Samuel Shullenburger ran a rooming house in the early days where the bank is now. It was used as a school during the day. It was called the "Roanoke House". The July, 1884, issue of The Era carried the advertisement of the "Kindig House," operated by Mrs. E. G. Kindig, one block south and three blocks east of the depot. The rates were one dollar a day. In 1873, on the southeast corner of Main and Husseman the McCord Hotel stood; later the name was changed to the Badgley House. When Andrew Rapp retired from the meat market in Dec. 1908, he and his wife purchased the Badgley Hotel and changed the name to Commercial Hotel. In 1935, the property passed to Rapp's daughter in Hawaii, then it was closed. The Ernest Tasshart's razed the building for a gas station on the site. "Brick" Herbst later operated the station for many years. In 1973, Mrs. Florence Blunier sold the property to David Fischer who has converted it to three shops and an apartment above. The Centennial Headquarters occupies one of the shops. Polly's Health Foods and Boutique Chalet have the other two. In the early 1900's Paul Audi built a large brick building just north of the old J. B. Snyder Lumber Yard which is now rental apartments. Darling House The Darling Hotel dates back to the beginning of the 19th century. The name came from the early occupants, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred J. Darling, who made a home there for their 13 children and ran the hotel business. The hotel's reputation was established throughout Central Illinois, and traveling salesmen made a special effort to stay at least one night at this hotel. The livery stable and blacksmith were also enterprises that Mr. Darling managed as well as the hotel. The livery stable stood at the rear of the hotel. Charles and Frank Darling ran the barn for many years and had some fancy rigs to let in those days. The ponies were curried, hitched to the best buggy and many of the old-time boys took one of the Darling rigs when they went to see their best girl. Frank was pretty smooth at trading horses from horse traders passing through town. It was his delight to swap and get something a little faster and a little fatter than the ones he gave in exchange. Frank slept in the office to take care of the horses when the boys got in after midnight hours. Then here was the cutter (Sleigh) which they would have a dozen calls for when sleighing was good. He also had an old hack he used for picnic crowds, fishing parties, and ball teams. One had to speak two weeks in advance to get a date to use the hack. The blacksmith shop stood just east of the creek bridge on the north side of Front Street. Some of the equipment is now owned by Floyd Kenyon. The site was purchased by the village in 1962 to be used for wells and Roanoke water system. The building was razed by Silas Hodel and son, Ralph. Harley King later built his apartment building on the site.

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