TAYLOR-MAGILL HOTEL
1880
[Excerpt from Benjamin Burrough's obituary.]
A few months after their marriage Mr. BURROUGHS began life as a hotel
keeper in Wayland, New York, and for thirty-one years was engaged in that business.
When the Magill House was finished, in 1873, Mr. Burroughs became the landlord,
and till 1881 he managed that hotel, when he retired from the business. Mrs. Burroughs
died on the 7th of June, 1880, which had the effect of changing his plans in life.
No hotel man had a wider acquaintance among the traveling public, and as a landlord
he was popular.
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1882
[From
A. W. Razey's biography, dated 1882.]
The genial proprietor of the
Magill House, Clinton, Illinois was born February 16th, 1850, in Perry, Pike county,
Illinois. ...in 1875 he again became a clerk for Magill Bros., this time as head
salesman and book-keeper. Here he remained until 1881, when he took charge of the
hotel he now occupies.
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1882
[Source: History of DeWitt County, IL; W. R. Brinks & Co., 1882; Philadelphia,
PA.]
Magill House: This is an establishment of which the people
of Clinton may well be proud, being one of the finest, largest, and best arranged
hotels in Central Illinois. It was constructed by the Magill Brothers, at a cost
of $35,000, the first work being done in 1871, and completed in 1872. It is a brick
structure, three stories high, besides the basement, and covers half a block. The
rooms are large and airy, being forty-five in number, besides three store rooms
on the first floor. It is situated just north of the square, fronting on Center
Street. The building was originally heated by hot air, the furnaces being situated
in the basement. This mode of heating was soon abandoned on account of the expense
being too great for the income of the house. The dining room, billiard room, and
halls, are large and commodious. The basement is now utilized for a laundry. A.
W. Razey is the present efficient landlord. There are two other hotels in the city,
the Clinton House and the City Hotel. Both are situated on Center Street, a little
north of the Magill House.
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January 5, 1883
With the ringing out of the old year and the ushering in of the new, Abe RAZEY
stepped down and out as landlord of the MAGILL House and Mr. J. MARIS assumed control
of affairs. To celebrate the event Mr. Maris invited a number of our prominent citizens
to dine with him on New Year's Day, and for the occasion a splendid bill of fare
was prepared. Everything that could be had in the way of luxuries was set before
the guests, and it would be needless to add that ample justice was done to the dinner.
Mr. Maris evidently understands how to cater for his guests, and if last Monday's
dinner is a sample of what he is capable of we can certainly hope that that the
fame of the Magill House will spread far and wide and that the house will be constantly
filled with guests. As THE PUBLIC said last week, Mr. Maris is an old commercial
traveler, and during the past fifteen years he has had ample opportunity of studying
hotel life. This experience is alone better than gold as a capital for the landlord
of a hotel. Clinton will hope for a prosperous career for the new landlord of the
Magill House.
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January 5, 1883
Some ten or twelve couples of Clinton's youth and beauty met in the MAGILL
House parlors, on New Year's night, and celebrated the advent of 1883 with music
and dancing. RICHEY's parlor orchestra furnished the music, and the supper was prepared
by the Magill House.
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April 25, 1884
The History of the Magill House.
The Advertisement in THE PUBLIC
for the sale of the Magill House by Master's sale has stirred up our old townsman,
F. H. BOGAR, to write us a letter. In it he refers to the days when the hotel was
built, and speaks of the part which he, the late George W. PHILLIPS and the editor
of THE PUBLIC [Richard Butler?] took to secure for Clinton such a fine hotel. As
a bit of Clinton history it may not be amiss to relate the causes which produced
the hotel. Twelve years ago the public square of Clinton was a sorry-looking spot.
There was then but eighteen storerooms in brick buildings, the balance of the business
being done in old tumble-down frame shanties. Take the west half of the square and
the only buildings on it that had any appearance of respectability were the three
rooms now occupied by the Woodbine, post-office and Mrs. McFAIL's millinery establishment.
The whole west side, from Wall's corner down to Woy & Scott's, was occupied either
by old shanties or the lots were vacant. The lot on which the Magill House stands
had two or three old shanties, one of which was occupied by the express company.
