USA > Illinois > Peoria County > Peoria > Peoria city and county, Illinois; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. I > Part 64
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The agitation looking to the purchase and acquisition of a driveway along the brow of this wondrous bluff began about the year 1902 and within a year or so later was completed and the work of improvement begun. It was finished and first used by the public in the fall of 1904.
But while nature has done much for Peoria parks, much of their beauty is due to the untiring skill and genius of one man -- the late Oscar F. Dubuis. For twenty years before coming to Peoria in 1895, or about that time, Mr. Dubuis had been in the employ of the West Park Board in Chicago, and when political changes in the state government deprived him of his position there, he was eagerly sought and engaged by the Lincoln park board. It was while he was there that the Peoria park board engaged his services and he planned and per- sonally saw to it that most of the projects for beautifying and improving the local parks were carried to a successful conclusion.
Mr. Dubuis brought to his duties in this city a mind trained to his life work and an artistic conception valuable indeed. Here he found to his hand a nat-
PAVILION AT LAURA BRADLEY PARK
NATURE AT HER BEST IN BRADLEY PARK
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HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY
ural park system, unfashioned, but only waiting the hand of the master to transform it into a wonderland of beauty, and out of the rude hills and hollows of the Peoria park tracts he evolved parks that today stand unrivaled in the United States.
But while the credit for the beautification of the park system must be given to Mr. Dubuis, he was not the first engineer engaged. His predecessor was R. R. Zingsem, of Chicago, who came to this city and gave the park board his ideas on laying out the system and how best to beautify it. However, he was not permanently engaged and Mr. Dubuis was hired soon after.
The finances that made possible the transformation of the land into beau- tiful parks have been freely furnished by the citizens of the park district, who have never complained of the park tax. The first money secured was a bond issue authorized November 1, 1895, for $200,000. This money was used to pay for the various tracts of land which had hitherto been purchased by the trus- tees. The tax levy for the first year yielded $58,695.57. The annual sum realized is now in the neighborhood of $85,000.
The whole amount realized from all sources including bond issues has been to date, $1,562,577.72. It must be said, however, that this includes one refund- ing bond issue. The total expense of the park system for eighteen years has been $1.543,747.65.
It affords an interesting comparison to note the cost to date of the different parks. Glen Oak is thus far the only one that has exceeded half a million. The figures taken from the books of the secretary of the park board show the cost to be as follows.
Glen Oak park
$578,856.76
Bradley park
237,827.96
Madison park
74,701.73
South park
55.843.07
Grand View drive
145,980.54
SOME PEORIA HOTELS
Among Peoria's numerous hotels are at least a half dozen that are especially worthy of mention. The Jefferson opened in February, 1912, and was erected at a cost of $400,000. It is ten stories in height and contains two hundred and twenty-five rooms. This magnificent structure is owned by a stock company, composed of Robert Clarke, president; G. J. Jobst, vice president ; J. W. Mc- Dowell, secretary and treasurer. The hotel is operated by a company consisting of W. E. Hull as president, and Arthur E. Lehman, secretary and treasurer.
The pioneer hotel of Peoria was known as the "Travelers' Rest," a tavern opened in 1825 by John L. Bogardus, who was not only known as the first boni- face of the town but was also a lawyer and land speculator. The "Travelers' Rest" was a double log house, located on the bank of the river, between Main and Hamilton streets. As a matter of course one end of the building was devoted to conviviality, which was made possible by the inevitable bar of those days.
In 1827 Seth Fulton opened a tavern on Water street above Eaton. "Fulton Tavern" had a larger and more popular bar than the "Travelers' Rest." The house was much better furnished with furniture that had been bought in stores and not hand made. It was the hotel of Peoria and lasted until about 1834.
"Eads Tavern" was opened in 1829. The building, a two-story frame, stood on Water street, and in its size and appointments surpassed any of its com- petitors. William Eads was the landlord of this hostelry until 1834. when he sold out to Jacob Slough. The house eventually came under the management of Captain Patterson, an old-steamboat man, who ran the place until 1849. The building subsequently was remodeled into store rooms and was finally burned down.
