|
INTRODUCTORY.
The following
pages are presented to the public, for two reasons:
First, To show
to parties not already acquainted with our city and
surroundings, but who contemplate a change of residence,
and may be seeking a good location for manufacturing or
business enterprise, the superior advantages which this
city presents.
Second, To present a historical sketch of the city and
its surroundings, together with a correct and complete
classified business directory.
WIGGINS & Co., Publishers.
-----
HISTORY OF DECATUR
-----
[Pg. 1]
EARLY HISTORY AND
SETTLEMENT
by C. H. FULLER, Esq.
"Macon county
was formed out of territory attached to Shelby county,
and originally included within its limits nearly all of
the counties of DeWitt, Piatt and Moultrie, and was
created by an act of the Legislature, Jan. 19, 1829.
John Fleming, Jesse Rhodes and Easton Whitton
were appointed commissioners to locate the county seat,
which, when located, was to be called Decatur.
"The first County Commissioners' Court was held at the
house of Jas. Ward, four miles south of this
city, on the 19th of May, 1829. Benjamin
Wilson, Elisha Freeman and James Miller
composed the court, with Daniel McCall as clerk.
The next meeting of this Court was held at the same
place on the first day of June, 1829. At that
Court the following order was passed: 'Ordered that
B. R. Austin, County Surveyor for the county of
Macon, be and he is hereby required to lay out the town
of Decatur, in said county, after the form of
Shelbyville,' &c. The Commissioners appointed to
locate the county seat reported at this meeting that
they had located the same on the northeast quarter and
east half of section fifteen, township sixteen, two
east. The first sale of lots was on the 10th of
July, 1829.
"The first white person that settled in the county was
William Downing, who located on the south side of
Sangamon river in the year 1820. Two yeas later,
Leonard Stevens and family moved to the county
and settled about three miles northwest of this place on
Stevens' creek.
"The first house erected in the town was built by
James Renshaw, on lot three, block three, old town;
and the next by P. C.
[Pg. 2]
Williams, on the lot where the hardware store of
Close & Griswold now stands.
"The first meeting of the Trustees of the town of
Decatur was held on the fifth day of November, A. D.
1836."
THE CITY OF DECATUR,
The county seat of Macon county, is
situated within 14 miles of the geographical centre of
the State of Illinois, and has a population of about
10,000 inhabitants.
Its present railroad facilities are not surpassed
centrally within the State and it will, when railroads
now under contract and actual building are completed,
rival its neighboring city of Indianapolis as a centre
the iron bands of which, yearly add to the welfare,
financially ans socially, of its people, and
must, as a natural result, so prove to Decatur - whose
rapid growth since the first railroad touched here in
1854, has proven in the result now firmly established,
with a successful future admitted by its sister cities.
No city in the west is more healthy, or better supplied
with water for domestic and manufacturing purposes, or
fire protection. The unlimited liberality and
public spirit of its citizens in the support of schools,
churches and like public benefits, speak for its people
the elements of success in creating and perpetuating the
viral growth of a western city, educationally and
morally. Commercially, the health in markets is
"A. No. 1." No disastrous effects from any
financial storm, or the wave of civil war, have made
lasting impressions upon the Court Records of the
county. The municipal taxes are, by comparison,
lighter than a large majority of western cities, never
having exceeded to the year 1871 the rate of one per
cent, on an assessed value of about 66 per cent of the
actual value. The city debt is $55,000, payable
$20,000 in 1879 and $35,000 in 1891, the debt being
created for permanent improvements; a portion of which
$35,000 must, of necessity, become almost
self-liquidating at maturity in the revenue derived
therefrom, viz: Water Works.
[Pg. 3]
The city contains about 40
miles of streets and 60 miles of side walks. Most
of the side-walking being made of wood, requires for
present some yearly expenditure for repairs, and to meet
the increasing demands for new walks on the newly opened
streets, and homes made thereon. The replace of
wooden walks is in many instances made of stone, which
becomes, with our railroad facilities, ,not an expensive
change, when durability is considered.
