Chillicothe, IL 1885 - 1892
Feb 03, 2023 11:32AM ● By Brian L. Fislar
Part 3
The following is the third of a multi-part article about the timeline of Chillicothe, IL. This article will illustrate the key dates along with the key individuals that helped to shape our city’s great history.
1885 – Charles “C.C.” Wescott is elected Mayor and would serve a two-year term. Wescott, a local merchant, would go on to open a large grocery store downtown (now the site of Owens Design Group), and would also become the city’s Postmaster.
1887 – E.B. (Edward Benton) Purcell, Howel Jones, Samuel T. Howe are tasked by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway to buy land near Chillicothe, Illinois when it is determined that the railroad would run from the west to the east passing by the north end of Chillicothe.
1887 – Santa Fe Subdivision. E.B. Purcell would plat three different areas over a four-month span with the first being the Santa Fe subdivision, a twenty-four-block plat in what would become North Chillicothe, which started at the south end of Cutright Street and ran south until it met the Truitt Road intersection. Turning and heading east until it met the intersection of Finney Street and Truitt Avenue. Turning and heading north until the road turned and headed west until it met at the north end of Cutright Street. Note: Howe Street at the time it was platted is now Sunnyside Street.
1887 – William H. Barbour, Postmaster, local merchant, and grain dealer, is elected Mayor and the first to serve two non-consecutive terms and would serve his final two-year term.
1888 – Santa Fe 2nd Addition. E.B. Purcell plats out the second addition in North Chillicothe. This would be a ten-block area that would run slightly northwest between Hoyt Street and Benedict Street from Howe Street (now Sunnyside), northwest past Matthews Street. New street names included in the new plat include Hoyt, Cutright, and Benedict. It is this author’s belief that Hoyt Street is named after E.B. Purcell’s wife, Elizabeth Hoyt Purcell and Benedict Street is named for Elizabeth Hoyt Purcell’s great grandfather and Lieutenant in the Revolutionary War, Ezra Benedict.
1888 – Santa Fe 3rd Addition. E.B. Purcell plats out the third addition in North Chillicothe. This seven-block plat is an extension to the east of the first Santa Fe plat that was laid out just four months earlier in November 1887. Two new streets are added with the plat, Maginnis Street and Martin Street. Maginnis Street is named for A.P. (Almon Porter) Maginnis, the Tax Commissioner for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company.
1888 – With it becoming increasingly evident that some form of government was necessary, an attempt by citizens is made to annex the Santa Fe subdivision additions to the City of Chillicothe. The city votes against and denies the annexation attempt.
1889 – Dr. A.N. (Alvin Nelson) Keith, a highly respected surgeon for the Rock Island Company is elected Mayor and would serve a two-year term.
1889 – Truitt’s 4th Addition. Eliza Truitt plats out what is known as Henry Truitt’s 4th addition in a two-block area of town. The small, platted area runs between Hickory Street and Sycamore Street starting on Sixth Street and running west to Eighth Street (now Benedict Street).
1890 – October 31, 1890 - The business portion of the town of Chillicothe was almost destroyed by fire. The fire originated in a nearby stable and spread rapidly in all directions. The Peoria Mayor was appealed to for help, and in response a special train with fire engines was dispatched to the scene, but as there were no means of unloading the machines they could not be utilized. The telegraph and telephone offices were burnt and rendered useless, and all communication was cut off. Downtown merchants would spend the next 18 months working to rebuild. Total damage was estimated at $200,000 and only a few merchants had insurance.
1890 – The largest school building in town located at Elm and Fourth Street is destroyed by fire. The following year, a new High School and Grade School is built, each containing thirteen rooms, is erected on North Sixth Street, between Cedar and Chestnut, where Pearce Community Center now sits.
1890 – Under leadership of E.G. Cattell, petitions were presented to the county court and an elections held April 16, 1890, for the organization of the Village of North Chillicothe. The election is held in the store of A. A. Thompson at the corner of Matthews Street and Santa Fe Avenue. The vote passed and the Village of North Chillicothe is organized on May 2, 1890, with a population of 417. E.G. Cattell is the first Village President and W.F. Ryon, City Clerk.
1890 - James Kinloch and W.F. Ryon collaborate with the landowners of the “Old Woods” property to develop the land that was originally owned by L. A. Wood. The summer resort named Columbia Park (now Shore Acres Park), contained a dancing pavilion, bowling alleys, ball diamonds, boat yard, and a racetrack with grandstand.
1891 – James Kinloch is elected Mayor and serves two terms in office. Kinloch a native of Scotland, was also an editor for the Chillicothe Bulletin and part owner of the Peoples Street Railway Company, a mule drawn streetcar service from the Santa Fe Depot through Downtown to Columbia Park.
1892 – Pettett’s Subdivision. Howel Jones plats out an eleven-block parcel of land in North Chillicothe. The subdivision starts where Pine Street and Santa Fe intersect and runs west along Pine past Howard Avenue (now Benedict Street) until it meets Leonard Street (now Cutright Street), then heading north on Leonard past Illinois Avenue (now Chestnut Street) and past Western Avenue (now Cedar Street) to Truitt Ave, following Truitt Avenue east past Howard Street to Santa Fe Avenue and then turning south back to Pine Street.
