USA > Illinois > McLean County > Heritage of the prairie : a history of LeRoy and of Empire and West townships, McLean County, Illinois > Part 10
USA > Illinois > McLean County > Le Roy > Heritage of the prairie : a history of LeRoy and of Empire and West townships, McLean County, Illinois > Part 10
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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· A New Home
· Home Improvements
· College Education
· Travel (Vacation)
· Retirement
· New Car
· Emergencies (We Hope They Don't Happen)
LeRoy's Oldest Financial Institution
Helping Serve The Energy Needs of This Community for Over 50 Years
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Jones Oil & Supply Co. 200 North Chestnut - LeRoy, Illinois
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Restaurant of C. R. Keys
List Brothers Harness Shop. Probably taken in 1890s.
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Wickes Lumber
& Building Supplies
A Division of The Wickes Corporation
Phone 217-928-2103 FARMER CITY, ILLINOIS
TELEPHONE 928-9481
DECKER'S LIVESTOCK
DECKER'S LIVESTOCK, INC.
RALPH L. BEMIS MANAGER
FARMER CITY. ILL.
Daily Hog Market Monday thru Friday
ACCO SEED
In the Seventies, make Uni-Cross Hybrids your PROFIT PARTNERS
uni-cross hybrid corn
A Big Reason "The Move Is To ACCO SEED
Corn has come a long way in 200 years. ACCO SEED wasn't around then, but we are a leader now.
Courtesy of your ACCO SEED dealer
Norman Mathews -- LeRoy
M.H
COMPLIMENTS OF
Donald Brent R.R. No. 1 - LeRoy, III. Dealer of
MOUNTJOY HYBRIDS
" The Best In The Field"
MERLE WOODS
Bulldozing, Earthmoving, Waterways, Dams
Telephone 962-5982
408 W. Wayne
LeRoy, Illinois
Compliments of
Doyle Oil Co.
Ellsworth, Illinois Phone 724-8488
Complements of
Buss Oil Company
Distributor of
Gasoline - Diesel & Heating Fuels -
Oil - Grease - LPG
LeRoy, III.
Ph. 962-9129
Fast & Friendly Service
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VanDeventer & Mayfield Grocery.
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Domination Canning Co. Le Roy Branch, Le RamIt.
LeRoy Branch of Bloomington Canning Factory.
The Park Hotel built in 1911
The 1895 directory also listed two manufacturers of brick. The Wiley and Bishop yard was on the State Road and was for the making of bricks exclusively. Kelley and Son was on the corner of Buck and North Sts. making tile and brick and they also had a saw mill. An earlier brick maker was William Pfitzenmeyer who came from Germany and settled in LeRoy but after a year or two moved out to what is now the Dean Bishop farm and started making bricks about 1857.
L. C. Keenan owned machinery for making concrete blocks and bricks south of LeRoy on Salt Creek which he sold to John Lamont in 1913. Many buildings in LeRoy have been built of this material which has proven very satisfactory. Store buildings erected after the 1907 fire used the concrete bricks for the fronts which can be seen today. Mr. Lamont moved the machinery to his farm one and one-half miles east of LeRoy where Salt Creek ran through it and had fine gravel beds.
In 1873 William Brown, a hardware merchant in LeRoy, invented, patented and went into the manufacturing of the
Brown Hog Ring and Ringer. He continued this for two years then sold his patent for what he thought was a fair price and later learned he had let a small fortune slip through his hands.
In 1904 the Bloomington Canning Company built a branch of its canning company on the west edge of LeRoy for the purpose of canning sweet corn. It employed more than 200 persons every year that it operated. It changed hands several times and some owners contracted with farmers to raise sweet corn and for a few years one owner had his own machinery and mules and rented land and raised his own sweet corn. It did not operate in 1938-39-40. The plant operated again in 1941 with the last pack in 1950. The company was declared bankrupt in 1951 and the buildings and property were sold at auction in 1952.
The National Harrow Company was manufacturing farm machinery in the west part of LeRoy in 1909, employing six men steady. In February, 1912 the plant had an order to ship 50 harrows to Cape Town, Africa. Not long before that it had
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LeRoy Veterinary Clinic.
