkerboard style.
The man in charge called himself "engineer of
construction" and assumed an air of great
importance. Being the first work of the
kind in the city, it attracted much attention.
Spectators were numerous. To the onlooker
the greatest wonder was - how did they harden
the concrete, after it was laid?
That gave the "engineer of construction'" his
chance to look wise and mysterious. When
asked as to the hardening process, he refused
information. Not for all the world would
he give up his secret - it was worth millions to
him. So the onlookers kept on wondering.
David Martin and Sullivan Burgess wanted to find
out, but saw no chance to learn anything from
the high-hat "engineer". One day they
mentioned the subject to John Grass. And
John Grass laughed.
"That concrete can't help but harden when it is
made wet," he said. "If there's any
secret, it would be how to keep it from
hardening."
Martin was skeptical, and asked Grass to try an
experiment. If Grass would do the work,
Martin would furnish the material for a walk.
Burgess contributed his share to the bargain by
agreeing to allow them the privilege (?) of
putting their experimental walk in front of his
home on Morgan street.
So Martin provided the cement, gravel and sand,
and Mr. Grass went to work. Martin and
Burgess insisted on the same checkerboard style
of the Haworths. When Mr. Grass was
through, there was a walk, just as good as the
Haworths. And the Haworths had paid 30
cents per square foot for theirs!
Mr. Grass was the hero of the day. The
"secret" had been discovered, and there was no
secret to it. Cement walks had been
introduced, and Decatur has been laying them
ever since. Naturally Grass had all the
business he could handle. In fact, he kept
on laying cement walks until his death.
The first cement walk laid inside of a yard was
at the George S. Durfee home at Main and Cerro
Gordo streets. This was the first walk
laid off in squares.
2. The
State Grange had met in Decatur before, in 1877, and one of the
babies born in Decatur while the meeting was in progress was "Jimmy"
Laux. It was suggested that he be named after James Golder,
who was grand master of the Grange at that time. That name was
given him, and the old gentleman was so pleased that he gave the
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Laux, a valuable gift for the child.
Mention of this fact was made at the meeting in
1883, and Master Jimmy Laux was placed on a table and presented with
a handsome silver cup, also a pocketbook filled with coins. <PREVIOUS> <NEXT>
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