1906
A scandal erupted in 1906 as rumors flew about a brothel being run out of a house near the T,P,& W depot. Mayor Calvin Cress instructed the Police Marshall Norris to investigate. He did, and walked in on a railroad engineer and unknown woman doing a bit more than discussing their day. The engineer sang like a canary, was fined $10, and was on his way. The young lady jumped on a train before being charged and never returned. The head of the house, a lady who ran the restaurant at the depot was charged and found guilty of “keeping a bawdy house” in a fiery trial that featured many town witnesses on both sides. A couple years later the brothel keeper was arrested for selling liquor at the depot restaurant out of disguised bottles after Washington became dry town. She failed to post bond and was jailed. After two weeks in jail she was released with the order to leave to county. She moved to Peoria where she became…the head of a restaurant in a railroad depot.
Pheasants were introduced to Central Illinois in 1906 when 150 birds were released in McLean County. Subsequent releases followed, but like the Prairie Chicken, loss of habitat and overhunting have made them a rare sight. Unlike Prairie Chickens however, you can still spot a Pheasant now and again around Washington, if you know where to look.
A 75x100 gymnasium was constructed behind the Holland School on Peoria Street at a cost of $1200, funds were raised from the community by the high school coach, Professor Lee Irving Knight. Knight was a 1901 ISU graduate and would remain in Washington only until 1907 before moving on. The gymnasium can be seen behind the school in the below photo. This is the current location of the Washington Dentistry building.
