Decatur, Illinois Decatur, Illinois City of Decatur Decatur downtown Decatur downtown Decatur is positioned in Illinois Decatur - Decatur Decatur /d ke t r/ is the biggest city and the governmental center of county of Macon County in the U.S.

The town/city was established in 1829 and is along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois.

The town/city is home of private Millikin University and enhance Richland Community College.

Decatur has vast industrialized and agricultural refining production, including the North American command posts of agricultural conglomerate Archer Daniels Midland, global agribusiness Tate & Lyle's biggest corn-processing plant, and the designing and manufacturing facilities for Caterpillar Inc.'s wheel-tractor scrapers, off-highway trucks, and large quarrying trucks.

4.1 Decatur Municipal Band 4.3.2.2 Decatur Pride Decatur is positioned at 39 51 6 N 88 56 39 W (39.851636, 88.944228). Decatur is three hours southwest of Chicago, 40 miles due east of Springfield, the state capital, and two hours northeast of St.

According to the 2010 census, Decatur has an region of 46.91 square miles (121.50 km2), of which 42.22 square miles (109.35 km2) (or 90%) is territory and 4.69 square miles (12.15 km2) (or 10%) is water. Lakes include Lake Decatur, formed in 1923 by the damming of the Sangamon River.

The Decatur Metropolitan Travel Destination (population 109,900) includes encircling towns of Argenta, Boody, Blue Mound, Elwin, Forsyth, Harristown, Long Creek, Macon, Maroa, Mount Zion, Niantic, Oakley, Oreana, and Warrensburg.

In the city, the populace was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 11.1% from ages 18 to 24, 26.0% from ages 25 to 44, 22.5% from ages 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older.

The city's motto is "Decatur, We Like it Here". The old motto was "The Pride of the Prairie".

Decatur was awarded the All-America City Award in 1960. The city's motif is the Transfer House, an early-20th-century Victorian structure positioned originally in the center of town where the city's mass transit lines met.

Since 1966, Decatur has been Sister Citied with Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.

In July 1972, the administrations of 19 autonomous lesser municipalities were consolidated to form Decatur's second Sister City, Seevetal, Lower Saxony, Germany.

The Decatur Sister Cities Committee annually coordinates both inbound and outbound High School students, who serve as ambassadors between the three cities.

Since mid-2012, the City of Decatur and City of Camajuani in the Province of Villa Clara, Cuba have worked to precarious Sister City relations.

In 1839 a town charter was granted to Decatur that gave power to the trustees "to establish and regulate a fire department, to dig wells and erect pumps in the streets, regulate police of the town, raise cash for the purpose of commencing and prosecuting works of enhance improvement.",. Those who served as president of the town of Decatur were: Richard Oglesby (1836), Joseph Williams (1837), Henry Snyder (1838), Kirby Benedict (1839), Joseph King (1840), Thomas P.

In the winter of 1855 56, a special town/city incorporation charter was obtained. This charter provided an aldermanic form of government and on January 7, 1856 an election was held for mayor, two aldermen for each of the four wards, and town/city marshal. This aldermanic form of government continued until January 18, 1911 when Decatur changed to town/city commissioner form of government. The new commissioner fitness provided a mayor propel at large and four commissioners to serve as administrators of town/city services: accounts and finance, enhance health and safety, enhance property, and streets and enhance improvements.

The mayor and commissioner fitness prevailed until a special election on November 25, 1958 in which the present council-manager form of government was adopted. According to the town/city website, the "City of Decatur operates under the Council-Manager form of government, a fitness which combines the leadership of a representative, propel council with the experienced background of an appointed manager." The mayor and all members of the council are propel at large.

Their duties include determining town/city policy, receiving nominal annual salaries, and as delegates of the town/city in enhance ceremonies. The appointed manager handles all town/city administration and is the council's employee and not an propel official. Since 1959, the following have served as City Managers: John E.

The Decatur Transfer House in the background in downtown's Central Park As of 17 August 2015, Julie Moore Wolfe serves as the current mayor of Decatur.

Moore Wolfe was appointed unanimously by the Decatur City Council following the death of Mayor Mike Mc - Elroy. She is the first female to be mayor of Decatur.

Moore Wolfe, who had been appointed mayor pro tem in May 2015, became acting mayor after Mc - Elroy died on July 17, 2015. Mc - Elroy had been mayor from 2009 and had recently been re-elected to a second term as mayor in April 2015. Timothy Gleason has served as town/city manager of Decatur since March 23, 2015. Those who served as president of the town of Decatur were: Richard Oglesby (1836), Joseph Williams (1837), Henry Snyder (1838), Kirby Benedict (1839), Joseph King (1840), Thomas P.