This was the condition of the square in the spring of 1872. The completion
of the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield railroad and the location of its shops in Clinton
and the building of the road now owned by the Wabash opened up wider prospects for
the future of Clinton, and there was a boom in business lots, and the old shanties
and waste places assumed a value the owners had never before dreamed they possessed.
The MAGILL Bros. had bought the half block from the corner to the Woodbine
and were figuring on the cost of building three brick business houses of two stories
each. There was no hotel in the city worthy of the name, and as a consequence Clinton
had a bad name abroad as a place to entertain travelers. THE PUBLIC urged the Magill
Bros. to enlarge their designs of building and in place of only stores and offices
to erect a hotel over the stores. THE PUBLIC kept harping on the hotel project for
several weeks, and others took up the song and urged it upon the Magills. Finally
Mr. Henry Magill came to the editor of THE PUBLIC and made the proposition that
if the people of the city who were interested in having a hotel would subscribe
$10,000 in stock toward the cost they would venture to invest the balance. The next
week THE PUBLIC made known the conditions on which Clinton could have a hotel, when
the Hon. C. H. MOORE volunteered to contribute $2500 of the amount. But who were
to be the missionaries to go among the people to solicit the remaining $7500? No
one felt inclined to assume the job, and there were fears that the project would
fall through, when the late George W. Phillips, F. H. Bogar and the editor of THE
PUBLIC finally consented to try their hands as solicitors. It was no small undertaking,
but the solicitors went at it, and day after day and week after week the people
of Clinton and the farmers living within two or three miles of the city were visited
and urged to take stock. The shares were $100 each. The solicitors could not hold
out any inducements of prospective dividends in the near future, but they urged
the importance and advantage of a hotel for a city the size of Clinton. After about
five weeks of hard work the solicitors had the pleasure of reporting that they had
secured the requisite $10,000, and at once the Magills proceeded to let the contract
for building the block. To build the hotel and three stores the Magills invested
$25,000 in addition to the $10,000 subscribed by less than eighty men. It was considerable
pleasure to Messrs. Phillips, Bogar and THE PUBLIC to see the result of their labors
in the fine building which was being erected. Besides canvassing for the subscriptions
each of us gave our share toward the fund. The editor of THE PUBLIC was treasurer
of the fund, and each month the subscribers, with the exception of two or three,
called and paid in the money, which we transferred over to the Magills. When the
hotel was completed and ready to be opened, the subscribers concluded that rather
than go into a joint stock company they would sell their stock at fifteen cents
on the dollar, some at less, and let the Magills have the whole management in their
own hands.
When Mr. Bogar wrote us the other day, he said that of the
seven who were the original prime movers in securing the hotel only himself and
the editor of THE PUBLIC were now living. George W. Phillips and the four Magills
have passed away.
What an impetus the building of the Magill House gave
to Clinton. Wolf & McHenry and G. Savage got the building fever, and together they
erected the first brick block on the west side. The national bank then invested
$25,000 in a handsome building, and this was followed by the Union Block. Bogar
then concluded that his old furniture ware-rooms looked small and shabby in comparison
with its brick surroundings, and he invested about $6,000 in a new building. Then
the Masons wanted a new hall, so they erected a fine three-story building.
All this was accomplished in two years, and took its start from the building
of the Magill House. In after years, other brick blocks took the place of frame
shanties on the square, till now, with the exception of "chicken row" and a small
space on the south side of the square, Clinton is well provided with business houses.
Lots that had hardly any value got to be worth $100 and upwards per front foot during
the building boom of 1872-73.
No more public-spirited men ever lived
in Clinton than George W. Phillips and Fenton H. Bogar. Phillips now quietly sleeps
in Woodlawn Cemetery, while Mr. Bogar, in his efforts to start a manufacturing boom
in Clinton, lost the savings of years and is now living in Florida, broken down
in health and spirits. As he writes in his letter, all the actors in the first building
boom of Clinton are dead excepting himself and the editor of THE PUBLIC, and we
only are left to see the sale of the Magill House.