Below are links to the first 2 parts of this article.
The following is the third of a multi-part article about the timeline of Chillicothe, IL. This article will illustrate the key dates along with the key individuals that helped to shape our city’s great history.
1885 – Charles “C.C.” Wescott is elected Mayor and would serve a two-year term. Wescott, a local merchant, would go on to open a large grocery store downtown (now the site of Owens Design Group), and would also become the city’s Postmaster.
1887 – E.B. (Edward Benton) Purcell, Howel Jones, Samuel T. Howe are tasked by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway to buy land near Chillicothe, Illinois when it is determined that the railroad would run from the west to the east passing by the north end of Chillicothe.
1887 – Santa Fe Subdivision. E.B. Purcell would plat three different areas over a four-month span with the first being the Santa Fe subdivision, a twenty-four-block plat in what would become North Chillicothe, which started at the south end of Cutright Street and ran south until it met the Truitt Road intersection. Turning and heading east until it met the intersection of Finney Street and Truitt Avenue. Turning and heading north until the road turned and headed west until it met at the north end of Cutright Street. Note: Howe Street at the time it was platted is now Sunnyside Street.
1887 – William H. Barbour, Postmaster, local merchant, and grain dealer, is elected Mayor and the first to serve two non-consecutive terms and would serve his final two-year term.
1888 – Santa Fe 2nd Addition. E.B. Purcell plats out the second addition in North Chillicothe. This would be a ten-block area that would run slightly northwest between Hoyt Street and Benedict Street from Howe Street (now Sunnyside), northwest past Matthews Street. New street names included in the new plat include Hoyt, Cutright, and Benedict. It is this author’s belief that Hoyt Street is named after E.B. Purcell’s wife, Elizabeth Hoyt Purcell and Benedict Street is named for Elizabeth Hoyt Purcell’s great grandfather and Lieutenant in the Revolutionary War, Ezra Benedict.
1888 – Santa Fe 3rd Addition. E.B. Purcell plats out the third addition in North Chillicothe. This seven-block plat is an extension to the east of the first Santa Fe plat that was laid out just four months earlier in November 1887. Two new streets are added with the plat, Maginnis Street and Martin Street. Maginnis Street is named for A.P. (Almon Porter) Maginnis, the Tax Commissioner for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company.
1888 – With it becoming increasingly evident that some form of government was necessary, an attempt by citizens is made to annex the Santa Fe subdivision additions to the City of Chillicothe. The city votes against and denies the annexation attempt.
1889 – Dr. A.N. (Alvin Nelson) Keith, a highly respected surgeon for the Rock Island Company is elected Mayor and would serve a two-year term.
1889 – Truitt’s 4th Addition. Eliza Truitt plats out what is known as Henry Truitt’s 4th addition in a two-block area of town. The small, platted area runs between Hickory Street and Sycamore Street starting on Sixth Street and running west to Eighth Street (now Benedict Street).
1890 – October 31, 1890 - The business portion of the town of Chillicothe was almost destroyed by fire. The fire originated in a nearby stable and spread rapidly in all directions. The Peoria Mayor was appealed to for help, and in response a special train with fire engines was dispatched to the scene, but as there were no means of unloading the machines they could not be utilized. The telegraph and telephone offices were burnt and rendered useless, and all communication was cut off. Downtown merchants would spend the next 18 months working to rebuild. Total damage was estimated at $200,000 and only a few merchants had insurance.
1890 – The largest school building in town located at Elm and Fourth Street is destroyed by fire. The following year, a new High School and Grade School is built, each containing thirteen rooms, is erected on North Sixth Street, between Cedar and Chestnut, where Pearce Community Center now sits.
1890 – Under leadership of E.G. Cattell, petitions were presented to the county court and an elections held April 16, 1890, for the organization of the Village of North Chillicothe. The election is held in the store of A. A. Thompson at the corner of Matthews Street and Santa Fe Avenue. The vote passed and the Village of North Chillicothe is organized on May 2, 1890, with a population of 417. E.G. Cattell is the first Village President and W.F. Ryon, City Clerk.
1890 - James Kinloch and W.F. Ryon collaborate with the landowners of the “Old Woods” property to develop the land that was originally owned by L. A. Wood. The summer resort named Columbia Park (now Shore Acres Park), contained a dancing pavilion, bowling alleys, ball diamonds, boat yard, and a racetrack with grandstand.
1891 – James Kinloch is elected Mayor and serves two terms in office. Kinloch a native of Scotland, was also an editor for the Chillicothe Bulletin and part owner of the Peoples Street Railway Company, a mule drawn streetcar service from the Santa Fe Depot through Downtown to Columbia Park.
1892 – Pettett’s Subdivision. Howel Jones plats out an eleven-block parcel of land in North Chillicothe. The subdivision starts where Pine Street and Santa Fe intersect and runs west along Pine past Howard Avenue (now Benedict Street) until it meets Leonard Street (now Cutright Street), then heading north on Leonard past Illinois Avenue (now Chestnut Street) and past Western Avenue (now Cedar Street) to Truitt Ave, following Truitt Avenue east past Howard Street to Santa Fe Avenue and then turning south back to Pine Street.
Below are links to the first 2 parts of this article.
Chillicothe, IL 1885 - 1892 [4 Images]
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