The Staley Museum in Decatur, Illinois
The Staley Museum opened its doors to the public during the summer of 2015. We are excited be a full-fledged member of our community. Here you will find updates and news about the museum and exciting events going on.
The Staley Museum and this web site are both works in progress. We encourage visitors to continue to check back with us and see how we are progressing. We would also like to encourage visitors to the site to share any stories or information they may have regarding Staley history.
Photos, documents, articles and memorabilia are all welcome and appreciated. Anyone wishing to make a contribution to the Staley museum may contact us through via the Artifact Donation Form found on this site. Also, for anyone in our area who wishes to be a Volunteer at the museum and offer their time and/or expertise, please go to the Volunteer Form and fill out your information so that we may contact you personally. We invite you to Contact Us.
Visit the Staley Museum
The Staley Museum is open year-round
Tuesday – Saturday: 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Last Sunday of the month (March – November): 1:00 – 4:00 pm.
Admission
Adults: $5
Seniors: $3
Child (18 and under): $1
Location
361 N. College Street
Decatur, IL
The Staley Story
A.E. Staley was a big man with big dreams and had the determination to make those dreams a reality. Although he did not arrive on the scene until the 1900’s, his impact of Decatur was such that he is counted as one of the founding fathers. The largeness of his dreams and of his civic minded generosity has contributed in major ways to the city we know today.
It was A.E.’s pioneering vision in the area of soy beans, both the cultivation and processing, that gave Decatur the name “Soy Bean Capitol of the World.”
In the period of one decade, 1920-1930, A.E. Staley made significant contributions to the community of Decatur, being the driving force behind the creation of Lake Decatur, the Staley viaduct, the Staley Office Building, and the formation of the Decatur Staleys football club, later to become the Chicago Bears.
The story of A.E. Staley is one in which the city of Decatur has the right to feel great pride. It is a story which forms a major part in the industrial and agricultural history of central Illinois. We look forward to sharing that pride and history as we work toward the opening of the Staley Museum.
The Staley Office Building: Inaugurated in April, 1930
Also known as “The Castle in the Cornfields”
Photo courtesy of the Hieronymus Mueller Museum
The Staley Office Building: Inaugurated in April, 1930
Also known as “The Castle in the Cornfields”
Photo courtesy of the Hieronymus Mueller Museum
From the Archives
George Leonard, Staley fire chief, is shown with a display of fire equipment during fire prevention week. The photograph was used in the November 1947 issue of the Staley Journal on page 30, with the caption, "Staley's fire department got out some of its most up-to-date equipment to put on display during fire prevention week."
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Bicycling to work? 🚴🚴♀️
How about bicycling AT work?
The four boys pictured in the Journal were messengers at the Staley company. They made trips across the plant and in the office buildings, to and fro throughout the day, with messages or errands to run for various departments. Some Staley messengers walked while others used bikes to get across plant grounds faster.
At the top left are Gerald Sheehy and Lee Bolin (General Office).
The pair posed with a bicycle are Archie Foster and Henry Schultz (Manufacturing Department).
Staley Journal, November 1926, page 16.
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This year marks the 95th anniversary of the Staley Credit Union!🧡
To celebrate, we’ll be sharing some Staley Mfg. Co. history about the credit union over the coming months.
When was Staley Credit Union organized?
The Staley Credit Union was organized in June 1930 by Staley employees, with the support and encouragement of the Staley Manufacturing Company.
The organizing meeting was held on June 6th with twenty-five employees present as the incorporators and represented all Staley plant departments. The diverse representation ensured employees from all areas of the company were considered during the creation and management of the credit union.
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What a wonderful Saturday!
This morning we held our first Porch Pot Workshop with the Staley gardeners. The weather was lovely and we had such a good time planting flowers with everyone!
Later this afternoon we welcomed visitors for an open house as part of Historic Preservation Week organized by History of the Heartland.
A HUGE thanks to...our volunteers for helping bring this event together, our Staley Gardeners for all your advice and assistance with the plants, and everyone who attended our workshop and visited the museum today!
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