EDWARD NELSON WOODRUFF
On This December 21, 2013 at
6:30 AM A MONDAY Mayor Edward Nelson Woodruff DIED.
12-21-1947 BORN
2-2-1862
he was 85
He had been for almost 3 months and in Methodist Hospital
when he died. Family plot at
Springdale Cemetery
His family was a Pioneer Family and Woodruff was born
here in Peoria….
He was an Alderman for 2 terms before he first became
Mayor in 1903 he was Peoria’s Mayor
for 11 terms for a total of 24 years leaving office in 1945 for the final time.
His dad founded the Woodruff Ice Company…Edward his
son worked there many years and later took it over. Woodruff sold it in 1929 To the Peoria
Service Company.
His mother came here ikn 1835 from Pennsylvania and
they were married here in 1846.
Woodruff went to Peoria High 3 years but dropped out
tot take over his father’s business when his dad died. That was 1879 WRONG
Well I know better than that because after he left
school he went to New Mexico where he was a ‘COWBOY’ for about a year then came
back and took over his father’s business.
He was accused of having the “Woodruff Machine” almost
from the beginning of his political life…Truth is he was a born leader…he
awarded the men that got out the vote and he continued to do that his entire
life. The big award was the JOB….He knew
that in order to stay in power he had to have loyal people on his side…the
other side always tried to duplicate his FORCE but he rarely he did lose more than once. although he most certainly did…he was the
first to say” I have lost and I have won and winning is much better….”
He championed the common people and always said that
He would always make sure that the common tax payer’s money was well spent.
Just a few of his goals which he accomplished to
improve the city’s garbage collection…build the TB sanitarium, the Cedar
Street Bridge EckWood Park…open up and
widened Jefferson Street... just to name a few of his many many accomplishments.
Several places were named after him Eck
WOOD park woodruff High
woodruff field
He hated what he called “Swivel Chair Politicians” and called men who
ran for office for private gain “Porch
Climbers”
He ran for governor once but lost in a 4 way run at the Primary level. 1920
He saved this city and the tavern owners and hundreds of jobs during
Prohibition by allowing the Soft Drink Parlor License in Peoria
Tremendously successful in Business.. and owned a Fish
Company as well. He became a very
wealthy man and for anyone who thinks that he was on the take or somehow
received money under the table they are
fools.
Under his administrations Peoria
Might surprise people to know that he was connected
with the
Peoria Life Insurance company located in what was then
the life insurance building and later First National bank Peoria Alliance Life building and financially involved in the Pere
Marquette Hotel as well.
Woodruff was said to have made more political
comebacks than any living politician in America’s history. He lost he came back…he lost and came back
again then he was elected again when he was in his 80’s when most men his age
were rocking in a rocking chair. He was
the biggest influence in this cities history.
He was a natural comedian and put in their place many
a critic and during his administration Tuesday Nights were among the fun nights
in Peoria
He was a devoted husband…adored his daughter Mary and
loved this town almost as much as life itself.
During WW 11 and before he invented the SIN TAX
demanding that there will always be
VICE in Peoria and with careful control and use of the gambling money
that was paid into the city coffers
so-called FUNNY MONEY the city will benefit from it and it did.
He was a liberal Mayor he knew what the people wanted and he gave it to
him…other wise how in the hell would he have been elected 11 times??? Think
about that.
Norm
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