February 2010
Chamber News A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION
OF THE
GREATER DECATUR CHAMBER
OF
COMMERCE
Through the Years A look at how the Chamber has contributed to the development of Macon County
Decatur’s history is populated with people who dreamed – and then took action. These architects of our city envisioned a vibrant community and then endeavored to make their dreams come true. For over 120 years, the Chamber of Commerce has been a part of the efforts to grow and sustain a solid business environment in Macon County against the backdrop of a quality, family-friendly community.
From Prairie to Prosperity In 1829, the Illinois legislature sectioned off a portion of Shelby County into a new county called Macon, dubbing the village at its center Decatur and designating it as Macon County’s seat. Largely inaccessible, Decatur grew slowly. However, in 1854, 25 years after its founding, the railroads put Decatur on the map – and the road to prosperity. As home to two rail lines, the east/west Great Western line and the north/south Illinois Central line, Decatur earned statewide distinction as the only Illinois community to have intersecting rail lines. The railroads were a double blessing to the community — allowing Decatur to receive goods from across the country as well
Herald & Review file photo
A full house greeted Chicago banker David Forgan, the guest speaker at the February 1921 meeting of the Association of Commerce of Decatur in the new annex of the YMCA.
as to move its goods to markets far and wide. By the 1880s, Decatur had become known for banking and agricultural technology. Board of Trade Brings Big Business In 1887, Decatur’s Mayor M.F. Kanan called a citizen’s meeting to discuss the placement of a railroad right-of-way that would extend a rail line through Decatur to Springfield, and perhaps even to Quincy. Cerro Gordo Street had been proposed as the site for this line, but opposition to this route provoked heated disagreements between residents. If the impasse could not be settled, the railroad was prepared to bypass Decatur and construct its rail line several miles to the south of the city. As manufacturers, professional men, and merchants discussed where best to locate the railway, they also brainstormed ways to attract new businesses to Decatur. After resolving it was in the city’s best interest for the rail line to run through Decatur by sharing exist-
ing track space on Cerro Gordo Street, they turned their attentions to forming an organization to promote business opportunities in Decatur. Following this meeting, the Decatur Morning Herald reported Peter Loeb’s impassioned support for the new organization. “I was all through California and I want to tell you that I never saw a better town than Decatur. I saw no place more enterprising, no better people, and none more willing to put up their money to help their town along. Out west they have what they call boards of trade, which raise money to advertise their towns. … We need a permanent association to make our advantages known.” Thus, the Decatur Board of Trade was formed in 1887 “for the purposes of better promoting the growth and prosperity of the city of Decatur….” Twenty-one men pledged a total of $1,150 to bring the association to fruition. Within one week, 93 subscribers had contributed $7,010 to the new organization.
Loeb was elected the Board of Trade’s first president. The fledgling Board of Trade formed six committees to further the city’s development: Railroads, Immigration, Manufacturing and Industrial interests, Transportation and Freights, Advertising and Federal, State, and Municipal Legislation, and Finance. By the turn of the century, Decatur had blossomed into an important center for manufacturing and grain processing. The Board of Trade’s vision helped foster what Decatur historian Dan Guillory termed a “culture of creativity” in the city. In the poem “Decatur,” modern-day poet John Knoepfle expressed Decatur’s manufacturing prowess with his verse, “they make everything in this steam-crowned city.” New Century – New Priority Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, the Decatur Board of Trade evolved into the
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“They make everything in this steam-crowned city.” — John Knoepfle, modern-day poet