During the winter of 1855 56, a special incorporation charter of Decatur as a town/city was obtained providing for an aldermanic form of government. Decatur Municipal Band The Muni band was organized September 19, 1857 making it one of the earliest nonmilitary bands in continuous service in the United States and Canada. It was originally known as the Decatur Brass Band, Decatur Comet Band and the Decatur Silver Band until 1871 when it was reorganized by Andrew Goodman and became the Goodman Band.

In 1942 it was officially designated as the Decatur Municipal Band.

The Decatur Public Library was originally assembled with a grant from Andrew Carnegie.

The library is part of the Illinois Heartland Library System. Decatur is one of only a very several communities to have razed an initial Carnegie Library.

Decatur was the initial home of the Chicago Bears, from 1919 to 1920.

The football team was then known as the Decatur Staleys and played at Staley Field, both titled after the small-town food-products manufacturer. From 1900 to 1974, Decatur was the home of the Commodores, a minor-league baseball team playing at Fans Field.

Starting in 2007, Decatur has hosted the Rodney T.

Decatur hosts the annual Decatur-Forsyth Classic presented by Tate & Lyle and the Decatur Park District.

The following Decatur men's fast pitch softball squads have won nationwide championships: Decatur Pride Decatur Tribune Weekly Decatur Magazine Bi-monthly Decatur has manufacturing facilities for Caterpillar, Archer Daniels Midland, Mueller Co., and Tate & Lyle (previously A.

Archer Daniels Midland processes corn and soybeans, Mueller produces water distribution products and Tate & Lyle processes corn in Decatur.

From 1917 to 1922 Decatur was the locale of the Comet Automobile Co., and the Pan-American Motor Corp.

Decatur has been ranked third in the country as an Emerging Logistics and Distribution Center by Business Facilities: The Location Advisor and also a Top 25 Trade City by Global Trade Magazine. In 2013 the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur & Macon County established the Midwest Inland Port, a multi-modal transit hub with market adjacency to 95 million customers in a 500-mile radius.

The Midwest Inland Port includes the Archer Daniels Midland Intermodal container ramp, the three class I barns s that service the ramp and the town/city (the Canadian National Railway, CSX, and the Norfolk Southern Railway), five primary roadways and the Decatur Airport.

According to the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur & Macon County, the top employers in the Decatur urbane region are as follows: 2 Decatur Memorial Hospital 2,200 3 Decatur Public School District 1,812 13 City of Decatur 481 K 12 enhance education in the Decatur region is provided by the Decatur Public School District #61.

The last two schools in Decatur joined the Central State Eight in the 2014 15 season. Decatur Christian Schools Lutheran School Association of Decatur Local Macon County park resources include Lake Decatur, Lincoln Trail Homestead State Memorial, Rock Springs Conservation Area, Fort Daniel Conservation Area, Sand Creek Recreation Area, Griswold Conservation Area, Friends Creek Regional Park, and Spitler Woods State Natural Area.

The Decatur Park District resources include 2,000 acres (810 ha) of park land, an indoor sports center, Decatur Airport, three golf courses, softball, soccer and tennis complexes, athletic fields, a improve aquatic center, an AZA-accredited zoo, and a banquet, food and beverage business.

Decatur, at one time, was dubbed "Park City U.S.A." Decatur Airport is served by three daily commercial flights on Cessna Grand Caravans to and from Lambert-St.

For more than 100 years, Decatur has been a primary barns junction and was once served by seven barns s.

After consolidation s and consolidations, Decatur is now served by three Class I Railroads: the Norfolk Southern Railway, CSX and the Canadian National Railway.

Decatur is also served by Decatur Junction Railway.

Route 36, Illinois Route 48, Illinois Route 105, and Illinois Route 121 are key highway links for the area.

The Decatur Public Transit System (DPTS) provides fixed-route bus service as well as complementary door-to-door paratransit service for citizens with disabilities, who are unable to use the bus system, throughout the City of Decatur.

Decatur has turn into an partner of the U.S.

1 of the Grand Army of the Republic was established by Civil War veterans in Decatur on April 6, 1866.

Irving House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and assembled in 1911, is positioned at #2 Millikin Place, Decatur.

Statue of Abraham Lincoln in downtown Decatur on the site of his first political speech.

Decatur was the first home in Illinois of Abraham Lincoln, who settled just west of Decatur with his family in 1830.

At the age of 21, Lincoln gave his first political speech in Decatur about the importance of Sangamon River navigation that caught the consideration of Illinois political leaders. As a lawyer on the 8th Judicial Circuit, Lincoln made incessant stops in Decatur, and argued five cases in the log courthouse that stood on the corner of Main & Main Streets.

The initial courthouse is now on the grounds of the Macon County Historical Museum on North Fork Road. John Hanks, first cousin of Abe Lincoln, lived in Decatur.

On May 9 and 10, 1860, the Illinois Republican State Convention was held in Decatur.