The pages following will show to the reader (under
appropriate headings,) the various resources, business
and advantages, with statistics interesting, and
modestly hoped convincing, as to why Decatur must become
a large commercial and manufacturing centre, and which
you are respectfully invited to peruse, compare, judge
and act as to your individual pleasure and profit, and
with views to an addition of "live elements" essential
to mutual benefit in the "coming and being."
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
-----
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
1836 -
Richard Oglesby, President. Trustees: Wm.
T. Crissey, G. R. White, *Wm. Webb, Thomas Cowan,
†Andrew Love,
Clerk; James Carter and Wm. Webb,
Constables.
1838 - †Joseph Williams, Henry Snyder,
Presidents. Trustees: James Renshaw, James F.
Montgomery, George R. White, Henry Prather. Edmund
McClellan, Clerk; Richard Oglesby, J. P. Hickcok,
Treasurer; John S. Adamson, Assessor;
William Radcliff and Thomas Cowan,
Ssupervisors; J. H. Elliott, Constable.
1839 - Trustees: William T. Crissey, S. B. Dewees, J.
M. Fordice, ‡James F. Montgomery.
-------------------------
†Resigned.
*Died. ‡It does not appear from the record that
these last named trustees ever met, but that there was
an election held on the 6th day of May, 1839, under a
special act incorporating the town of Decatur, at which
election another board was chosen.
[Pg. 4]
1839. - Kirby Benedict, President.
Trustees: John S. Adamson, Thomas Cowan, Samuel B.
Dewees, Jesse H. Elliott, Wm. T. Crissey, Thomas H.
Read. H. M. Gorin, Clerk; George R. White,
Treasurer; H. Prather, Assessor and Collector;
G. W. Gilbrath, Zebulon Cantrall and William Webb,
Constables.
1840. - Joseph King, President. Trustees:
Henry Goodman, William Cantrill, B. F. Oglesby, David
Wright, John G. Speer, David E. Ralls. H. M. Gorin,
Clerk; G. R. White, Treasurer; I. C. Pugh,
Collector; William Webb, Constable.
‡1841. - Thomas P. Rodgers, President.
Trustees: J. H. Elliott, D. E. Ralls, G. R.
White, Henry Goodman, Benjamin R. Austin, J. D.
Tait. J. S. Post, Clerk; J. H. Read,
Treasurer; Joseph Stevens, Assessor and
Collector; Wm. Webb, Constable§
1846. -
David Krone, President. Trustees: Elijah
Krone, Joseph Kauffman, Michael Elson, Thomas H. Read.
E. B. Hale, Clerk; G. A. Smith, Constable.§
1854. - William Prather, President. Trustees:
William J. Stamper, William S. Crissey, Joseph
King, Thomas H. Wingate. B. H. Cassell, Clerk.
1854. - Thomas H. Wingate, President.
Trustees: William S. Crissey, William Martin,
Elias Tanner, John Ricketts. B. H. Cassell,
Clerk; H. Churchman, Constable.
1855 - Thomas H. Wingate, President.
Trustees: William S. Crissey, William Martin, Elias
Tanner, John Ricketts. B. H. Cassell, Clerk;
H. Churchman, Constable.
CITY
COUNCIL
*1856. - John H. Post, Mayor. Aldermen:
Frank Priest, 1st Ward; E. O. Smith, 2d Ward;
†J. R. Gorin, S. P. Ohr, 3d Ward; J. J.
Ballentine, H. Taylor, 4th Ward. C. C. Post,
Clerk and Attorney.
-------------------------
‡ This was the last meeting of the Trustees of
the town of Decatur for five years.
§ The record of the proceedings of the Town Trustees
from 1846 to January, 1854, are lost, consequently there
is no means of ascertaining who the Trustees were during
that period.
* An election was held for city officers, under a
special charter, on the 7th of January, 1856.
[Pg.
5]
|