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Chubbuck's Feed Store, formerly the LeRoy Creamery Co.
an order for a shipment of goods to Buenos Aires, South America. There are no records of who started the factory or how long it operated.
In 1920 the Klemm Overall Factory at Bloomington rented the rooms above the city hall and started a branch factory in LeRoy. It hired young women to run the sewing machines. It operated only a few years.
In 1912 a creamery company was formed by 60 men with a capital stock of $6,000. New buildings with the latest machinery were put in operation March 1, 1913. The company took advantage of large quantities of cream formerly shipped to other points. Its capability was 1,500 pounds of butter per week which was worth 30c per pound. This company operated until 1919 when it was purchased by W. F. Strain. He produced butter, cheese, ice cream, etc. taking many prizes with his dairy products at fairs. When milk and cream were no longer produced in quantity on farms he added a line of feed and operated until 1959 when he sold out to Judson Chubbuck who continued in feed for a few years. The building on West Oak St. is now painted a bright red with white trim.
The LeRoy Bottling Works was in operation in the 1920s. Rome Graham bottled soda pop in the south room of the present LeRoy State Bank which is now the farm department office. He moved the bottling machinery to his home, near the high school, before he sold it and left town in 1930.
An advertisement in a 1920 LeRoy Journal stated that "Three King Breakfast Food" was made in LeRoy and could be bought retail at Morgan's Bakery and wholesale and retail at LeRoy Feed & Supply Company's salesroom
Yeast was an important item when most homemakers made their own bread. Mrs. Green's home-made yeast could be bought at Hunter's restaurant in 1904. A few years later Lillie's Yeast could be bought at most grocery stores in LeRoy. It was made by Mrs. I. E. Buckles.
The old canning factory site stood idle after its sale until November, 1955 when Hendrix Homes bought five acres and the southern most brick building and started a factory for making pre-cut homes. Under STYLECRAFT HOMES trademark they shipped their first unit in January, 1956. They continued to operate until February, 1957 when they sold out to Great Lakes Homes.
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Permabilt, on the old Canning factory site.
Great Lakes Homes wanted to use all the buildings and during the dismantling of more of the old canning machinery a fire started which destroyed most of the frame buildings and a large quantity of stored housing material, causing a $65,000 loss. They rebuilt and in July, 1957 shipped their first housing unit which they named "The LeRoyan" in honor of LeRoy. They operated using about 35 men most of the time and up to 100 men in peak seasons. In July, 1966 they abruptly went out of business.
In September, 1971 OMNI-TECH SYSTEMS, INC. announced the opening of a component housing factory at the old canning factory site. Their company executives had been busy since August preparing to produce OMNI-TECH'S specialized housing packages. They are operating today under the trade name of PERMABILT OF ILLINOIS.
Around 1904 there was a boom in building in LeRoy. Costly homes were being built in the Barley and Moorehouse addition. These homes were two-story with electricity and baths.
James Vance built a hotel in 1905 which burned in 1909 and left LeRoy without a hotel until Anna Parks built the Park Hotel in 1911. It opened in January, 1912 offering soft water baths at 25c. It is the same Park Hotel that is on west side of the park today.
In the early 1900s LeRoy real estate men did rather well. They were helping to establish colonies in other states. There was the "Georgia Colony" in Georgia and the "Yazoo Valley" in Mississippi. Much land changed hands in the following states: Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Texas and the Dakotas. In January, 1910, 17 families left LeRoy to go live in or near Clyde, N. D. They had a special 25-car train for livestock and goods with a car for the men going with it. The women and children were to go on a later train.
Most people were glad to live in LeRoy and in 1913 a rash of bungalow building was in progress. In 1919 a new bank, law office, the high school and The How building were being built. Building was gradual after that until around 1950 when the old fair grounds were used to start Sunnyside addition. Gilmore Acres on the east side of LeRoy soon followed which in turn was soon followed by Meadow Lane, just south of the new grade school; Golden Acres on the north edge of the Country Club; Staley's, Crestview and Supreme Court additions all north of School street; Buckles Grove south of LeRoy on the site of the first settlement in Empire township; Flying "W" development about two miles south of LeRoy; and Crumbaugh's addition just off the east end of Washington
street. Numerous new houses and apartment buildings have taken up most of the vacant blocks and lots all over town. Several of the older homes have been replaced with new ones. There also are about a half dozen apartments on the first floor of business buildings. There are three trailer courts in the west and southwestern parts of LeRoy.
