History of Decatur, Illinois
Decatur, Illinois, USA "The Soybean Capital of the World" (2006 population approximately 85,000) was founded in 1836, is the county seat as well as the business and employment center of Macon County, Illinois|Macon County (pop. over 100,000). The city in central Illinois,is located along the Sangamon River which meets Lake Decatur, a scenic 2800 acre reservoir and recreation spot and site of many homes. The downtown area has undergone much revitalization and improvement including new storefronts, upper story lofts and the Central Park fountains.
With its central Illinois location it forms the center of the Decatur, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area, (population 125,000) which includes surrounding towns of Argenta, Bement, Bethany, Blue Mound, Cerro Gordo, Clinton, Dalton City, Elwin, Findlay, Forsyth, Harristown, Illiopolis, Kirksville, La Place, Macon, Maroa, Monticello, Moweaqua, Mt. Auburn, Mt. Zion, Niantic, Oakley, Oreana, Stonington, Sullivan, and Warrensburg.
This town is named after War of 1812 naval hero Stephen Decatur|Stephen Decatur, Jr.
The city's motto is "Decatur, We Like it Here". The old motto was "The Pride of the Prairie". "The Soybean Capital of the World" is the unofficial motto. The city symbol is the Transfer House, an early 20th century Victorian structure originally located in the center of town where the city's mass transit lines met. The Transfer House was moved in 1963 to save it from destruction as roads were being built for the increasing automobile traffic.
Decatur is the location of private Millikin University (enrollment 2600), founded by James Millikin, and public Richland Community College (enrollment 7600). Decatur has many tree-lined streets, older restored homes, and historic residential districts and restored downtown commercial areas. Decatur is well known for its industrial, agricultural processing and manufacturing strengths, with vast production facilities for Caterpillar Inc.|Caterpillar, Archer Daniels Midland, and Tate & Lyle (previously A. E. Staley). The corporate world headquarters for ADM, the leading agricultural processor and ethanol producer is in Decatur. A large former Firestone Tire and Rubber Company|Firestone factory awaits a new occupant. In the transition from a manufacturing to a service economy, Decatur has experienced some population shifting outward in the area as decentralization has led much of the area's new homebuilding activity to the surrounding areas.
Decatur's Municipal Airport, served by American Airlines and Mesa Airlines and offers 8 daily commercial flights to and from St. Louis, a regional hub which can connect flyers directly to anywhere in North America and 6 daily commercial flights to and from Chicago Midway Airport (starting February 1, 2007). Flights between Decatur and Chicago Midway Airport can be booked at [http://www.flymesa.com Mesa Airlines]. The airport facility has hosted notable visitors Presidents John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Vice-President Dan Quayle and Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev (at the invitation of his longtime friend, Dwayne Andreas, former CEO of Archer Daniels Midland).
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