PHOTOGRAPHS
OF EARLY
DECATUR

On the back of this undated photo is written, "E. William & State Street - Decatur". I checked my 1871/72 and 1881/82 city directories and have found the following: 1871/72 Decatur City Directory - Myer,Martin, painter, corner of E. Prairie and N. Jackson.

A check of the 1881/82 Decatur City Directory had this:

Myer, Catherine, wid of Henry - residence northeast corner Marietta and Union
Myer, Frank C. (M A Myer & Sons) residence Prairie and Jackson
Myer, Henry T. painter M A Myer & Sons residence corner Prairie and Jackson
Myer, Joseph P. painter M A Myer & Sons residence corner Prairie and Jackson
Myer, Martin A. (M A Myer & Sons) residence corner Prairie and Jackson
Myer M A & Sons ( Martin A and Frank C.) house sign and decorative painter New Square North Park

Contributed by: Michael Delahunty

I finally got a copy of a picture of the "Lighthouse Restaurant" that used to sit by Lake Decatur. I think they tore it down sometime in the 1960's. I used to go there on Monday nights after I went to town in Decatur with my parents. That was the only night that stores stayed open late. Not like the 24 hour ones today. They had the best hamburgers and milk shakes. It's not the best picture as it is a xerox copy that I scanned.

Submitted by: Helen in Texas

Ice wagons on Lincoln Square about 1901. They are congregating in front of my Grandfather's Cafe - The Saratoga, which was located on the southeast corner of the square. My Dad was born upstairs.

The dam and railroad trestle don't have any label except what was printed on this postcard. It's of the "old" Decatur dam before the present one was built.

This photo looks to be a Christmas party. I am sure it is a school in the Blue Mound area, but am uncertain of the date. The girl 10th from the right side is my grandmother, Hazel Shick Gebhart. I would guess, from the picture, that she is probably anywhere from 7 to 10 years old. She was born in 1898, so picture is probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 1905-1910. Her father, Lyman Shick, taught school in the Blue Mound area while Hazel was in school, but I don't think it was in a one-room school. I seem to think he taught 3rd or 5th grade, so don't know if that would indicate a particular school. Does anyone know if they had a school with multiple grades back then?

Contributed by: Melanie Renner

The next two are of the Staley's pumphouse and the wooden dam near there at the time that Lake Decatur was formed following the new dam being built. My uncle Paul Andrews worked on this project about 1919-1920.

Above photos contributedby: Sally Neely

These two images are old post cards illustrating old buildings in Decatur.

Above photos contributed by: Michael Delahunty

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