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There were numerous others who contributed to the hotel history of Peoria. In 1834 John Hamlin moved a large frame stable to the corner of Main and Washington streets, to which he built an extensive addition and after other changes the place was opened as the "Peoria Hotel," under the management of Colonel O. A. Garrett. The Colonel became prosperous and in 1838 built the "Planters House." subsequently known as the "Peoria House," which was opened in February, 1840. At that time it was considered the largest and best hotel in the state of Illinois and noted as the leading hotel. This hostelry was located at the northeast corner of Hamilton and Adams streets and within its walls many noted people were entertained, among them being President Martin Van Buren.
The "Clinton House" was built in 1837 by John R. Caldwell-a three-story brick structure, which stood on the corner of Adams and Fulton streets. John King was the first landlord, who made an excellent reputation as such and accu- mulated considerable money from the venture. By the year 1849 the Warners were in possession, the first one of the name being John B. Warner. This house was destroyed by fire in 1853. Another hotel of note of the early days was the "Franklin House," which stood on Main street, between Adams and Washing- ton, and was first under the management of Mrs. Lindsay, mother of J. T. Lind- say. This building was remodeled and drifted into other uses. The "Farmers Hotel" built in 1849 by A. P. Loucks, stood on the lower corner of Main and Water streets. This burned down in 1852 and made way for a brick building, part of which was set aside for the use of the Central Bank.
The "Mitchell House" was opened in 1846 by William Mitchell. This build- ing stood on the corner of Jefferson and Fulton streets. Not proving a success as a hotel, it finally came into possession of the Methodist Episcopal church and was converted into a female seminary. This was also a failure and the building was again opened as a hotel and after having several landlords it became known as "The Arctic," then as "The Massasoit" and the "Remington House." In 1858 George Wilson became proprietor and named the hostelry the "Fulton House." The building was finally burned in 1866.
The "Farmers House" was built in 1853 by James McFadden. It stood on Harrison street. In 1860 John E. Phillips became manager and changed the name to the "Central House.'
The "Buckeye House," an old-timer, was running in 1860 as was also the "City Hotel." which subsequently became known as the "New Buckeye House," under the management of William Brady, and stood on the corner of Adams and Bridge streets. After the war the house was opened by General Otto Funk as "Funk's Hotel." The building many years ago was converted into business rooms. The "Metropolitan" stood on the corner of Fulton and Water streets and was a well known hotel in post-bellum days. Part of the building was de- stroyed by fire in 1868 but was rebuilt, and in 1872 became known as the "Pacific Hotel." Later its name was changed to "Conaghan's Hotel." It is now used for business purposes. There were also the "Merchants Hotel," Washington street, just below Main, 1874, later known as the "Leland," "The Ingersoll," north corner of court house square, built in 1877. This property was built by Washington Cockle and later sold to Robert G. Ingersoll. Ingersoll sold to Charles H. Deane, who opened the house as "The Ingersoll." Later the build- ing was removed north on the adjoining lot and has been for some years past used by the Lewis Company, cigar manufacturers. Upon the site vacated by The Ingersoll was erected a splendid building, which was opened as the "National Hotel," in the fall of 1887. It was five stories in height and became the leading hostelry of the city. For many years the sixth story was set apart and used by the Elks. In the fall of 1911 the National Hotel was totally destroyed by fire and in the summer of 1912 the ground was purchased by the Mckinley Traction System for depot purposes.
There are other hotels, whose doors are constantly open to the incoming guests, worthy of mention in this article. The "Lud" is a modern building,
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LOBBY OF NATIONAL HOTEL BEFORE THE FIRE
RUINS OF THE NATIONAL HOTEL AFTER THE FIRE
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HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY
located in the 100 block of Main street; the "Mayer," Hamilton and Adams; "Niagara," 100 block South Jefferson ; "Fey," Liberty and Adams; "Majestic," on the opposite corner of Liberty and Adams; Knox Inn, 728 Main street; "Pfeiffer Hotel," north end of the city; "Regis," Chestnut and South Adams streets.
HALLS AND THEATRES
Before the year 1850 no public hall was known to have existed in Peoria, and when a strolling minstrel "aggregation" or other "play actors" came to town, they entertained their audiences in the spacious ball rooms or dining rooms of the Planters, the Clinton and other hotels.
As early as the winter of 1837-8 a theatre was advertised in the local paper. About that time the "Lyceum" was in full sway and its members entertained on occasion, principally by way of holding a debate in one of the churches. There was also the l'eoria Temperance Society, before whom Elihu N. Powell delivered a lecture, at the court house, on state license.