New business buildings in this area in recent years include a veterinary clinic, restaurant, doctor's office with clinic and residence attached, new office and display room at the lumber yard, two grocery stores - one with launderette, car wash, veterinary clinic, funeral home, telephone building, coin-op laundry, post office, 30,000-hen egg factory, Dairy Queen, dentist's office, bowling alley, two concrete grain elevators - both built in 1966, fertilizer plant on Route 136, greenhouse and florist shop, service station, boat warehouse now used for salesroom, Jud's Barn, tavern, large modern horse-breeding barn and several long metal sheds for the business of raising feeder pigs. Much other building was going on in this same period but that is mentioned in histories of churches, schools, etc.
After the railroads were built things began to change as larger volumes of grain and other farm produce could be shipped out. More lumber and building materials as well as other goods could be shipped into the area. Merchants no longer waited for the salesman with his trunk of samples to do their buying. They could go direct to the big cities and
Pillsbury Elevator
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In the Business Section 1919. Looking east.
choose from large displays and do their buying. The average citizen also went by train to shop in neighboring cities. Many living today can tell of the large crowds at the local station waiting for the train to Bloomington, standing room only at times. The ticket agent usually averaged selling 1500 or more tickets per month before the days of the automobile, hard and blacktop roads.
The trains and unlimited use of electricity, automobiles and tractors all were the cause of many businesses closing, new ones opening and others just changing the line of goods they sold. It would be a history in itself to try to tell of all the changes over the years.
Business people of a town or community have a need for sound financial institutions near them. Earliest records of financial dealings in the LeRoy area are the lending of money by Nathan Brittin and Isaac Murphy. Mr. Brittin settled in the northeastern part of Empire township in 1829 and charged 12% interest. Mr. Murphy settled in the same area a bit later and charged 15%.
An advertisement, with indications it was of about 1870 vintage, states that W. and W. H. Somers were bankers in LeRoy.
In 1872 Joseph Keenan opened a private bank known as J. Keenan's Bank. His son, Arthur J. Keenan, became manager in 1880. It was incorporated as a state bank in 1909. They built the present bank building on the southeast corner of Chestnut and Center Sts. in 1919. On January 10, 1924 state auditors closed the doors of J. Keenan's Bank.
Leonard A. Crumbaugh came to LeRoy in 1882 and started a banking business. In February, 1883 his brother, James T. Crumbaugh, joined him and they opened the Citizens Bank. It was sometimes referred to as the Crumbaugh Bank. They built a new bank building on the southwest corner of Center and Chestnut Sts. in 1884. The name was changed to First National Bank in 1903. In January, 1932 the directors closed this bank for the protection of depositors.
After the closing of J. Keenan's Bank meetings were held to start a new bank. The LeRoy State Bank was chartered January 22, 1924 and opened for business January 28, 1924.
In the depression, when President F. D. Roosevelt closed all banks in March, 1933 meetings were held again as the people of LeRoy did not want to be without a bank. It was decided that if the depositors of the bank would sign 10% waivers on their deposits and the directors would sign 15% waivers on their holdings the bank could re-open. This was done by most every depositor and stockholder and the bank
opened for busines on an unrestricted basis May 5, 1933. Federal Deposit Insurance was granted to LeRoy State Bank in January, 1934.
In 1948 stockholders of LeRoy State Bank voted to return the 1933 waivers and 672 checks were put in the mail. The bank had no legal obligation to repay the depositors but the action taken by the stockholders fulfilled a moral obligation.
In 1953 LeRoy State Bank added a trust department along with a farm service department which included a soil testing laboratory.
During the last week of October, 1975 ground was broken for a new LeRoy State Bank building on the south side of Route 150 in the 300 block of E. Cedar St.
In 1874 Empire Building and Loan Association was organized by Samuel F. Barnum, Charles A. Barley and others. It was one of the first organizations of its kind in this part of the state.
