Maroa This city was platted in 1854 on land owned by the Associated Land Company and the Illinois Central Railroad Company. It was incorporated as a city in 1867. The first house was built by G. J. Schenk in 1855. The Prairie Hotel was built by William Greer in 1858; in the same year the first school house was built, and Robert Collins was the first teacher. The city contains two dry goods stores, four grocery stores, two drug stores, three blacksmith shops, two implement houses, one furniture store, two hardware stores, three restaurants, two barber shops, two millinery stores, two hotels, two meat shops, two lumber yards, two banks, three saloons, one harness shop, one livery stable, two elevators, a Methodist church, a Christian church, a Presbyterian church, two school houses, one of two and the other of six rooms. Lodges: Masonic, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, and Modern Woodmen, Rebekah [ed., Rebekahs], Rathbone Sisters and Eastern Star. One lawyer and three doctors are located there. Population, 2,000. It has a system of water works owned by the city; its water supply coming from a deep well. There is also a private electric light plant which supplies the city both as to city and private use. [Past and present of the City of Decatur and Macon County, Illinois. 1903. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co. p. 70. Transcribed by Judy Rosella Edwards.] HOME ©2008 Genealogy Trails