Past and present of the City of Decatur and Macon County, Illinois, Part 14

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 988

USA > Illinois > Macon County > Decatur > Past and present of the City of Decatur and Macon County, Illinois > Part 14

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capacity of former cubic feet of gas About twenty -five miles of gas mais are in use. A storage capacity of 300,000) cubic feet and a daily manufacturing capacity of 400,000 cubic feet.

The electric plant at the corner of West Cerro Gordo and North Edward streets, is practically new and entirely modern in every respect. Most of this plant is in duplicate and protected agamst accidents of all kinds. The firm has about forty per- sons in its employ regularly, besides the force on construction and repair work.

William Bold's machine shop, located on State street, is three stories high and covers a space 120 by 70 feet All kinds of spe- cial machinery, hydraulic elevators, boilers and steam pumps are handled ; repair work is also done. Six men are employed con- tinually. William Hold, who has been it the business for eighteen years, is the sole owner and manager of the plant.

The firm of George S. Lyon & Sons, 10- cated at 540 East Cerro Gordo street, was started by George S. Lyon on the same corner about twenty years ago. He had the first planing mill in the city, and the other lumber yards brought him their lum- ber to dress. A few years ago the building was destroyed by fire. Not daunted, how ever, the firm erected a large two story brick building. 280 by 134 feet, extending to the Wabash Railroad, facing both North Broadway and East Cerro Gordo Streets; since that time the entire yard has been en closed by a brick wall the height of one story. The firm does a general lumber and planing business, manufacturing sashes, doors, door and window-casings, and fur- nichings for stores and public buildings; all kinds of finishing lumber known to the trade are kept in stock. The plant is equipped with the latest make of machinery throughout, and employs fifty men nearly all the year; five wagons are continually in use. The officers are : Clyde R. Lyon,

PAST AND PRESENT OF MACON COUNTY.

president ; James C. Sullivan, secretary ; J. B. Robertson, treasurer.

The lumber firm of Colby Brothers, at 419 Wabash avenue, was organized in 1891 on the same site occupied by a lumber yard for the past thirty years. They do an out and out lumber business ; handling all kinds of wood usually kept in stock for this mar- ket. They also manufacture doors, sashes, window and door casings, furnishings for stores and public buildings ; all kinds of finishing lumber carried. The plant is ad- mirably equipped for their varied work. They employ from six to ten men. The firm is composed of C. L. Colby, II. D. Col- by and L. S. Colby.

The Mills Lumber Company, located at 763 East Eldorado street. is one of the old lumber yards of the city. This company carries all grades and all woods in the gen- eral market such as white pine, yellow pine, chestnut, cypress, sycamore, walnut, cherry and quarter-sawed oak. They turn out mill work of all kinds; doors, sashes exterior and interior finishings, office fixtures, stairs and furnishings for public buildings. Jo- seph Mills, the founder of the enterprise, has been in the lumber business over fifty years ; more than twenty years of this time has been devoted to the interests of this company. The officers are: Joseph Mills, president ; Edgar Shellabarger. sec- retary and treasurer.

Irwin, Kirkland & Company, manufac- turing pharmacists, located at 128-32 West William street, occupy two. entire build- ings, giving a frontage on both William and Main streets; both buildings are well built attractive brick ; the one facing Main street has just recently been completed. This business, established in 1886 by Smith, Hubbard & Company, was purchased by the present owners in 1892. They manu- facture non-secret preparations, fluid ex- tracts, elixirs, medicated syrups and com- pressed tablets. They have their own heat-

ing plant, do their own grinding and print- ing, giving employment to eighteen per- sons in the laboratories. From five to eight people are on the road, and they cover ter- ritory from Minneapolis to New Orleans, west as far as Denver and east as far as eastern Indiana.

V. H. Park & Son, on North Main street, next to the Wabash Railroad, occupy a half block at this point. V. H. Park has prob- ably been in active business in Decatur longer than any other man; in 1852 he en- gaged in the livery business, next in the implement business until 1887, he then pur- chased his present business. They are en- gaged more extensively in the lime busi- eess than any other firm in central Illinois. They handle limes, cements, sewer-pipes, fire-clay goods, as well as operating an ex- tensive plant for the manufacture of this product. They have this year erected a commodious brick building for the storage of hard plaster. They purchased, a few years ago, the transfer and storage business of another firm, which has brought them an extensive storage business; they are well equipped for this line, having four large warehouses. They are also distributors for a half dozen manufacturers of agricultural implements ; these are sent, by car-load lots, to all points within a radius of seventy miles of Decatur.