About the year 1850 a hall was built by W. H. Haskell, on the corner of Madison avenue and Jefferson street, where Kuhl's grocery store now stands, which was long known as Haskell's hall. The next hall was in a building erected by Justus B. Fleck, on Water street, between Bridge and Walnut streets. This hall, on the second floor of the building, was used a long time by the German singing and dramatic societies and, as is probable, this was the first threatre in Peoria, for traveling theatrical companies appeared here and the Germans gave both operatic and dramatic performances upon its stage. In 1854 Henry S. Austin put up a business block on the corner of Adams and Fulton streets, where the Woolner block now stands, and the upper story was converted into a hall, first known as Austin's hall and later as Boetger's hall. Theatrical performances were given here and on one occasion Maggie Mitchell, well known to fame, appeared and delighted an admiring audience with an ex- hibition of great dramatic talent. Then there was the Turn-Verein building, on Washington street, below Chestnut.
In 1858 Dr. Rudolphus Rouse erected a hall on Main street, which became very popular. Many noted people, actors, lecturers, opera singers entertained in this place and for years the hall was used for conventions by both democrats and republicans and many men of note in public life spoke to large audiences from the stage.
Parmely's hall was built at about the same time of Rouse's. The building stood on North Adams street, adjoining the Peoria House, and the hall was much used for political gatherings. In 1873 the "Academy of Music" was built on Adams street, between Fayette and Jackson, but has long since dis- appeared.
The Grand Opera house was erected in 1881-2, on Hamilton street, opposite the court house, and was the first pretentious structure built for amusement purposes. A corporation had been formed, with a capitalization of $40,000, and on September 4, 1882, the handsome (then) theatre was thrown open to the public and for many years was the principal show house of the city. But it has been cast aside and now stands a seedy wreck of former greatness, and in the words of a former president, it has gone into "innocuous desuetude."
Since the advent of the moving picture, many places of entertainment have sprung up in the city in the past decade, devoted to that form of diversion. And the city has also been embellished with two modern theatre buildings, one the Majestic, devoted mainly to what is termed the legitimate class of dramatic and serio-comic performance, and the Orpheum, which is given over entirely to vandeville. The Majestic adjoins the Jefferson building on the south and the Orpheum stands in the middle of the block on Madison street, north of Main.
CHAPTER XXVII
THE PEORIA PRESS-THE FIRST EDITOR A SCHOLARLY MAN-TRIALS AND TRIBULA- TIONS OF THE PIONEER PRINTER-SKETCHES OF THE VARIOUS NEWSPAPERS OF TIIE CITY-THE PAPERS OF THE DAY VIE WITH ANY IN THE STATE.
CHAS. T. LAMBERT
Rich in the names that adorn its records is the history of the Peoria press.
In the beginning, when the town was in its swaddling clothes, in fact one year before the town of Peoria was organized, "there were giants in those days." Abram S. Buxton, Peoria's first editor, was a scholarly man and a vigorous writer, and his trenchant pen ran forcibly and fluently until his fingers dropped nerveless when touched by death.
Then on the roster come the names of James C. Armstrong, Jacob Shewalter, ¥ Samuel H. Davis, John S. Zieber, William Rounseville, T. J. Pickett, James Kirkpatrick and Enoch Emery, among the dead and gone who were connected with the English press, and those of Alois Zotz and Hon. Edward Rummel, editors of publications in the German language. All were men of strong indi- viduality and marked personality who from the beginning saw with prophetic vision the grandeur of l'eoria's future, inspired its people with alluring hopes and in the path of progress led the way.
The pioneer editor, and the pioneer printer whom he brought with him, were men of superior character and skill and of infinite resourcefulness. It was in the days of hand composition, more than half a century before the linotype was dreamed of, and the printer took as much joy in his work in putting the expressed thoughts of the editor into type as the editor did in transcribing them to paper. They worked side by side in their little offices and it was no unicom- mon thing for the editor to pull the tail of the old fashioned hand press and run its crude mechanism, while the printer fed the dampened sheets into it and withdrew them after each impression. It was slow and laborious work all the way through, but the men who engaged in it labored nobly and well and all that we have today in the way of typesetting machines and mighty presses is but the development of their humbler means, methods and efforts. The cheer- ful, enterprising and encouraging spirit which they exhibited still lives and it is one of our priceless heritages. The old editor and the old printer have gone. but though dead they yet speaketh.