In commemoration of Lincoln's bicentennial the Illinois Republican State Convention was held in Decatur at the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel on June 6 & 7, 2008. In 2014, ADM moved its upper corporate management out of Decatur and established the new ADM World Headquarters in downtown Chicago.

On July 19, 1974, a tanker car including isobutane collided with a boxcar in the Norfolk & Western barns yard in the East End of Decatur.

In November 1999, Decatur was brought into the nationwide news when Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition protested the expulsion and treatment of a several African American students who had been involved in a serious fight at an Eisenhower High School football game. Main article: List of citizens from Decatur, Illinois Decatur is mentioned in Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith.

It is mentioned he lives west of Decatur, as well as hunting the streets of Decatur for a vampire.

Decatur was studied by sociologists Paul Lazarsfeld and Elihu Katz for mass media studies, in "Personal Influence: the Part Played by People in the Flow of Mass Communications", 1955. "Decatur, Or, Round of Applause For Your Step Mother!" The song refers to a several locations and affairs associated with Decatur, including the Caterpillar factory, Greenwood cemetery, the chicken mobile from Krekel's, strong historical ties to Abraham Lincoln, and the Sangamon River. Bennett wrote a song titled "Hearts in Decatur" which he performed live but never recorded. There is a song titled "Decatur" by the indie modern band Seam. The 1948 Jimmy Stewart film Call Northside 777 mentions a character in the film going down to Decatur.

Androzzi informs Shaft that one of the mob bigwigs coming to the town/city is from Decatur.

In the 1984 film Bachelor Party, Tom Hanks croons that he is from Decatur, Illinois.

In the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Cameron mentions his mother is in Decatur to buy antiques.

In the 1992 adaptation of Noises Off it is mentioned that one of the play's performances takes place in Decatur.

In the 1993 film So I Married an Axe Murderer, a map of Illinois with Decatur featured prominently is displayed in the background behind Harriet (played by Nancy Travis) in the film's method scenes.

The woman asks "how owning a football team will help sell corn starch?", then the camera pans the scoreboard and reveals that one of the squads is Decatur.

In the 1960s TV series The Fugitive, the season two, episode nine entitled "Escape into Black", and airing November 17, 1964, takes place in Decatur.

On Comedy Central's tv show The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert mentions Decatur and its slogan "We like it here" amid his segment "Better Know a District", episode 47, Season 3, Phil Hare.

The Lincoln Square Theater positioned on Main Street in Decatur was featured on Travel Channel's Most Terrifying Places in America.

In the 1980s TV sitcom ALF; in one episode ALF asks Harry where he is from; he replies "Decatur, Illinois." "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 50,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2015 Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015 - United States -- Places of 50,000+ Population".

"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015".

"Decatur, We Like it Here slogan honored by state evolution group".

"Greetings from DECATUR Illinois, Soy Bean Capital of the World".

"Decatur Sister Cities Official Homepage".

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Decatur: Serving Others, pg.

Decatur: Serving Others, pg.

"Decatur Mayor and City Council".

"Gleason promises he won't let town/city down".

"Decatur Mayor Mike Mc - Elroy passes away".

"Decatur mourning death of Mayor Mike Mc - Elroy on Friday".

"Decatur Airport".

Economic Development Corporation of Decatur & Macon County - Home "Decatur Memorial Hospital, Decatur, Illinois - DMH Cares About Your Health".

"Decatur Public Schools / Overview".

Mary's Hospital, Decatur, Illinois - Exceptional Health Care".

"Kelly Group, Decatur, Illinois".

"Central State 8 eagerly adds Decatur schools".

"Decatur Park District - Decatur Park District".

"Decatur Indoor Sports Center (DISC) - Decatur Park District".

"The Prairie School Traveler".

"The Prairie School Traveler".

Ingram, Ron, "Ties to Lincoln draw state GOP convention to Decatur", Herald & Review, Decatur, Illinois, Thursday, July 14, 2007, https://herald-review.com/articles/2007/07/14/news/local_news/1024970.txt "National Weather Service, Lincoln IL - Macon County Tornadoes Since 1950".

"Decatur, IL Tank Cars Explode, July 1974".

"7 Students Charged in a Brawl That Divides Decatur, Ill.".

"Sufjan Stevens - Decatur Lyrics - Metro - Lyrics".

Bennett - Hearts In Decatur.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Decatur, Illinois.

Decatur (Illinois) travel guide from Wikivoyage Municipalities and communities of Macon County, Illinois, United States County seat: Decatur Decatur Macon Maroa Austin Blue Mound Decatur Friends Creek Harristown Hickory Point Illini Long Creek Maroa Mt.

Categories:
Cities in Illinois - County seats in Illinois - Decatur, Illinois - Populated places established in 1836 - Cities in Macon County, Illinois - Metropolitan areas of Illinois