The Neisler-Burwell Drug Company, at the corner of North Main and William streets, does a wholesale and retail drug business. The firm carries a complete line of drugs, chemicals and physicians' sup- plies, surgical instruments, also a fine line of photographers' supplies; extra pharma- ceutical preparations are also manufac- tured. Their traveling men make all the leading towns in northern and central Illi- nois. The company consists of W. F. Neis- ler and Dr. E. A. Burwell.

The Globe Cornice Works, at 224-26 West Wood street, occupies two rooms.

PAST AND PRESENT OF MACON COUNTY.

The firm has done much of the tin and gal vamized iron work on the buildings of the city since its organization some years ago. They manufacture galvanized iron corn ices, skylights, metal ceilings, put on slate, tin and gravel roofing : sell and set hot air furnaces. Quite an extensive busi- ness has been built up outside of the city.

The Decatur Brick Company was organ- ized in February, 1808, by combining the several brick companies then in existence ; thus involving a capital of $125.000. The brick industry has grown to very large pro- portions in this place. The brick for all the street paving and for nearly all the walks are of home make, and a very large per cent of the brick used in the construction of Decatur's brick buildings also comes from home manufacture. Since its organization much improvement in both paving and building brick has been made. The com- pany has five plants, two west and three east of the city, with a capacity of 25.000,- (xx brick per annum: with only part of the plants in use. the company furnishes work for about 120 skilled workmen, with a pay- roll of about $1,000 per week. A very re- munerative trade has been built up outside of the city, even outside the state. They make a specialty of repressed paving brick, glazed side-walk brick, side-cut building brick : also end-cut building brick. The officers are: J. F. Mattes, president ; Harry A. Shlaudeman, vice-president : S. V. Tut tle, secretary and treasurer : E. D. Mattes, general superintendent.

The Decatur bakery of the National Bis- cuit Company, was organized about a dozen years ago, and has done a paying business from the start It uses four floors on the east side of the Library block ; it runs day and night the year round, furnishing em ployment for forty men. A full line of crackers and fine buscuits are turned out. 110 different kinds of goods are made at this bakery. The bread is baked at night.

while the cakes and sweet goods are baked in the daytime. Shipments are made to 325 towns in Illinois and to about twenty five in Indiana and at the same time a very large local trade is supplied. The plant has at all times since its origin been kept run ning to its full capacity. Its business reaches the surprising sum of $200,000 per year. A. W. Conklin is it- manager.

The United States Wire Mat Company is one of the unique institutions of the city. Its goods have attracted the attention of the civilized world. The factory, located at 341-43 Wabash avenue, was incorporated in 1802 with a capital stock of $20,000. The capacity of the plant is 500 feet of matting per day. The United States government is an extensive patron of this firm; with the exception of the recently constructed boats. every man-of-war in the navy is fitted out with wire matting from this factory. The battle ship Texas has Stooo worth of this matting lying upon her decks. The pro- duet of this factory goes to South America. South Africa, Australia, Russia, England and the continent. The officers are : C. M. Hurst, secretary : F. P. Wells, treasurer ; J. 1 .. Bennett, manager.

The Whitmer heating plant covers seven blocks of the city : has 15,00 feet of mains and 50,000 feet of radiators. Seven boilers, with a total capacity of 740 horsepower, are used, Ordinarily, only five boilers are in use, two being held in reserve for emer- gencies. There are two Oakes too horse- power fire tube boilers and two Babcock and Wilcox water tube boilers of 150 horse- power each ; the average pressure carried is from too to 115 pounds. The plant was es tablished in 1802 with a ( horse power boiler. The business developed so rapidly that in 1804 the two large boilers were put in. It requires the use of four large pumps to supply the boilers with water. two teams are constantly hauling coal, the plant using thirty tons per day. A double system is

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used so in case any part of the plant is in need of repairs the other can be brought into use ; there are four regular firemen and one extra employed. The boilers are four- teen feet below the street grade line. F. H. Whitmer is the manager.

