An Emerging Center

An Emerging Center. . Growth of a Railroad Town, "Where a great way from the northern plain , Meets one from the deltas of cotton and cane; , … , Where the steeds of those great iron highways meet , To unload the wealth of the world at her feet, , The Queen of the Prairie reclines on her throne, , Receiving the tribute of every zone.", From Mattoon, Queen of the Prairie , By George B. Balch, 1886, A Railroad Hub, A train crew is pictured in Mattoon around the turn of the century. The early locomotives burned wood, and later coal, which was carried in the tender behind the engine. Their smokestacks blackened the sky, as well as the buildings nearby, as they steamed through town., Mattoon Street Fairs, Mattoon was the first Illinois city to hold free street fairs. At the first fair in 1897, organizers built twelve blocks of booths along Broadway and Western Avenues. Activities included livestock exhibits, band concerts, trapeze acts, culinary and floral displays, and horse racing., (photo caption:), From 1897 to 1902, the city attracted hundreds of thousands of people to its street fairs each October., Corn Comes to Market, From the beginning families farmed the rich land surrounding Mattoon. They began raising broomcorn around 1860. Often called an insurance crop, it was popular because it tolerated dry weather, and it could be planted later and harvested earlier than other crops., (photo captions:), ·Migrant workers and "Johnnies" usually provided the labor required to harvest and bale a field of broomcorn. Here, workers straighten tangled broomcorn fibers. , ·Cured brush comes out of the baler in a compact bale. By 1879 Coles County led the nation in the production of broomcorn, with more than four million pounds., Commercial Expansion, The emerging railroads led to the establishment of many of Mattoon's early businesses. With the arrival of railroad traffic came the need for many goods and services. Entrepreneurs opened local businesses such as clothing stores, drug stores, bakeries, groceries, banks and saloons, with the center of commerce on and around Broadway and Western avenues., (photo captions:), ·The Mattoon Steam Bakery was located at 1515 Broadway. , ·The National Bank of Mattoon was created from a merger between Mattoon National Bank and First National, with its office at 1613 Broadway. , ·George N. Buck Store, the largest dry goods store in Mattoon in the 1880s, was locate on the south side of the 1700 block of Broadway.