PEORIA'S FIRST NEWSPAPER
It was in the year of grace 1834 that the first editor and the first printer came to Peoria. The editor was Abram S. Buxton who came hither from Louisville, Ky., where he had been a partner of George D. Prentice who later became celebrated as the editor of the Louisville Courier-Journal. He brought with him Henry Wolford, a skilled printer, and on the tenth day of March, 1834, they launched the first issue of "The Illinois Champion and Peoria Herald." It was a small weekly paper of four pages, with five columns to the page. but it was so ably edited and so well printed that it immediately jumped into popular
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favor and had a large circulation, for those days, throughout this section of the state. Buxton was a staunch whig, but for a time he published the Champion as a neutral paper. His whig principles, however, dominated and encouraged with its success he eventually devoted it exclusively to the whig interest. This did not affect its popularity and while he was climbing to fame, if not to fortune, he was seized with consumption and went down to the grave, writing to almost his expiring breath .. He died on September 1, 1835, having ably conducted his paper only one and one-half years.
PEORIA REGISTER AND NORTHWESTERN GAZETTEER
Henry Wolford, the printer then sold Peoria's original press enterprise to James C. Armstrong and Jacob Shewalter and returned to Louisville, Ky. The new proprietors engaged Jerome L. Marsh as printer and conducted the paper until the early part of 1837, when they sold it to Samuel H. Davis who came here from Virginia. Davis changed its name to "The Peoria Register and Northwestern Gazetteer" and enlarged it from five to six columns to the page and also lengthened the columns. He conducted it as a neutral paper until the campaign of 1840 when it came out openly in the whig interest and supported General Harrison for the presidency. In this campaign it achieved a fair measure of success and in 1842 he sold it to Samuel and William Butler, who had tormeriy worked in the printing establishment of Harper Brothers in New York city. On assuming control of the paper the Butler Bros. dropped the latter part of the title and named it the Peoria Register and retained Samuel H. Davis as editor. It was still published in the whig interest supporting Henry Clay in 1844, but when an anti-abolition riot occurred at the Presbyterian church on Main street and the proprietors refused to permit him to rebuke the outrage Davis resigned and the Butler Bros. sold it to Thomas J. Pickett, who changed its name to the Weekly Register.
PEORIA'S FIRST DAILY NEWSPAPER
Thomas J. Pickett was a man filled with the spirit of enterprise in advance of his times and it was his ambition to establish a daily newspaper. He formed a partnership with H. K. W. Davis, a son of the former publisher and editor and started in connection with the Peoria Register a daily paper which they called the Daily Register and the first number was issued on June 28. 1848. but its life was short. Still infected with the daily issue idea Pickett started another daily in the following year and called it The Champion in memory of the first Peoria newspaper established by the ill-fated Abram Buxton. The first number of this second daily was issued on December 13, 1849, and it appears that there must have been something fateful in its name, for in the following month. on January 26, 1850, the building in which it was published was wrecked by an explosion of combustible liquids and William Pickett, brother of the pro- prietor and James Kirkpatrick, publisher of the Peoria American, a publication which will be referred to further on, were killed by falling walls. Their office was in the second story of a brick building on the corner of Main street and what was known at that time as Printers' Alley, between Washington and Water streets. William Pickett, the brother of the proprietor, lost his life in an effort to save the books, while Kirkpatrick was caught under the falling walls as he was passing through the alley.
THE PEORIA REPUBLICAN
Although he had lost his brother and almost all his worldly possessions in this disaster Thomas J. Pickett was undismayed. He bought a new outfit and established the Weekly Republican and its first issue appeared on June 1, 1850.