The R. S. Bohon Company was incorpo- rated about six years ago with a capital stock of $25,000. The firm is located at the corner of North Broadway and East Eldo- rado streets, in one of the best arranged three story business blocks in Decatur. Three rooms, a large basement and a bal- cony are used for their stock, which in- cludes clothing, dry goods, notions, hats, caps and carpets. The officers are: R. S. Bohon, president ; S. C. Bohon, vice-presi- dent; F. P. Roach, secretary and treasurer ; R. S. Bohon, manager.

The Race Clothing Manufacturing Com- pany, established in 1856, located over the Race clothing store, makes farmers' and mechanics' shirts, overalls, jackets, duck coats and covert coats. Over one hundred power machines are constantly running in this factory and over one hundred persons are employed; seven salesmen are kept on the road. They not only supply the home demand, but ship goods to Colorado, Ne- braska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, In- dian Territory, as far east as Indiana and as far north as Michigan. The officers are: J. W. Race, president and treasurer ; Frank Elwood, secretary. Directors, L. L. Race, Frank Elwood and James W. Race.

The Decatur Extract Company, located at 243-47 South Water street, manufactures flavoring extracts, baking powder, perfume and toilet articles. The products are sold directly to the customers through local agents. The company was established over six years ago at 725 North Water street, but in 1898, on account of the grow- ing business, they moved to larger quarters and better shipping facilities. The busi- ness has shown such a flattering increase

that a few years ago they were compelled to build a large two story brick structure in addition to the spacious one already occu- pied. The officers are: C. W. Hastings. president ; C. M. Goltra, secretary and treasurer. Capitalization, $10,000.

The Decatur Packing & Provision Com- pany, formerly the Levy Packing Com- pany, was incorporated in June, 1900. They have a modern slaughter and packing house located south of the city. They carry dressed meats, lard, tallow and other meat products and manufacture sausages, and deal in hides. The company is incorporated for $10,000. The officers are: A. Wait. president; M. Levy, vice-president : C. A. Wait, secretary and treasurer. The board of directors are: A. Wait, M. Levy, C. A. Wait, Arthur Wait, and Felix Levy.

The Decatur Refrigerator and Manufac- turing Company occupies a block of ground bounded by the Wabash Railroad, Morgan street, Wabash avenue and North Broad- way. This company was organized in 1901; it manufactures butchers' coolers, blocks, racks, show cases and fixtures. In the latter they make all kinds of store and bank fixtures. Their goods are shipped in car-load lots to the jobbers, covering a very large territory. The officers are: Robert Faries, president ; W. E. Surface, vice-pres- ident: E. P. Irving, secretary and treas- urer ; John Schweinbold, manager and superintendent.

The Akers and Wilson Furniture Com- pany, consisting of a system of stores, lo- cated in the following towns: Decatur, Clinton, Lincoln, Bloomington, Streator, Pontiac, Canton, Champaign, and Mattoon, has been in business during the past twelve years. The Decatur store is located in the 300 block on North Main street and carries a complete stock of house furnishing goods. From one store, judiciously man- aged. has sprung this vast volume of busi- ness. From the time the first outside store

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was started, the firm has practically added a store each year. The officers are: C. F. Aker- and A. G. Wilson, who are the sole owners and general managers of the entire System of stores.

The Bradley Brothers' Dry Grounds Store is among the largest stores in the city in this line of business. Two floors and the basement of the two-story brick building at the corner of William and North Water streets, known as the Fenton building, are occupied by this stock of goods. In addi- tion to a general stock of dry goods they carry on a very elaborate dressmaking de- particijt. also as large and fine an assort ment of millinery stock as you will find in the city. The domestic goods department is in the basement, the main sales room is on the first floor and the dressmaking de- partment on the second floor. The build- ing is equipped with all the latest furnish- ings, and contains toilet rooms and rest rooms for ladies and employees. The firm has a large mail order business ; three de- livery wagens are kept busy early and late and ninety people are employed all the year. Bernard Bradley and Dennis Brad- ley are the proprietors.

Wilham Garshard & Company have one of the most enterprising dry goods stores in the city : it is located at 207 North Water street. It was established in 1805 when it was thought that the competition in that line was too strong to admit of an- other stock of dry goods; yet this business was a success from the start. The firm. practically occupies the entire building ; a general line of dry goods with a well as- sorted line of millinery and domestic goods is carried : also a well-equipped dressmak- ing department is maintained. It now en joys a very large city trade besides a large patronage from the surrounding country and nearby towns and villages.

