Galesburg, then and now
by
William A. Franckey
In every town, in every
city there are stories to tell, of people, struggle, and life. Galesburg,
Illinois is no different. Many points of interest are easy to find. Local city
maps and brochures guide us to this place or that. Like many communities,
permanent markers and street signs notify us of the importance of a place and
time. A plaque may signal that just beyond there is historical significance. Galesburg
has a great record of struggle and historical significance, but many times people
simply donÕt have the luxury of historical perspective.
Galesburg is one such
American town that has constantly found itself in precarious situations as it
watched and participated in American history. Too big to be a small town and
too small to qualify as a great American city, Galesburg yielded to political
and economic pressures that changed the look of this Midwestern town, located
only 40 miles east of the Mississippi River.
The inhabitants of
Galesburg were forced to deal with the daily chores of life and living in earlier
times, as this proved an all consuming effort to survive. Starting as a log
city, the town was surveyed, developed and prospered under the umbrella of pious
hard work and giant elm trees.
Even today, Galesburg
citizens who grow from child to adult and raise families are amazed to find out
small trivia facts about their town. Recognizable names constantly surface in
any discussion about Galesburg and Knox County. Where else could a Charles
Walgreen, George Washington Ferris or a Carl Sandburg be born? Why, did you
know the Marx Brothers played cards in Galesburg and between shows, decided to
put an ÒoÓ behind their names and thus became known to the world as Groucho,
Chico and Harpo.
A couple of years ago a
carnival was placed on Depot Street for the annual Railroad Days celebration.
This area was the infamous area known as Five Points, a place between Knox
College and the BNSF tracks. This was where the eyes of the nation watched the
events of the great CB&Q Railroad Strike of 1888 and where little houses
still stand on ÒScab Alley,Ó now known as Cottage Avenue. Abraham Lincoln in
earlier days could be found waiting at the little red depot where church
services were also held, all within eye and ear shot of the taverns of Five
Points. In 1884, GalesburgÕs new brick depot opened, and on that day Galesburg
happily forgot Five Points. Roughly one hundred and 18 years later, life again
flourished at the end of S. Prairie Street, if only a carnival. Seems like no
one noticed. Not long ago an old brick building, known as Hilgenberg Plumbing
and Heating, was razed. Originally it was known to the area as the Bancroft
House and also the American House. Stephen Douglas stopped there after leaving
his train on his way to debate Lincoln. This was the last building of Five
Points to exist. Today there is only a small plaque at Five Points. One wonders
if anybody looks at it.
One is hard pressed today
to find the Galesburg of old otherwise known as the City of Brick Streets. The
brick streets are paved over, many great homes have been razed, and our old
library is gone. As technology and industry developed, demands were placed on
the town for space, and location became a premium. Galesburg experienced
devastating fires and a city government that fostered urban renewal that slowly
altered the landscape of the town. For the returning war veterans of the World
War II, grand old homes were cut up into multiple apartments. The carriage
houses were indiscriminately razed, and for the next fifty years the little
brick buildings around GalesburgÕs downtown fell to the wrecking ball. Some
argue that when we lost these little alcoves and side street structures, the
fabric of Galesburg was lost. Maybe so. The little taverns on the square and
old hotels, one by one, caught fire or was demolished with nary a thought save an
assured assumption that we were doing the right thing in eliminating the
broken-down eyesores. Just a few years ago, people cheered as the vacant New
Arlington Hotel across from the depot collapsed on itself as the fire
department poured on streams of water in the illuminated dark.
In 2006, Galesburg again
experienced a devastating fire that changed an entire block of our downtown
business district. Imposing buildings, forgotten in the race to build new
shopping areas around malls and superstores, still succumb to Òprogress,Ó and
many areas of Galesburg will never bounce back, ever. Certain sections of
downtown have passed the point of critical mass, if you will. Downtown historic
Galesburg is like a fine old lady that has taken some very hard hits and
continues to take some hard hits.
A four-story corner bank
and surrounding support buildings have given way to an interchangeable bank-gas
station building, with its smaller surrounding structures leveled into parking
lots. The new bank on Main Street is very nice but it's no John Kennedy. It
simply did not replace the building that stood before. Why were not the store
fronts left intact and used as giant window displays? The parking lots could
have coexisted with the original building fronts, but maybe this exposes
something more insidious. Maybe there is something bred deep into our city
that's worse than ignorance. Maybe the word is indifference, pure and
simple. Maybe this is a bit harsh,
but darned if we donÕt wonder about it. Here is the interesting thing, the loss
of OT Johnson's touched a nerve. City blocks like this are not replaced. Memories
like this will not happen again. So what's the difference between that loss and
the loss of our side street shops? Nothing. OT Johnson's has only allowed us to
focus on ourselves in a way that the slow decline of the last 50 years did not.
Small human scale shops
have resurfaced downtown in a wonderful way. There are areas of downtown that
make one want to visit Cherry Street or Seminary Street. A children'sÕ museum
and a Galesburg railroad history museum have become solid reality. Old homes
are continually being restored, and neighborhoods are on the verge of bouncing
back from decay. Heck, we even support a film festival in Galesburg at a real
Rapp and Rapp theater. Want to know one of the best things about the ÔBurg? The
morning Zephyr. In what other city can one step on a passenger train in the
a.m., at a decent time and still get to Chicago for breakfast at Lou Mitchell's?
Galesburg has now landed
the golden goose, thanks to Mr. Bondi and others behind the scenes. The
Railroad Hall of Fame is a real thing, and if you donÕt think a ÒHall of FameÓ
is real, just try standing in line at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next time
you pass through Ohio. Those lines are very real. I agree with some that we
canÕt depend on one big thing to make our little world a sudden utopia, but its
time to embrace our historical legacy here in the ÔBurg. As a natural resource,
it is as valid as our old neighborhoods or the black Illinois loam. In the
past, I have talked about these very concerns and found that a few city aldermen
(sorry, alderpersons) talked the talk but donÕt believe in historic Galesburg.
They deal in the hard reality of budgets, money, problems and deals. Council
voting happens with the best of intentions, but can we now tolerate any limited
vision for Galesburg? For some, historical Galesburg has no value in the real
world of big dollars and cents. Sure, to a few, it's wonderful that we have
SandburgÕs home, and it brings some money into Galesburg, as well as RR Days
and the Stearmans. But maybe it's time for all of us to get on board. No longer
can we ignore our heritage and past. We should do all we can to develop
attractions of a forgotten Five Points, Log City, SandburgÕs neighborhood or a
Ferris Wheel. Though it may be too much to hope that a Boone's Alley will
re-materialize, let's watch closely what the city does with the new OT
JohnsonÕs space. Lets watch real close......
Boulder Colorado recreated
old-looking structures to match their town, so it's possible for us to create
some options. It is quite conceivable that Galesburg could experience tens of
thousands of additional tourists, if not more, each year. It's time to think
outside the box. It's time to prepare ourselves for the Hall of Fame, and we
need to do it with some imagination. Maybe the OT Johnson space could become a
park or a band shell for outside summer concerts, Ravinia style. Anything but
another asphalt parking lot, please God, not another parking lot.