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HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY
It was well edited and printed and was devoted to the whig interest until the old party lines began to break up between 1854 and 1856 and then it espoused the principles of the rising republican party. Issued first as a weekly it eventu- ally became a daily, tri-weekly and weekly and ran successfully until 1856 when Pickett became a candidate for the office of circuit clerk and the paper passed into the possession of Samuel L. Coulter, who endeavored to run it in the whig interest, but the whig party was rapidly going to pieces and two years later the Peoria Republican went out of existence. Pickett, having been defeated for office went to Rock Island where he conducted the Rock Island Register and during the Civil war was instrumental in raising regiments. After the war he went to Paducah, Ky., where he established a paper called the Federal Union, was appointed postmaster and later clerk of the United States district court. In 1879 he went to Nebraska where in the course of fifteen years he founded three papers in as many different cities and died at Ashland, Wis., at the home of his son on December 24, 1891, at the age of seventy years. In his day he was one of the most active of newspaper men, full of ambition and blessed with a remarkable energy, but appeared throughout his life to have been the football of fate. In the course of his career he founded a dozen newspapers and died in the harness assisting in the publication of a newspaper conducted by his son.
PEORIA DEMOCRATIC PRESS
Thus far has been given the history of Peoria's first newspaper, which al- though published under different titles and conducted under various managers, was practically a continuation of the parent paper founded in 1834 by Abram Buxton and expired under the name of the Peoria Republican in 1858.
To give the history of the Peoria newspapers in chronological order it will be necessary to go back to 1840 when John S. Zieber established the "Peoria Democratic Press" and issued the first number on February 20 of that year. Zieber came to Peoria from Somerset county, Md., where he had published the "People's Press" and he brought with him his brother-in-law, Enoch P. Sloan, who had learned the printer's trade under him in their eastern home. Two years later Mr. Sloan became a partner in the enterprise and while working as a printer also rendered valuable assistance as assistant editor. As its name indicated it was a distinctively political paper and as such was the first party organ established in Peoria. Messrs. Zieber and Sloan conducted it until June 1, 1846 when it was sold to Thomas Phillips, who came here from Pittsburg, Pa., where he had published the "American Manufacturer." Phillips published the paper for three years and then sold it to Washington Cockle, leaving Peoria for St. Louis where he became a partner with his brother in publishing the "St. Louis Union." Cockle conducted it for a little more than one year and then sold it to Enoch P. Sloan, one of its original owners and who during its several changes had remained with it. This transfer was made in the fall of 1851 and on January 5, 1854. Mr. Sloan issued the first number of a daily, the third attempt to establish a daily newspaper in Peoria. In this he was fairly successful and published the sheet as a daily and tri-weekly until the fall of 1856, when he was elected circuit clerk of Peoria county, defeating Thomas J. Pickett, a rival editor and candidate. With the retirement of Mr. Sloan to enter upon the duties of his office the paper was sold to Leonard B. Cornwell who had been sheriff of Peoria county and who retained John McDonald as its editor. It was a strong supporter of Stephen A. Douglas, but when Buchanan was elected the party patronage went to its rival, the "Peoria Daily News," published by George W. Raney and later the two papers were merged.
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HISTORY OF PEORIA COUNTY
PEORIA DAILY NEWS
When George W. Raney appeared on the local scene of action he proved to be a new and altogether different factor in Peoria journalism. The men who had conducted Peoria newspapers up to the time of his advent were men of some learning and high character and lent a dignity to the profession, but Raney was of another stamp. Had he been working in these later days his style of journalism would have been designated "yellow." He was essentially a com- mercial journalist and conducted the business solely from the box office point of view and with a glittering eye on political patronage.
George W. Raney established the Peoria Daily News and issued the first number on May 26, 1852 and followed soon after with the Weekly and Tri- Weekly News. He adopted a slashing, buccaneering style, which while it may have tickled the ears of the groundlings and made the judicious grieve gave his sheet the popularity which attends originality and he got everything in sight. President Buchanan appointed his postmaster and his sheet became the recog- nized organ of the democratic party and obtained all the party patronage and absorbed the rival paper. In the winter of 1857-8 Raney's whole establishment was destroyed by fire but he took what remained of the "Peoria Democratic Press" and began the publication of the "Democratic Union" which became the leading democratic paper in this section during the campaign of 1860. In that campaign, however, Raney retired from the editorial chair and its management was turned over to William Trench, who as an ardent supporter of Douglas conducted the sheet in his interests during the campaign and at its close, which ended in the defeat of Douglas and the election of Abraham Lincoln. Raney went back to his editorial duties and conducted the sheet until September 1862 when he obtained a position in the army and with his departure the "Democratic Union" went out of existence. This was the end of the "Peoria Democratic Press" founded in 1840 by John S. Zieber, which, like the first of Peoria's news- papers, changed managers and names, but led a continuous existence for many years.
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