End of an Era

I was a little nostalgic when I drove by where our original office was located and found an empty lot. The building that Agracel started out in 20 years ago was torn down to make way for a new court house in downtown Effingham, IL (population 12,384). It was a sturdy but non-descript office that you had to walk up about 20 stairs. It was located on the main street thru the downtown area right across the street from the largest bank in town.

The lawyer who originally occupied our offices and who had built the building was notorious for leaning out of the windows and berating people on the street who owed he or his clients money. A fellow attorney sent his stenographer over to the bank’s front door to transcribe a letter the fellow was dictating because he had such a booming voice. He also went thru a lot of secretaries because he insisted that they take dictation while he was “doing his business on the throne”.

Now it’s gone and instead of having interesting retail shops and the potential for housing on the upper floors, it will become part of a modern office complex. I’m sad to see it go.