Recently the ongoing rehabilitation and renovation work at the 900 and 902 Derby St. buildings provided a temporary glimpse of the 902 Derby St. building’s past. As shown in the two photographs below, cracks that had developed in the building’s brick facade made it necessary for the facade to be removed, revealing the vintage signage of the George Murray Tire Co., a business that was located at 900-902 Derby from 1955 to 1967.
The buildings at 900-902 Derby St. date back to the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was in the mid-1940s that Derby Street began to be developed as a new business district for Pekin, in addition to the city’s historic downtown centered on Court Street. It was around that time that the 902 Derby St. address first appears in Pekin city directories. In the 1948 directory, we find a masonry and concrete building contractor at 902 Derby, named Blassey James Aque (1918-1990), who lived and worked at that address with his wife Dorothy. Aque’s business apparently was rather short lived, as it does not appear in any other city directories. In fact, the 1950 Pekin city directory does not list the 900 or 902 Derby St. addresses at all.
In the 1952 directory, however, Donald G. Beeney (1922-2004) and his wife Martha V. Beeney (1931-2013) are listed as the residents of 902 Derby St. That is the last time “902 Derby St.” appears in Pekin city directories. From the 1955 city directory onward, it is “900” Derby St. that is listed. In the 1955 directory, we find More’s South Side Store at 900 Derby St.
The George Murray Tire Co. made its debut at 900 Derby St. in the 1956 Pekin city directory. This business was the Pekin branch of the George Murray Tire Co. in Peoria, owned and operated by Peoria businessman George W. Murray Sr. (1905-1983). Though specializing in the sale and repair of automobile tires, the George Murray Tire Co. in Pekin also sold a wide array of merchandise. The 1956 Pekin city directory entry for this business says it sold “Tires, Sporting Goods, Appliances and Seat Covers,” but in the 1958 directory it says the business offered “Armstrong Tires, Recapping and Repairing, Murray Dyna-Pac Batteries, Sporting Goods, Small Appliances, Bicycles, Tricycles and Toys.” From 1959 to 1966, Pekin city directories also featured a special block advertisement in the directory yellow pages.
During the tenure of the George Murray Tire Co. at 900 Derby St., Pekin city directories list three store managers: Howard Edward Hanlon (1923-2002), listed in the 1956 directory, Richard Eugene Phillips (1925-1992), listed in the directories from 1958 to 1964, and Charles Leslie Irion (1938-2008), listed in the 1965 and 1966 directories. Hanlon and his wife Dorothy lived at 1429 Matilda St., Phillips and his wife Helen lived at 1300 Fenley Ave., and Irion and his wife Shirley were residents of Washington, Illinois.
The last time the George Murray Tire Co. appears in Pekin city directories was in 1968, but in that entry the store’s manager is not identified. It was about that time that the 900-902 Derby St. buildings were sold. The next business located at that address was Gebhardt Tire & Auto Supply, which appears in city directories at 900 Derby St. from 1969 to1976. During that time, Gebhardt’s was managed by Robert W. Collier (1921-1977), listed in the 1969 directory, Ronald Elliott Kinsey (1940-2018), listed in the 1970 directory, Jerry Floyd Ruffner (1932-2000), listed in the 1971 directory, Jesse Clyde Jacobs (1908-1980), listed in the directories from 1972 to 1972, George E. Johnson, listed in the 1975 directory, and John Harold Berry (1932-2000), listed in the 1976 directory. Collier and his wife Lorene lived at 1312 S. 8th St., Kinsey and his wife Karen lived at 711 Summer St., Ruffner lived at 427 Margaret St., Jacobs and his wife Ina E. Jacobs lived at 306 4th St., Johnson and his wife Eva D. Johnson lived at 32 River Dr., North Pekin, and Berry and his wife Evelyn D. Berry lived at 316 Franklin St.
After Gebhardt Tire & Auto Supply’s tenure ended, the next business located there was Pekin Performance, owned by Edward Young and Stephen Budisalich, which is listed at 900 Derby in the 1977, 1978, and 1979 Pekin city directories. Alongside Pekin Performance, the 1977 also shows S & S Garage, owned by Larry Lohnes — but in the 1978 directory we find H & S Garage, owned by Young. These businesses did not last long, and in the 1980 Pekin city directory, the 900 Derby St. address is listed as “vacant.”
The 1981 city directory shows a custom auto parts business, called Jim’s Racing Enterprises, at 900 Derby St. The business owner was James Logan Naramore of East Peoria. However, the 1982 city directory again listed 900 Derby as “vacant.” Then in 1983, the directory listed Ed’s Automotive Service and D & K Hobby Racing, owned by Charles E. Siegel (1918-2000) of rural Manito. Ed’s Automotive Service, owned by Siegel, again appears in the 1984 directory, but without D & K Hobby Racing.
Then in the 1985, 1986, and 1987 Pekin city directories, we find Transmissions Unlimited at 900 Derby St., owned by Robert Lee Shepler (1952-2014), who lived with his wife Cathy at 1415 N. 10th St. The 1985 directory also shows Cedar Closet plaster crafted and gifts, owned by Mrs. Renee Downey of 1415 S. 8th St., but Cedar Closet does not reappear at 900 Derby after the 1985 directory.
Finally, in the 1988 Pekin city directory, we find the Auer Autohaus auto repair business, owned by James R. “Jim” Auer, who lived in Mapleton with his wife Patricia A. Auer. The mock German language signage of the Auer Autohaus was a noted fixture of Derby Street’s storefronts, but were in poor shape by June 2011, as shown in the image below. Auer Auto Haus was listed in Pekin city directories until 2004, after which Jim Auer retired from his auto repair business and switched to antiques. His “Auer Antique Haus” last appeared in city directories in 2014. Since then, 900 Derby St. has been vacant.
Tazewell County property tax records show that on 1 Feb. 2014, Auer sold 900-902 Derby St. to Ron Sieh, the current owner, for $50,000. More recently, the property was sold at a tax sale on 23 Oct. 2023 and redeemed 9 May 2024.
