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THERE should be a place in the city where mothers and their
children might rest out of the sun and where the children could
play," said Captain David L. Allen one day. He was thinking
often of the children just then, for his thoughts had been on his
own little baby boy - his only son - who had been snatched from him
by death. And so, because Captain Allen was a man who believed in
doing things rather than merely thinking them, Decatur has a place
today where "mothers may rest and children may play," the place we
call Central Park, which was given to the city by Captain Allen.
GENEROUS GIVER It was like Captain Allen to be doing something for
Decatur. At the time the Illinois Central and Northern Cross
railroads first were proposed, and preliminary surveys made, he
offered the tract now Central park as a site for a railroad station.
The railroad project failing at that time, Captain Allen later
donated the square to Decatur for use as a park. Again he made a
gift to the city when he donated a lot at the corner of North Water
and North Park streets, the present site of the Citizens bank, for
school purposes. Once more his generosity was shown when he
donated a lot to the Antioch Baptist church, on which to erect a
church building. He also offered a lot to St. Peter's A. M. E.
church. Had Captain Allen not been so generous, he might have died
a rich man. Yet when his time came to go, he was almost poor.
But his memory has remained, and as long as county histories are
written he will be honored as one who did more than his share for
the upbuilding of the town and community. This is worth more
than the riches he might have left.
David L. Allen
made a good impression when he first arrived in Decatur, away back
in 1828. He drove the best looking carriage that had been seen
in this neighborhood. He had $1600 in cash in his pockets.
That was a lot of money then. If he had come without carriage or
money, however, he would have made the same good impression, for he
was a man of charming personality. People soon realized that
when David L. Allen came he brought with hi all the charm and
hospitality of old Virgina, his native state. For years his home
was the center of social, intellectual and religious life. The
uplifting influence of that home, and also the home of his
brother-in-law, Dr. Thomas H. Read, was recognized by every early
resident of Decatur. Captain Allen was born in Loudoun County,
Va., March 14, 1806, coming of Scotch-Irish descent. In 1828,
after he had sold the family plantation in Virginia, he purchased a
team of horses and a carriage, and started for Illinois. He
came with the idea of investing his money in land. He liked
Decatur and he liked the surrounding country. From the time he
came until the time he died he was a booster, and his boosting was
in deeds, not words. Captain Allen entered an eighty acre tract of
land, which is now the heart of Decatur. It was bounded on the
west by Water street and extended about a quarter of a mile east.
The northern line was about where the Wabash tracks are located, and
the southern boundary was East Wood street. BUILT HOME At the
time he entered this tract of land an old log cabin stood on it, on
North Water street, in what is now the 400 block. To this Mr.
Allen made additions until he finally had one of the best homes in
the city. The building of the main part of the house was done
in 1837 by E. O. Smith, and this was Mr. Smith's first building job
in Decatur. IT was in this house that the First Baptist
church, of which Captain Allen was a charter and a life-long member,
was organized in 1843.
 In 1830 Captain
Allen brought his bride to Decatur. She was, before her
marriage, Miss Julia Read of Rutherford county, Tenn. Their
journey from Tennessee to Decatur was made on horseback. As
they were saying good-bye to Mrs. Allen's old home, her brother
broke off a twig from a weeping willow tree which stood by their
well and handed it to her to use for a riding whip. Mrs. Allen
stuck the twig in the ground near the well at her new home in
Decatur, and it flourished until it became a big tree. Under
this tree Mrs. Allen often entertained her friends. Captain Allen
built the second water mill in the county, in 1831-32, and made a
dam across the river. The mill was at the foot of what is now Maffit street. It was sold later to Robert
Maffit and for
years was known as Maffit's mill. On the south side of the
river he had a lime kiln, which he ran for a number of years.
This lime kiln was really Decatur's first industry.
FED DEER
Captain Allen's hospitality was not confined to human beings but
extended to animals, as was shown during the winter of the deep
snow. He had established a cattle feeding pen on East North
street, and during that hard winter the deer came from all direction
to that pen for food. Captain Allen saw to it that they were
fed. The Macon house, Decatur's first hotel, was built by Captain
Allen at the corner of East Prairie and Franklin streets, in 1839,
the construction work being done by E. O. Smith. At the time
the building was erected it stood in the midst of heavy timber. To
provide such an estate for himself Captain Allen purchased over
seventy acres of land south of the river, land which he admired for
its beauty. It was then, and has remained, probably the most
beautiful tract of land along the Sangamon. Natural springs,
called by the Indians "sweet water springs"; hills and ravines,
carpeted with wild flowers in the springtime; tall trees making
their dense shade in the summer and furnishing a riot of color in
the autumn; vines and shrubs and grassy open places - these were the
beauties which Captain Allen saw in the land which he visioned as
his own country home. On the bluff at the bend of the river, known
for years as Allen's bend, Captain Allen erected an imposing
structure which later became his home. He had intended to
build a more pretentious home later, using the first structure then
as a barn, but that plan he was never able to carry out. This
building stood for many years as one of the landmarks of the
country. Standing on the hilltop, with its eight-sided tower
rearing itself to a height of three stories, it never failed to
attract attention. The building stood west of the present site
of Mueller lodge. In this house Captain Allen spent the later
years of his life and there he continued to lavish the hospitality
for which he was known. In this house he passed away in 1884.
His body lies buried in Greenwood cemetery. The easy going ways of
the Virginian did not fit in well with pioneer times in Illinois in
a business way. Carelessness in business affairs caused him to
lose much of his material goods. Yet one forgets such a fault
in remembering his geniality, his generosity, his friendliness, his
bettering influence, his hospitality, and the large part he played
in the upbuilding of Decatur.
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