Celebrating the Chamber's 100th Anniversary with Enthusiasm!
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2019 is a big year for the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce: We’re celebrating our 100th anniversary.
On September 29, 1919, the Chamber – then the Urbana Chamber of Commerce – was established following a motion by Urbana Mayor George Talbott at a meeting in the Community Club. The front-page headline in the October 1, 1919, Urbana Daily Citizen proclaimed: “Urbana's Chamber of Commerce Comes into Being With Enthusiasm”. |
The Chamber’s 25-member board of directors unanimously elected Ralph McDonald, of the Urbana Tool and Die Company, president. The Daily Citizen reported, “He has been a booster for the city ever since the foundation of the Urbana Tool and Die Company, and in the recent Chamber of Commerce campaign he led the force of workers who so successfully piled up the membership.”
John L. Jackson (referred to as “the shoe man”) was elected vice president; Core S. Ireland, secretary; and Dr. T.T. Brand (“who was active in booming the membership drive”), treasurer.
The article concluded: “We welcome the Chamber of Commerce into the life of our city. It has long been needed to handle our many difficulties. Unity among industries and businessmen has been lacking. The Chamber of Commerce will change all this, and every merchant, manufacturer and businessman will pull together on the same rope to raise Urbana to the high level of a booster town.”
And ever since, the Chamber has been here to support and strengthen local businesses, to help make Champaign County a better place to live, work and enjoy community.
We’ll be celebrating throughout the year, and we’ll be inviting you and the rest of Champaign County to join us in celebrating with enthusiasm. Be on the lookout for upcoming 100th anniversary events.
The same article reported on one of the Chamber’s first orders of business: meeting with a representative of the Riddle and Graff Cigar Company, which was interested in establishing a factory in Urbana.
John L. Jackson (referred to as “the shoe man”) was elected vice president; Core S. Ireland, secretary; and Dr. T.T. Brand (“who was active in booming the membership drive”), treasurer.
The article concluded: “We welcome the Chamber of Commerce into the life of our city. It has long been needed to handle our many difficulties. Unity among industries and businessmen has been lacking. The Chamber of Commerce will change all this, and every merchant, manufacturer and businessman will pull together on the same rope to raise Urbana to the high level of a booster town.”
And ever since, the Chamber has been here to support and strengthen local businesses, to help make Champaign County a better place to live, work and enjoy community.
We’ll be celebrating throughout the year, and we’ll be inviting you and the rest of Champaign County to join us in celebrating with enthusiasm. Be on the lookout for upcoming 100th anniversary events.
The same article reported on one of the Chamber’s first orders of business: meeting with a representative of the Riddle and Graff Cigar Company, which was interested in establishing a factory in Urbana.
