New Brochure an Historic Walk Through Turn of the Century Downtown Du Quoin

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Du Quoin Historic Preservation Commission president Deborah Chastain came to this week's Du Quoin City Council meeting bearing gifts for commissioners--a beautiful four-fold brochure called simply Du Quoin's Historic Downtown Business District.

Deborah and daughter Amanda have shouldered many of the lasting initiatives of the commission with the advice and support of the commission's members.

This project is no different and will become an important part of the town's archives for decades to come. The sepia-toned brochure was printed by Thomas Publishing Co. of Carbondale and became the centerpiece for the commission's Historic Preservation Month in May.

The interior of the brochure divides downtown Main Street into four sections: the north side of East Main Street from East to West starting at Washington Street, the north side of West Main Street from east to west starting at Chestnut Street, the south side of East Main Street from east to west starting at Washington Street, and the south side of West Main Street from east to west starting at Chestnut Street.

Deborah told members of the council that the brochure will be used for marketing and hospitality purposes and will be distributed to visitors coming to Du Quoin and the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds.

The interior pages have pictures of the buildings and a capsule of the buildings' histories. For instance in the section on East Main Street's north side buildings it dates the Grand Theater at 1914, the Yehling and Zoeckler building at 1916, the IOOF building at 1891 and the Higgins Jewelry Store building at 1867.

The brochure takes you on a walk through downton Du Quoin with some information about each building.

All of the photographs are from the Robert Morefield Collection.

There are things "Of Notable Interest" for example.

From the corner of Division Street at Main Street running north to St. Johns was the Street Trolley. It began operation about 1888 an was discontinued about 10 years later.

The 1890 census showed Du Quoin had 2,807 people.

Between 1900 and 1910 the dividing line between East & West Main Streets changed from Division Street to the Illinois Central Railroad tracks.

Around 1900 a city ordinance allows no more frame buildings to be erected (except sheds) within the limits of Washington street to Hickory Street and Park Street to Poplar Street.

The back of the brochure has a map of downtown Du Quoin as it exists in contemporary times, a quick reference for visitors to our city.