Merchant Street Arch - Decatur, Illinois Canvas Print

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The Merchant Street Arch at the entrance to the historic block-long Merchant Street is considered the heart of the Decatur, Illinois, business district.

Merchant Street hasn’t changed much since the early 1860s. Franklin Priest, who was responsible for much of the development of downtown Decatur, owned the land that would eventually become Merchant Street. In 1857, Priest offered it to the city of Decatur, stipulating that they plank the street with wood. Considering that every other street in town at the time was dirt or mud in inclement weather, it was something to say your business was on Merchant Street. Mr. Priest was elected mayor in 1865.

The new street was first known as Bank Street since the Railroad Bank was the first business to open here, and stores rapidly followed suit. At one time, three grocery stores were operating simultaneously in this little stretch of downtown, and in 1869 even the Post Office was there. Back in Abraham Lincoln’s day, he was a fre...

I'm a travel photographer that enjoys photographing United States architecture, nature, and transportation. As the 8th photographer in 4 generations of my family, I don't remember a time when photography was not part of my life. By the time I was five years old, I was standing on a stool in the darkroom, helping my dad develop pictures. It was my job to transfer the photos from the hypo to the water bath. I went to college for interior design. After I graduated, I had a long successful career as an art buyer and designer for a large home furnishings company. In 2006, I had a significant life change. My husband became a medical traveler, and I decided to put my career on hold to tag along. In the process, I found my roots again. What...