The Advocate Building

216 South Main Street

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Waterloo, Monroe Co. Ill., Laid out in 1818

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Photographed by Sarah Deutch, March 12, 2021

1. The Advocate Building Marker

In 1862, J. F. Gotshall became the editor of the Advocate newspaper, which was being published in the Siegel building. Gotshall moved to the new building in 1868. It was Gotshall's residence, a grocery and dry goods store, as well as a bookstore, where McGulley readers were sold. After several years, Gotshall became sole owner of the Advocate.

In 1888, H. C. Voris went to work in the Advocate oce as shop foreman. Two years later Gotshall sold the building and the paper to Voris who changed the name to The Waterloo Republican. Voris remodeled the building, which included creating a space for the post office, as Voris was also the postmaster at this time. The post office was previously located across the street in the building later known as Rex’s Corner. The Advocate building was the home of the Republican and of the Voris family, who took residence on the second floor, for many years.

H. C. Voris passed away in July 1941, just one year after he celebrated his Fiftieth Anniversary as an editor. His son, Bryant B. Voris, continued the family tradition, serving as editor of the paper from 1941 until his death in 1962. Bryant’s

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In 1979, The Waterloo Republican purchased The Waterloo Times, morphing into the product that still stands strong today: The Republic-Times. Robert Voris kept the newspaper a household name into the early 1990s. The Voris family sold its interest in the paper to Metro Publications and Oset Printing of St. Louis in 1990, after which the parent company of the Belleville News-Democrat eventually took ownership. The Republic-Times became locally owned once again in 2007 and is now located at 205 West Mill Street.

Just north of the Advocate building, at 216 South Main, was a separate building under different ownership. It became incorporated with the Advocate Building in 1983 when the Voris family purchased it to expand the printing business. Prior to this merge, the building was occupied by several early businesses, including Wallhaus

Photographed by Sarah Deutch, March 12, 2021

2. The Advocate Building

In 2004-2005, First National Bank of Waterloo, located just south across the alley at 228 South Main Street, purchased the Advocate building, demolished it, and erected a new building for its operations staff. First National Bank kept a similar look of the Advocate building for the new building and even kept the old ball hitch intact. It is quite fitting that the First National Bank of Waterloo ended up with this property, as H. C. Voris was one of the bank’s charter officers when it was organized in 1912.
 
Erected 2021 by Waterloo Beautification Committee.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1952.
 
Location. 38° 20.081′ N, 90° 8.998′ W. Marker is in Waterloo, Illinois, in Monroe County. It is on South Main Street just south of East 3rd Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 216 S Main St, Waterloo IL 62298, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater St. Louis. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Braun Property (a few steps from this marker); Harrisonville Telephone Company (within shouting distance of this marker); The Odd Fellows Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Henry's Grocery (within