Wednesdays at Noon | Miller Center - 551 S 14th St, Pekin
Our Charter History
Where Pekin Rotary’s Story Began.
In the spring of 1920, five Pekin businessmen shared a vision: that a Rotary Club could bring local leaders together in service to their community. That idea became the Pekin Rotary Club.
THE BEGINNING
April 1920
FIVE MEN. ONE IDEA. A CENTURY OF SERVICE.
As our nation emerged from World War I, five Pekin businessmen began discussing the formation of a local Rotary Club:
Harry Wilmot
Walton T. Conover
Frank Beyer
Carl E. Kraeger
Louis C. Moschel
With assistance from the Canton Rotary Club, which had been founded just one year earlier and served as the official organizer, the effort quickly gained momentum.
Ultimately, 25 pekin businessmen became charter members, representing a remarkable cross-section of professions and industries within the community.
CHARTER PRESENTATION
May 12, 1920
On the evening of May 12, 1920, members gathered at Pekin’s Tazewell Hotel for the official presentation of the club’s charter.
Louis C. Moschel
Selected to serve as Pekin Rotary's first president.
Phil H. Sipfle
Elected secretary.
That evening marked the beginning of a tradition of fellowship and service that continues more than a century later.
OUR CHARTER MEMBERS
The People Who Started It All
Twenty-five local businessmen representing professions ranging from medicine and agriculture to manufacturing, transportation and retail joined together s Pekin Rotary’s charter members. More than a century later, many of their family and business names remain familiar throughout the Pekin community.
Dr. W. A. Balcke
Physician
Frank W. Beyer
Investments
William E. Conkel
Landscape Gardening
Walton T. Conover
Men's Clothing
E. L. Conklin
Lumber Retailing
O. W. Friederich
Theater
Bert Hardy
Hotel Management
Carl G. Herget
Cooperage Industry
Harry E. Hough
Yeast Industry
D. H. Jansen
Road Construction
Henry B. Koch
Ice Manufacturing
Carl E. Kraeger
Drugs Retailing
Harry B. Lawton
Starch Industry
Paul H. Massey
News Bureau
Louis C. Moschel
Walnut Lumber
W. E. Schurman
Cemeteries
Lewis E. Shelby
Railroad Transportation
Arthur H. Sipfle
Farm Management
Phil H. Sipfle
Life Insurance
G. L. Spangenberger
Loans
Myron E. Tambling
Federal Government
Vincent P. Turner
Grains
Harry C. Wilmot
Funeral Director
J. R. Yocum
Central Light Co.
Dr. Arno Zimmerman
Protestant Pastor
THE MISSION CONTINUES
A Legacy That Lives On
The faces, professions and needs of our community have changed since 1920, but the idea that brought those first members together remains the same: people using their talents, relationships and resources to make our community better.
1920
25 Charter Members
May 12
Charter Presented
100+ Years
Serving Pekin
Today
Still Putting Service Above Self
The Future
More Service. More Impact.