The Charles T. Johnston Dry Goods Store on North Water street is thoroughly

modern im all its departments The busi nes occupies two floors and comprises the manufacture of ladies' cloaks, suits and fur garments in connection with a general Stack of dry goods. Dressmaking is also extensively carried on as well as a finely equipped, up to date millinery establish- ment. This store soon outgrew its original quarters and it became necessary to seek more commodions apartments, which were furnished by remodeling the Enmis build ing of three floors, making as fine quarters as that of any of its size in Decatur. Forty- five people are in the employ of this firm from one year's end to the other.

The Decatur Willing Company, on the corner of East Main and South Broadway. was incorporated in 1888. For a number of years previous to this it was known as the Hatfield mill, at which time the rate David Carver, one of the pioneers of Ma- con county, was largely interested. It is a large brick building fully equipped with modern machinery adapted to the manu- facture of flour, meal and brewers' grits. The mill consumes one thousand bushels of wheat and about two thousand bushels of corn per day. The products of the mill are sold in the general markets as well as to the home trade. About twenty men are continuously employed. The officers are: Frank Shlandeman, president ; O. B. Gorin, vice-president : J. W. Carter. secre tary: W. C. Armstrong, treasurer and manager.

The Danzeisen Packing Company, lo- cated on the Illinois Central Railroad on South Main street, in one of the most ex- tensive brick houses in the city adapted to that purpose; it is modern in every detail. This company does a general pork and beef packing business, besides a wholesale and retail line. In addition they manufac- ture and sell ice. This company was or- ganized in May. 1903. The capitalization is $50,000, of which the following persons

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PAST AND PRESENT OF MACON COUNTY.

hold: George J. Danzeisen, $37,000; Wil- in 1859 on the present site of their build- liam Danzeisen, $5,000; Oscar J. Danzei- sen, $5,000; Alfred J. Danzeisen, $3,000. These four gentlemen are named as the directors of the company.

The Linn and Scruggs Dry Goods and Carpet Company, occupying three floors in a half block of the Orlando Powers build- ing, is the largest and best equipped store in the state outside of Chicago. The city of Decatur may well feel proud of the ele- gance and vastness of the stock and the completeness and convenience of its ap- pointments. While Chicago has much larger stocks of goods, it has few stores that surpass it in the equipments, number of departments, cash carriers and modern facilities for displaying goods nor in the adaptation of its varied stock to the wants of the trade. William H. Linn and Wil- liam R. Seruggs founded the business in 1869; it was prosperous from the start and has constantly increased until to-day any one of these great floors is equal in floor space to a half dozen ordinary stores. The store is metropolitan in its management, being separated into thirty separate de- partments, each under a superintendent who is its sole manager. The management of each department is as vigorously prose- cuted as though it were an individual store. An electric passenger elevator, a Bostedo pneumatie tube cash carrier with twenty- one stations is installed in the store. They have retiring and rest rooms for the cus- tomers and employes, separate lockers for each employe, convenient workrooms for the mechanies and porters; large marking rooms for marking new goods, sample rooms for display of goods by traveling men, and numerous other conveniences for their employes and customers. Not less than 160 persons are on its pay rolls.

The Moorchouse & Wells Company, at 13-1-40 on East Main street, was estab- lished by Messrs. Moorehouse and Wells

ing, and is one of the oldest firms in the city. The present quarters consist of a six-story building including a basement, built of brick with a brown stone front; it contains all the modern appliances and conveniences necessary to accommodate their rapidly increasing business. This building was erected in 1896 at a cost of $80,000. They have in stock everything known to the modern hardware trade, and do an enormous wholesale as well as retail trade. Their business territory covers Il- linois and part of Indiana, Iowa, and Mis- souri. They handle house furnishing goods, glass, stoves, mantels, paints, varnishes, ammunition, sheet metals, tinplate, iron, mechanics' tools and builders' hardware. Twenty-five men are employed.

