NORMAN V. KELLY
Mayor Nelson Edward Woodruff had very little desire to
see the world. Most of the trips he made he made under the guise of a fact
finding trip. Very early in his life he became a cowboy in New Mexico but came
back home to take over his father’s ice and fish business. He could be seen all
about town going to one function or the other. He was always either running for
office, in office, or planning his next political battle. Most of his thinking
and planning were done on board his boat.
It was called “The Bum Boat,” and it was never in the water. It was Just
a houseboat up on the river’s edge where he loved to meet with his cronies and
even his political enemies.
He spent fifty years living on North Jefferson Street.
He did make a drastic move once, however, when he built a house across the
street from where he lived. He was a loyal husband and father, having one
daughter that he spoiled rather handedly.
1903 was his first term as mayor of Peoria, Illinois
and from then on the man was smitten with the office. Of course, those terms at
that time were only one year, so preparation to run again seemed to always be
the first bit of business. The mayor had two businesses that made him a wealthy
man, Ice making and the fish business kept him busy.
Some of his early achievements were the improvements
in the public sanitation and the formation of the public garbage collection
system. He spent a lot of his political clout in bringing the Hotel Pere
Marquette to Peoria, the Peoria Life Company and the Cedar Street Bridge.
Still, he found time to be an active member in Masons, Elks, Moose, Odd Fellows
and the Eastern Star Eagles. Of course these were the very basis of his
political Power and I can tell you that he never neglected any of them.
Twenty-Four years the mayor served, the last term
being 1941 through April of 1945. The
‘War Years,’ probably did more to tarnish Woodruff’s reputation than at any
other time. It was the year that Bernie Shelton and his brother Carl came to
Peoria and gambling reached its peak. Of course we always had gambling and our
share of prostitution even before Prohibition, but the war years increased all
of it.
It was Mayor Woodruff, who said, “Some vice is bound
to exist in every community. Under municipal control and regulations such
activities could be required to help defray the costs of civic maintenance and
improvement.”
If you truly want to know what Woodruff did as mayor
as far as gambling and prostitution were concerned the answer is in that
statement. If you want to gamble or have prostitutes then you WILL pay for the
privilege. These casinos and taverns as well as madams understood precisely
what that meant …and they paid AND Peoria flourished.
Every damn dime of this money that was paid into the
city coffers is part of the public record and was often discussed in open
arguments at the Tuesday night council meetings.
The members were called aldermen and believe me most
Peorians considered these meetings funnier than an old minstrel show with Mayor
Woodruff as the Interlocutor.
Woodruff was a champion of and often said that he
would “Protect the rights of people and safe guard them.” People called Woodruff
a lot of names such as: ‘Little
Napoleon” “The Old Master”, “Old crooked neck” and “Old Ed.”
He cared little what people called him just so they
voted him into office. He even left a mayoral race to run for governor, but he
never made it to Springfield.
Woodruff often argued and defended his beloved city:
“Peoria is one of the best regulated, most orderly cities as well as the cleanest
city in the United States. It is a city in which decent rights are respected.”
Mayor Woodruff spent his time early on as an alderman
which put him a leg up on them when it came time to do battle with them.
And…battle them he did, believe me. At one stretch as mayor he was elected to
six two-year terms in a row. Later he lost an election or two but always
bounced back to take over again.
Known for his ‘liberal policies,’ he could speak for
policies that did not quite fit into his basic beliefs. What was best for the
city and his chances of being elected were his two basic thoughts and for him
it worked.
POLITICAL JOBS
That was the name of the game and Woodruff often told
reporters this about jobs. “The boys that can deliver the votes are the boys
that get the jobs.” One of his often stated beliefs was this: “I want the
people to get 100% value for their taxing dollar.” He stated that he would,
“Guard the public morals by strict adherence to the statutes.”
The ‘Woodruff Machine’ was often talked about during
his career and to Woodruff it meant that he was able to put together the men…boys
as he called them...that could get the vote, appease the masses, and make a
good impression. For Woodruff it was always do the job but look forward to the
next election. As I told you before his thought was to be the mayor every year
until he died. Period! End of statement.
He certainly was not a reformer. He had some very
bitter defeats and loved the feeling of winning. He told the voters that he
loved this city and that he was good for its future.
A
PEORIAN
E.N. Woodruff
lived at 1020 N. Jefferson and across
the street most of his life, At 1025. No
scholar, he had a masterful command of the King’s English and could keep the
interest of the crowd, and he faced many of them. He went to Peoria grade
schools, and stayed at Peoria High School for three years. He took over his
father’s business and became a wealthy man. Anyone who thinks he was paid
‘Under The table’ or anywhere else is simply uninformed and thriving on myth. Later
in his career the press called him the ‘Woodruff Warrior,’ which he got a kick
out of hearing. Speaking of Woodruff, the local high school was named Woodruff
after the old warrior. Their nick name
was…you guessed it…Warriors. Eckwood Park
was named after him and a public works politician named Eckley. Woodruff Field
was named after him as well, but that name was often changed based on the
political wind.
Some time after he moved to a new home across the street
at 1025 Jefferson he buried his beloved wife. He took wonderful care of his
daughter and she was his only heir.
Mayor Triebel took over for Woodruff in May of 1945.
He was not a reformer no matter what your grandfather told you. He came into
office May 1945 and it was not until September 1946 that he made his famous ‘No
Gambling In Downtown Peoria
E. N. Woodruff was beloved, respected and admired. He
was also hated, despised and criticized.
That pretty much describes our old mayor and his relationship with the
voters. I believe a book as long as GONE
WITH THE WIND could have been written
about the old warrior but alas…we will never again hear his pearls of wisdom.
His remarks are part of Peoria’s history and can be found in the old Tuesday
Night bouts with the city council located in the history area of the Downtown
Library. Rest in peace old fellow you
earned it.
Editor’s Note:
Norm is a local historian and author and can be reached at norman.kelly@sbcglobal.net
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