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June 13, 1884
The Magill House was stormed yesterday
by commercial travelers, no less than forty-seven having registered during the day.
Last night many of the guests had to put up with cots in the parlors.
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August 22, 1884
The Magill House has had a splendid
run of custom all of this summer, and this week the house has been crowded even
to overflowing, the proprietors having to refuse accommodations to many who applied.
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December 4, 1885
The Magill House
changed landlords last Tuesday morning, MARIS & Co. retiring from the management
and Mr. F. A. ROSS entering upon his duty as host. Hotel business in a town the
size of Clinton may not be as profitable as owning a bank, but a landlord who will
look after the comfort of his guests and set a good table can be sure of making
a fair profit on his investment. Mr. Ross comes to Clinton well recommended as a
landlord who will keep a good hotel, and we hope he and his guests will wax fat
and keep up the credit of the city for good entertainment.
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June 18, 1886
The Magill House will change landlords
next Sunday night so that the new firm will prepare breakfast on Monday morning.
Mr. F. A. ROSS, who has had charge of the house for the past six months, is a clever
gentleman, but he has no taste for hotel life. The new landlords, COLBY and VANORDSTRAND,
are young men full of life and energy, and under their management the Magill house
will be a financial success. Every landlord who has had charge of the house since
it was built has succeeded. Mr. Colby has been in the hotel business all of his
life and thoroughly understands how to manage affairs. To him is attributed much
of the success of the Hotel Roberts in Bloomington, and as he is favorably known
to traveling men the Magill House will be sure of that class of custom. Mr. Vanordstrand
is the son of Mr. Isaac Vanordstrand, of Heyworth. He is fat and jolly and will
make such a landlord as we read of in the olden times.
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June 25, 1886
COLBY & VANORDSTRAND, the new landlords
of the Magill House, have made a good beginning. They are having the house thoroughly
renovated, have had the dining-room newly painted and papered; and, best of all,
they have improved the bill of fare so that their dining-room is full at every meal.
They evidently understand their business and will make the Magill one of the most
popular hostelries in the state.
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July 9, 1886
The Magill House, under its new management, is winning the favor of the traveling
public, and the register each day shows a large list of guests. The table is supplied
with the best the market affords, and in the kitchen are two first-class cooks to
prepare the food. Messrs. COLBY & VANORDSTRAND give their personal attention to
the comfort of their guests.
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August 6, 1886
There has been another change in the management of the Magill House. W. C.
COLBY, the head man of the firm has retired, and Mr. VANORDSTRAND will continue
the business. Mr. Colby had a tempting offer to go on the Chicago and Alton road
and take charge of one of the dining cars. This he thought would be more profitable
than keeping hotel, so he accepted. We are sorry to lose him from Clinton as he
is a real live hotel man and knows how to make his guests comfortable.
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May 13, 1887
We learn from a Maroa paper that
Mr. George W. FREY, landlord of the Magill House in this city, has resumed the charge
of Central House in Maroa. He was proprietor of the Central before he came to Clinton.
He is a first-rate landlord and has the executive ability to manage both hotels.
....................
August 19, 1887
Death
of a Former Landlord of the Magill House
John MARIS, who for three years
was landlord of the MAGILL House in this city, died at the home of his son-in-law,
Ed. P. WEAVER, in Danville, last Sunday morning. His age was fifty-nine years, eight
months and ten days, and he leaves a wife and one daughter, Mrs. WEAVER. Mr. Maris
had been in poor health for six months, caused from what some believe to have been
stomach trouble, while others thought it was because he could not get food to reach
his stomach. It has been five months since he has been able to eat a meal of victuals,
and has subsisted all that time on milk and beef tea. He had become very thin in
flesh. Last Saturday while at the Tremont House in Danville he was taken with hemorrhage.
He was taken home in a carriage, and from that time until death relieved him of
his sufferings he had six additional hemorrhages. He was conscious and hopeful to
the last. Mr. Maris moved to Danville about a year ago from LaFayette, Ind., to
which city he went after he sold the Magill House. He was an old traveling man,
having been on the road for eighteen years. It is not long ago that he was in Clinton
and at that time he was complaining of poor health.
