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Howard C. Burks
Photograph of Howard C. Burks (b. 1858, d. 1/10/1922). He was the founder and president of Decatur Drug Co., and built the largest drug business in Illinois at the time. Howard Burks married Mary Wise Burks (1887-1968). The photo was taken by…
Dr. Orlando G. Collins
Photograph of Dr. Orlando G. Collins (b. 11/13/1868, d. 12/9/1946). He was the son of Seth Benson Collins, and came to Decatur i 1892 after graduating form the Chicago College of Dental Surgery. He was a specialist in teeth extraction, and a life…
A.W. Conklin
Photograph of A.W. Conklin (b. 3/25/1835, d. 3/28/1909), a prominent Decatur manufacturer. Conklin helped establish the Decatur Bag Factory, which later became known as the Tait factory. He also established the Decatur Steam Bakery, which became…
Ralph O. Conklin
Photograph of Ralph O. Conklin (b. 2/4/1978, d. 1/1/1955). He was the son of Amos Conklin, and the co-owner of the old Conklin Bakery Co., where he pioneered the manufacture of pre-sliced bread in 1929. Conklin was a member of the First Methodist…
Hugh B. Crea
Photograph of Hugh B. Crea (d. 1/31/1918). He was an attorney, and practiced law in Decatur for over 50 years. He was the attorney for the Millikin & Co., Millikin National Bank, Illinois Central Railroad, Illinois Midland Railroad, and Wabash…
Buel T. Davis
Photograph of Buel T. Davis. He was a resident of Decatur from 1909 to 1916, when he left for Champaign to represent the Waterbury interest in community development work in Florida. Davis started the Better Life Movement here in 1910. When he…
Thomas Davis
Photograph of Thomas Davis (d. 1913). He was a pioneer in Macon County, IL, and owned the first building in Macon, IL. He was the donor of the WCTU water fountain, and knew Abraham Lincoln. The Davis School east of Macon, IL is named after him. …
Martin L. Deck
Photograph of Martin L. Deck (d. 11/8/1932). He was a former Decatur real estate man, and laid out an addition to Decatur. He also acted as an appraiser for a building and loan association. Deck also donated the ground for the First English…
Jan De Graff
Photograph of Jan De Graff, a prominent Decatur contractor in the early 1900s. He mainly worked as a general contractor who erected many of the foremost residences. This photo was taken by Vandeventer, and used in the Decatur Daily Review on…
Benjamin Dill
Photograph of Benjamin Dill (d. 1/7/1926). Dill was a Decatur contractor who built many houses and schools in and near Decatur. He also built the first house in Maroa, IL. Dill was an Alderman in Decatur for 2 years and commissioner of highways in…