From the desk of Ed Dowd, Executive Director of the Mattoon Chamber of Commerce:
“The Mattoon Chamber of Commerce has gone through many evolutions since it originally formed in October of 1905. The Chamber currently has over 300 members who rely on the support of our community to continue to thrive and prosper. The slogan, “Think Local; Shop Local; Act Local and Save Local Jobs” has been part of the Chamber lexicon for most of its existence. This slogan is critically important now more than ever. With the ease of ordering goods and services on-line, many people tend to forget the importance of supporting local organizations that rely on community members to survive. Remember your friends, neighbors and family members work for most of these businesses and need everyone to take that little bit of extra time for that personal touch and personal connection that you cannot get from typing up a purchase or seeking out services on a computer or cell phone screen.
In researching this article, I came across some interesting documents including a Mattoon Journal-Gazette newspaper article from October 12, 1905 which details the first ever meeting of the Mattoon Chamber of Commerce held at what was called the Lumpkin Building. The original Board of Directors included, W.C. Lumpkin, J.W. Harris, E.F. Ritter, R.H. McWilliams, W.R. Johnson and G.B. Swan. The first President of the Board was J.L. O’Connor, Vice President was G. O. Cobb, Treasurer was W.N. McKamy and J.L Bennett was named Secretary.
The Association of Commerce as it was originally titled had 240 members who paid dues of $5 per year. The initial charter of the Association of Commerce was to “Assist in every way possible in developing Mattoon and its varied industries”. The first task of the newly formed Mattoon Chamber of Commerce was to help facilitate the need for a water supply for the City of Mattoon, which led to the establishment of the Lake Paradise reservoir. The second order of business was the development of what they called an “interurban” railroad between Mattoon and Decatur, which would carry up to 275 passengers per day and was being bid at around $600,000.
The original Board of Directors and member organizations of the Association/Chamber of Commerce could never have envisioned community members obtaining their goods and services from outside the community sight unseen without any human interaction.
As a reminder before you click on that computer screen and order that shiny new pair of shoes, the slick business suit, colorful spring dress or sofa sleeper, please take a few extra minutes to visit our local establishments. I bet you will be greeted with a welcome and a smile. You will also have the opportunity to see, smell, touch and examine what you are buying! While you’re out and about interacting with real people, you can also enjoy one of over 100 different culinary experiences brought to you by our wide variety of community restaurants.”