Bixby, Pitner & Company organized in 1895. Joseph G. Bixby and Frank S. Pitner holding the majority of the stock; at the death of Frank S. Pitner, which occurred in 1902 Thomas Pitner took his place in the firm. The company manufactures a patent burial slipper and the Dilt's patent Com- bination Shade Roller and Curtain Pole Fixture. The plant making the burial slip- per is on the second floor of the Stoner building; it employs about twenty-five men and girls. These goods are sold to the wholesale trade only ; their market extends even beyond the United States. The origi- nality of design and neatness of adjustment commends them to the trade. They also make a shade roller and curtain pole fix- ture : the fixture is known to the trade as the "Itsa " Fixture. This article is in its infaney but seems to be growing very rap- idly. It is very simple compared with the ordinary fixtures used for this purpose, re- quiring no taking out of screws when re- moval is necessary. Its simplicity com- mends itself to the public.

The Pratt Cereal Oil Mill Company was organized in 1902, with a capital stock of

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$450,000, for the purpose of extracting oil from corn. The plant consists of five large buildings, located in the east part of the city with a frontage of 450 feet on the Wabash Railroad; next to the Millikin University it is the largest group of build- ings in Decatur. This is the first and only mill of us kind in the world. The surface covered by these buildings is equal to about two blocks in the city. One hundred cars of machinery were placed into the plant. Two miles of pipe and four hundred and fifty valves were used. Storage room for two gallons of oil, and 100,000 gal- lons of naphtha is provided. The output daily is 25,000 gallons of oil and 300 tons of feed. The process with its accompanying result has required seven years for its per fection. Mr. Pratt is largely responsible for its evolvement. The raw material used is the waste from the hominy mills: the hominy chops and the germ of the grain. The hominy chop is about ten per cent oil and the germ to about twenty -four per cent oil. About 309 tons of ten carloads of raw material is consumed every twenty four hours. The oil is extracted from the corn by first grinding it, then sleeping it in a solvent that assimilate the corn oil; then drawing the solution off at the bottom of the percolating tanks. The corn oil is then separated from the solution by distillation. "The solvent is condensed and stored for future use, while the corn all is passed through fiter presses to remove starch or any foreign substances that may remain after which it is ready for the market. This oil is used for painting, for soapmaking. to give body to varnish, also in making salads. The officers are P. M Pratt, president. treasurer and manager ! ( Prisman, seere tary R P. Pratt, vice president.

The Macon County Telephone Company is cssned and operated by local capital and is purely a home enterprise It occupies the front half of the third floor of the Ar

cade builtling with its offices and exchange and shops, eight rooms are used It has a switch board of mine hundred drops and stalls. Fourteen operators employed; five men are given regular employment, while frequently a large number of extra men are used. The company has nine hundred sub seribers: two hundred and forty toll line connections covering all the central part of the state All the business part of the city from the Wabash to Wood street and from Church street to Broadway is bung sup plied with an underground system, at an expense of about $20,00. The company manufactures all its own telephones and controls a number of important patents. III its instruments and appliances of all kinds are of the latest approved patterns. This company connects with the business and professional men as well as the farmers throughout the localities which it traverses. This company was organized in 1894 and capitalized for $200,000. The officers are : C. S. Hankins, president : M. A. Hankins, secretary. The directors are: t. S. Han- kins, M. A. Hankins and W. P. Shade.

The business of George R. Bacon & Com- pany was organized December, 1886, then known as the Bacon & Saxton Company. but later Mr. Saxton dropped out of the firm and it assumed its present name. The present firm bought the land and erected the two story brick building, located at the corner of North Man and Eldorado streets. in which the business is now conducted. They carry a large stock of stationery. wrapping paper and bags, twines and a varied assortment of showcase articles such as are usually displayed no retail stores of all grades. A wholesale jobbing business with the general merchant is the work done Is this firm. A printing establishment is conducted in conjunction with their other 1111€ The territory covered by them prac inall meldes all of central Illinois, or it is the adjacent locality within a radius of

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a hundred miles of Decatur. When this business house was built it was the only business house on North Main street ex- cept the one on Prairie street, now used by the American Express Company. During the last ten years this kind of business has undergone a great change; the qualities of paper have become so varied and numerous that it requires a very large stock to ac- commodate the custom. Ball twine only was then used; now ball, cone and tube inust be in stock ; while in wrapping paper the colors in vogue necessitate carrying an extensive stock.

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Past and present of the City of Decatur and Macon County, Illinois, Part 14

Author: Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 988

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 988