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February 24, 1888
[Excerpt from Mrs. Henry Rennick's
obituary.]
Mr. Rennick retired from business some years ago and
went on the road as commercial traveler for one of the leading wholesale grocery
houses in Chicago. He has accumulated considerable valuable business property on
the public square, among his purchases being the Magill House block. A few weeks
ago Mrs. Rennick assumed charge of the management of the hotel till such time as
Mr. Rennick could find some suitable landlord.
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March 21, 1890
On account of the continued ill health of Mr.
J. M. FLOYD, he and his wife are compelled to resign their positions as managers
of the Magill House. The traveling public speak kindly of their management of the
house and regret the necessity which compels them to give up the hotel.
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March 21, 1890
The Magill House will change managers
on the first of April, the new landlady being Mrs. WALLACE, who has for years been
a successful and popular hotel keeper in Saybrook. Mrs. Wallace is the wife of the
Rev. Peter WALLACE, and she is said to be a first-class business woman and has the
necessary appreciation of the wants of the traveling public, and there is no reason
why she cannot build up a large business in the Magill House. Clinton will give
a hearty welcome to Colonel and Mrs. Wallace and will be glad to help them win success
as hotel keepers.
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November 21, 1890
There was a bit of a scare over at the Magill House yesterday morning.
While the boy was cleaning the office stove with a mixture of gasoline and black
lead the contents of the dish caught fire, and for a second or two there was hustling
to get the pan out into the street. The paint on the frame of the office was so
badly blistered that it had to be scraped off.
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January 16, 1891
[Excerpt from Henry Taylor's obituary.]
Away back in the year 1847, in Somerset, Ohio, Henry N. Taylor and Henry
BELL formed a partnership in the dry goods business, and while there they bought
the lot in Clinton on which now stands the Magill House. In 1853 they transferred
their business from Ohio to Clinton, and under the firm name of Taylor, Bell & Co.
started a general store in a building that stood on the corner where Henry Collins'
barber shop now is, and this they occupied till 1854, when they built a large three
story frame building on the present site of the Magill House. Here they opened three
large stores-dry goods, groceries, and boots and shoes. In the second story they
had a merchant tailoring department and offices which they rented out, and the third
story was occupied by the Masonic fraternity as a lodge room. One night in the winter
of 1857-58 the building was burned down and they succeeded in saving but a small
part of their stock. They had not a dollar of insurance on either building or stock,
so that the firm was financially crippled. Gathering up what little they had saved
of their goods they moved back to the building they first occupied on the Collins'
corner and attempted to collect up what was due them. The firm owned a half section
of land in Wilson township, a quarter section of which is now owned by J. K. DAVIS,
and on this they engaged in the stock business.
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December 17, 1897
The Magill house is having a trade
that is wonderful. The house is chock full all the time and part of the time, Mr.
Henion informs us, he has to use cots. Good McKinley times are staring us in the
face.
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April 14, 1899
Walter
TAYLOR, who owns considerable property on East Washington street, is in favor of
paving, but does not favor O. E. HARRIS for mayor. Mr. Taylor realizes the financial
condition of the city, and knows there is only one way that paving can be done,
whoever is elected mayor. It is a conceded fact that the city is, and will be for
several years, unable to pave the intersections of streets. Therefore paving must
be done by individuals at their own expense, and this can be done without the assistance
or advice of ex-Mayor Harris. Mr. Taylor makes a proposition that the property owners
on East Washington street construct a pavement from the depot to the Magill house,
and pro rate the cost of paving the street intersections among the property owners
along the line of improvement. W. H. TAYLOR owns this property in conjunction with
his son, Walter, and says that he is also willing to pave at once and pay his proportion
of the cost of paving on the square, North Center street, Washington street and
East Main street, and on other streets of the city and will pay his proportion of
the entire expense rather than plunge the city into illegal indebtedness.
Submitted by Judy Simpson
For photos and more information on the Taylor-Magill Hotel, see DeWitt County Today
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