BUSINESS AS USUAL: For 150 years, Parke & Son Inc., 1800 E. Garfield, has served the warehousing needs of America's businesses. Dave Stoddard, has helped keep the company moving in the right direction for 57 of those years.

Beginning in 1854 as a livery, Parke & Son, Inc. has re-made itself several times on the way to becoming Central Illinois leading warehousing services company.

Waiting For Breakfast

1854
Virgil H. Parke, a young man of 22, arrived in Decatur, IL by train from Bloomington, IL at 5:30 a.m., and walked from the Illinois Central station to a hotel on Merchant street. "It was too early for breakfast,"  the late Mr. Parke afterward related, "I was standing outside looking over the straggling village.  As I stood there Gus Hardy came along-I had met him in Bloomington-, and his first words were, 'You are the very man I am looking for.  I am going to sell you my livery business.' It was located just south of the corners of West Main and Church streets."  
Mr.. Parke had only a few dollars in his pocket and laughed at the idea, but Gus persisted and said he didn't care whether young Parke had a cent, that he should pay him as he was able.  "Gus grabbed my arm and marched me down to the livery.  He ordered the hostler to bring out a horse, and asked what I thought it was worth. I gave my opinion and he brought out another, and then another until all 17 had been appraised."   

"When he had finished, he added up the prices, pushed over the paper and said 'It's your livery business'." "I walked back to the hotel to have breakfast as a business man of the city."   

Entered Implement Business and Building Materials Business

1863  
In 1863 Mr. Parke sold his livery and established a retail farm implement business at 143 North Main street. Then, in 1880, Guy J. Parke, then 14, entered his father's implement business and in 1886 sold it and established a business selling coal, wood, and stock feed farther north at 621 North Main.  They also operated storage rooms for household goods-their first entry into warehousing. "This was the first storage warehouse business in the city", Guy Parke related.   

Continued....