In the early years it was re-organized about every eight years and the name changed almost every time. When it was re-organized in 1916 it became The LeRoy Home Building Association which name it retained until it moved to its present location at 107 S. Chestnut St. The name was changed to LeRoy Savings and Loan Association at the time of that move in 1966. Savings and Loan Associations are governed by state and federal laws much the same as banks.
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The Beginning of Another American Tradition ACTION AUTO GLASS
A
501 N. Prairie -- Bloomington, Illinois 61701 Phone 309-827-0038 Route 150 -- LeRoy, Illinois 61752 Phone 309-962-9711 When Your Auto Glass Breaks, You Want Action Family Owned and Operated
Golden Harvest ®
Thorp Seed Company Your Dealer
Harry & Barbara Kline Phone 962-6437
HARRY WILSON
Excavating . Field Tiling
700 E. Washington Street TEL. 962-7501
LeRoy, Illinois
Original photography and
copy work in this booklet
done by
SS PHOTOGRAPHY
John & Roxenn
RR I Downs, Il 61736 (309)378-4032
Alexander Lumber Co.
208 W. Cherry LeRoy, Illinois
Suppliers of Fine
Building Materials In LeRoy For Over 50 Years
BUILD RIEMODEL
Andersen® Perma - Shield® Narroline® Windows
· Unlike leaky, drafty windows, they're two times more weathertight than recognized air infiltration standards. To help seal out dust and drafts, save on heating bills!
· Easy fingertip opening and closing!
· Available in various sizes and combinations!
· Optional double-pane insulating glass!
FEATURING A RIGID VINYL FRAME. Sash has a weather- resistant, long-lasting polyurea finish.
The beautiful, carefree way to save fuel.
Andersen Windowalls®
Alexander Lumber
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The new Princess Photoplay built in 1916.
Stensels Funeral Home
The How, Aug. 13, 1915. Left to right: Harry Fry, Oren Lowe, Clifford Crumbaugh, Allan Willeg and Ralph Humphrey.
50 Years or More in Business
AND STILL SERVING THE PUBLIC
LeRoy Savings and Loan Association
1874
The LeRoy Journal
1895
The How
1916
Princess Theater
1914-1923
Alexander Lumber Company
1923
Stensel's Funeral Home
1924
LeRoy State Bank
1924
Jones Oil and Supply Company
1925
Poindexter's Grocery
1926
A. Lee Pray, Attorney
1887
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S.H.IDEN LE ROY
SEE
Iden's piano boxes tine sidewalk.
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List Bros. Harness Shop.
50 YEARS OR MORE IN BUSINESS BUT NO LONGER ACTIVE
William Jones, Blacksmith & Machinist Charles D. Jones, Machinist & Garage Don Jones, Garage (3rd Generation )
1856 - 1940
J. Keenan's Bank
1872 - 1924
Barley Land & Loan Company
1874 - 1952
S. D. VanDeventer Drugs
1879 - 1931
Rike's Greenhouse & Florist
1880-82 - 1942
First National Bank
1883 - 1932 (49 )
List Bros. Harness Shop
1889 - 1940
Iden Funeral Home 1902 - 1953
Holderly Dry Cleaners
1923 - 1973
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S. D. VanDeventer's Drug Store on 50th Anniversary Oct. 18, 1929. Left : S. D. VanDeventer. Far right: Lester Reeder
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MODEL LAUNDRY CO.
Model Laundry Co. Left to right: Wm. Arrowsmith, Nat Beckham, Bill Colaw, Bill's brother, Wash Bailey, Tom Hammond, J. R. Covey, Chas. Kaufman.
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IGA
FOODLINER
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Poindexters' I. G. A. today.
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D. E. Holderly's Dry Cleaning.
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Kincaid's Barbershop. 1st chair - Faye Watters; 3rd chair - Dick Kincaid. 1914
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1st Chair, G.I.N. Gillock.
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Watter's Barber Shop. 1st chair - Hannah Keenan, Faye Watters, barber; 2nd barber - Bud Kincaid, standing - Roy Walker.
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Group of bicyclists May 30, 1891. 5th from left: Alfred Keys, 6th Lark McCain, 8th John Confrey, 10th Charlie Jones, 11th Grant Smith, 13th George Barnum, 14th boy in straw hat
Charlie Alsup, 17th boy in stiff hat Lawrence Reynolds, 18th Jack Watters, 19th boy standing Fay Watters.
