Commercial Buildings

34_Commerical Buildings_Bowman Map_edit.JPG

Illustration of Commercial Buildings from the 1858 Bowman Map.

Boot and Shoe Store advertisement published in Our Constitution, July 30, 1859.

Commercial Buildings
100 block W Main St, between N. Race St. and N. Broadway (then Market), Urbana
Buildings are no longer standing

1850s Urbana consisted of the courthouse and seventy-five other residential and commercial buildings. These were primarily one-story frame dwellings within a quarter-mile radius of the courthouse. Urbana’s Main St. commercial buildings, according to J.O. Cunningham’s history, were built in response to the platting and development of West Urbana. A “row of primitive log and frame” one-story buildings were torn away on the 100 block of W Main and replaced with “two-story business houses—one room for a bank and six rooms for stores—all of which were once occupied.” The tenets consisted of Grand Prairie Bank and J.D. Wilson’s harness shop. J.W. Jaquith Drug School, Urbana Constitution Printing Office, New City Bakery, and general stores run by Clapp & Gere and Alonzo Lyons.

Grand Prairie Bank advertisement published in Our Constitution, October 16, 1858.

Notice for JW. Jaquith who took over the late firm of Jaquith & Miller published in Our Constitution, June 12, 1858.

Clapp & Gere General Store advertisement published in Our Constitution, May 28, 1859.