Blog

     When I started my publishing business in the Standard Life Office Building in 1964, downtown looked about the same as it did in the 1920s — especially the 100 and 200 blocks of East Main Street.

     I’ve been a witness over the decades since to all of the buildings on the south side of the street in the 100 and 200 blocks being demolished , except the Standard Life Building, and replaced — mostly with a parking lot.
     The James Millikin Bank Building, in the 200 block of East Main along with every other building on that side of the 200 block, became part of the same story — replaced with parking lots. We still have full building occupancy on the north side of the 100 block of East Main with a newer building than those in the front page rendering in this week’s Decatur Tribune, on the northeast corner of Main and Water streets.
     The building on the southeast corner of Main and Merchant streets, which was home to Bachrach’s for many years, was remodeled years ago and is in much better condition than it was in the 1960s.
     Of course, as most of you know, the Standard Life Office Building on the southeast corner of Main and Water streets has been remodeled and updated and is today referred to as the Millikin Court Building.
     When I started in business in the Standard Life Office Building in the 1960s, I could look out the west windows and see the roofs of business buildings up and down the 100 block of East Main and the 100 block of South Water.
     Now, when I look out the fourth floor west windows of my office in the Millikin Court Building, I see the only structure left that was there when I started in business — is the former Decatur Title Building — and it is empty and for sale.

     I MUST admit that, there are times when I look out my office windows and see so much of what made downtown “downtown” to me, now gone, never to return.
     There is a feeling of sadness because I didn’t realize at the time I enjoyed everything about downtown Decatur, how soon so much of that would be gone.
     While I still love having my publishing business in the heart of downtown Decatur, the landscape has greatly changed and I often find myself thinking about a very special part of Decatur that was also a special part of my past — and I’m sure many of you have similar memories of old Decatur.

     • DON’T VOTE for two candidates who have been removed from the ballot.
     A day before early voting started last week, Carol Stacey, who is Supervisor of Elections for Macon County Clerk Josh Tanner, sent out the following important information:
     “The Republican ballots for the March 17, 2026 General Primary will include two candidates that have been removed since printing.
     “The Governor and Lieutenant Governor race on the Republican ballot will contain the names of Joseph Severino and Rantch Isquith. An objection was filed against these candidates and the court ruled that they should be removed from the ballot. As such, any votes cast for these individuals will not be counted.
     “The court ruling on this matter came after the county’s deadline for sending ballots to the printer.”

     • ANOTHER ‘WINNER’!! — I have a great candidate for “The Best (Or Worst) Driver on Decatur Streets” award.
The guy had stopped his car in the far right lane heading south on North Main Street at the Eldorado intersection.
     When the traffic light changed to green, the driver decided he wanted to turn left on Eldorado and, as traffic was starting to move through the intersection, he took a sharp left turn in front of all the lanes of traffic to make his turn!
     He’s very fortunate to be alive today with such an idiotic turn across four lanes of traffic!
     Maybe we can present the award in the middle of the intersection at Eldorado and Main streets!

     • LOCAL attorney and former city councilman Bill Faber has an interesting column on what is happening at the former Barnes Citizens Building.
     I think more than a few people are wondering about the future of that two-building complex at North Water and East William Street. Check Bill’s column out on page 7 of this week’s Decatur Tribune.

     • FORMER Decatur Celebration founder and producer Fred Puglia has an inside look at some of the demands and requests of a few of the performers at the Celebration which I find interesting — and not hard to believe based on what I observed during all of the years I attended the annual event in downtown Decatur.
     Fred has been doing a great job with his weekly series in giving us some insight into what went on at the event “behind the scenes”.
Check it out on page six of this week’s Tribune.
     I appreciate Fred sharing his memories with us in the Tribune.

     • WHO DID IT? Decatur Tribune supporter Brenda S. Sharp of Charleston, South Carolina sent me a message with a question with her much appreciated subscription renewal.
     She wrote: “Here’s a blast from the past: When we lived there we had a boat and used it on Lake Decatur. I remember a certain bridge. Someone had painted a saying ‘There is no gravity! The Earth sucks!’ under that bridge. As I recall it was not funny to me but it was still a little funny. After all these years I’ve still wondered just who was responsible for that graffiti. Come on, fess up. Who did that and why?”

     • I JOIN Brian Byers on WSOY’s Byers & Co. every Thursday morning at 7:00 to discuss the news of the day on the City Hall Insider.

* * * *

FOR MORE stories and more “City Beat” and editorial comments, SUBSCRIBE to the print or online editions of the Decatur Tribune by using the “Subscribe” prompt at the top of this page.  You will find many stories and columns about Decatur and Central Illinois each week. The print edition is $50 for 52 issues (one year) and the online edition is $30 for one year.  The combo rate (both print and online editions) is $65 per year.  You can also subscribe to the print edition via USPS by sending $50 to: Decatur Tribune, P. O. Box 1490, Decatur, Illinois 62525-1490.