Patton's Vision

A man who understood finances, Patton had previously served as treasurer of Warren County and of Hale Township, where he farmed 134 acres and raised livestock for 20 years, prior to moving into Monmouth in 1880. He had also served as a county assessor, so he was familiar with property values. Born in Ohio, the 54-year-old entrepreneur had emigrated to western Illinois as a newlywed just before the start of the Civil War. His wife, Sarah, had borne him eight children, and Patton had become a prosperous farmer and prominent citizen. A Republican and a Presbyterian, he served on the board of the Warren County Library and as an alderman. He had recently been elected a trustee of Monmouth College.

In Monmouth, Patton saw a booming economy. The 1890s would be the city's golden age as local factories turned out carloads of goods from plows to cigars to sewer tiles. In 1891 alone, two factories, two churches, 80 houses and two additional business blocks would be built. As confident as he was, however, Patton still had not quite determined what his business block would look like. He had ordered plans for both a two-story and a three-story building, and perhaps he was waiting to see how many tenants he could line up before making a decision...or waiting to see if his money would hold out.

Throughout the summer of 1891, Patton watched as his building steadily grew in height. He could keep a close eye on things, as the building site was always in clear view, less than 100 yards from his residence on North A Street. Patton knew the building would be strong, as he had purchased the bricks from George Radmacher's brickyard on East Girard Avenue. The Monmouth clay was renowned for its quality, with locally-produced stoneware and tile goods being shipped to all parts of the United States. The oldest buildings on the square-the courthouse (1839), the Thompson Block (1846) and the Claycomb Building (1855) just to the east-were built of the same red brick.

Patton's block, however, would be superior to those earlier buildings. Monmouth had since become a railroad town, with direct lines to Chicago, St. Louis, Peoria and Rock Island. Patton did not have to rely solely on native materials and would be able to order such modern amenities as plate glass windows and double-hung windows with art glass transoms. A fancy stamped metal cornice would decorate the roofline with cast-iron ridge cresting above. Finally, a pillared cast iron façade, manufactured at the Joseph Frost foundry in Galesburg, would endow the front of the building with a modern look and a sense of permanence.

The building would be equipped with the latest conveniences, with both gas and electric lighting, and steam heat furnished by a boiler in the basement of the next-door building.

Back 07.25.2006.