130 years
For George I. Harry, the formation of a YMCA in Decatur was an answer to his prayers.
"I came to here from a little town in Pennsylvania over 40 years ago. Having no friends, I was lonesome. I looked for a YMCA, and on finding that there was none in the city I was surprised," Harry recalled during a gathering in 1917 to mark the 40th birthday of the association.
"I spoke with the first man I met here, I.E. Brown, principal of the high school at the time, of the fact and asked him why one should not be started.
"He was living on North Church Street, two houses north of the Marietta school, and asked me to come to his room. I.J. Davis was rooming with him at the time, and when we three met there we prayed as we never had before. We prayed that our dream might come true.
People are also reading…
"We called a meeting and the next Sunday six men met with us in Room 1 of the First Methodist Church and we formed the association."
The date was March 11, 1877.
Its creation made it one of 15 associations in the state, serving primarily as a rallying place for religious-minded young men, where meetings were conducted for evangelistic purposes. By year's end, the membership had grown to 79.
The first office opened at 148 Merchant St. in 1878. By 1890, more space was needed, and rooms were occupied in the H. Bachrach building on Lincoln Square. Continued growth prompted a move in 1893 to 330 N. Main St.
Property at the corner of Church Street and Prairie Avenue was purchased in 1903, and a facility on that site opened to the public Oct. 15, 1906.
"We are modestly expressing our gladness at the success achieved in the last 50 years," A.G. Knebel, YMCA regional secretary, said during a ceremony in 1927. "Who can tell what the next 50 years will bring if we are loyal?"
Responding to a call to meet the growing needs of the community, a larger structure was opened on the site in 1952.
In the 1960s and 70s, improvements were made as the organization evolved into a program for the total family.
In 1978, a renovation that included a variable depth pool - the first of its kind in Illinois - was completed.
Growth and the need for larger facilities necessitated the building of a new facility, a joint effort with the YWCA of Decatur and Macon County, at 220 W. McKinley Ave. The Greater Decatur Y opened in 2001.
While locations have changed, the core values of the Decatur Family YMCA - caring, honesty, respect and responsibility - remain the same, and are fulfilled through a variety of programs that include health and fitness, sports, day camp, community services and child care.
And much as it was in the beginning, the facility is host to community members who gather for prayer and Bible study. Only now, the group includes women.