Aerial view of LeRoy after 1926.
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LeRoy Bicentennial Commission
President
Vice Chairman
Harold Dickson Jim Crouch
Secretary
Linda Wagers, Maxine Hillard
Treasurer
Ron Wesbecher
Finance Committee:
Ron Wesbacher, Chrm.
Donald and Ann Jenkins
Donald and Joyce Bouchie
David and Alice King
Ron and Irma Crosby
Merle and Karen Kirby
Wendell & Jody Crumbaugh
Harry and Barbara Kline
Frank and Shirley Dry
James and Cindy McKee
Oliver and Judy Friedlein
Dominic and Sharon Pasquale
Jack and Sandy Haas
Byron and Jo Ann Woodrum
Parade Committee:
Eileen Grotbo
Margery Pray
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Kilmartin
Linda Wagers
Norman Mathews
Booth Committee:
Barbara Dickson, Chrm.
John Oliette
Larry Anderson
Francis Smith
Bob Bruce
Gary Sparks
LaVerne Helm
Ron Wesbecher
Pageant Committee:
Communications Chairman:
Marietta McManus,
O. J. Lere
Co-Chrm.
Midge Bock, Co-Chairman
History Book Committee listed in front of this book.
BOOK'S END
Simeon West once said "No absolutely correct history has ever been or can be written." We realize that this must be true and so apologize for the mistakes we have probably made. There wasn't room for all the material written and we hope to publish Volume II in a year or two. This volume will contain a section on sports, LeRoy in the wars, farming, Indian history of the area, old houses and buildings, depression days and a Who's Who section.
The committee has enjoyed the making of this book and hope that its readers will feel a closer tie to the past and a deeper pride in our local heritage.
Marian Spratt, Chrm.
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James and Gail Rafferty
Jim Crouch, Chrm.
Margaret Garner
Patrons of The LeRoy Bi-Centennial
Bebo's Shoe Repair Shop
Dot's Beauty Shop
Dr. I. C. Caywood, D.D.S.
LeRoy Cleaners
COMPLIMENTS OF THE
Lewis Recreation
Ona's Beauty Shop
Phelps Heating & Cooling Phone 962-9322
511 W. Oak
LeRoy, Illinois
COMPLIMENTS OF THE J. V. Smith & Roy Smith Families
Special Thanks to The Following Contributors Who Helped Get Our LeRoy Bi-Centennial Started
Empire Township
LeRoy Child Guidance
West Township
LeRoy Fire District
Richard Janko [ Owner of Permabilt]
Friendly Circle
Operation Recycle
LeRoy Women's Relief
LeRoy State Bank
LeRoy House Party
LeRoy Kiwanis
LeRoy Rifle Club
LeRoy Association of Commerce
LeRoy 4th Grade Class
All The Businessmen & Women In LeRoy Who Purchased Ads In Our History Book
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Lois' Beauty Salon
United States Postal Service Richard D. Michael, Postmaster
Rike & Keenan Families [5 Generations in LeRoy 1850-1976]
LeRoy High School L Club
We At Marsh Stud Are Proud to Help LeRoy Celebrate Our Nation's 200th Birthday.
The Newest Ind Most Modern Horse Breeding Facility In The World Over Three Hundred Acres devoted to Raising Fine Standardbreds. 26,000 square feet of pre-stressed concrete building 360' long with all feeding and watering under roof. Indoor paddocks and six miles of aluminum coated cyclone fence.
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MARSH STUD is located at the southeast corner of the Interstate 71 interchange at Le Roy, Ilinois- 15 miles east of Bloomington and 25 miles west of champaign-strategically brated in the heart of Illinois on Interstate 71 between Interstates 55 and 57
MARSH STUD
Larry Marsh, R.R. 1, Le Roy. Himmi Gt22, Check 15-6. 0622, Don Crawford, Manager
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA
977.359H425 C001 V001 HERITAGE OF THE PRAIRIE S.L.
3 0112 025394336
LeRoy State Bank Tomorrow
"LeRoy, Working Today For A Better Tomorrow"
Official LeRoy Bicentennial Slogan
LeRoy State Bank Today
LEROY STATE BANK
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