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Centralia House was a landmark and
a tradition on the original Illinois
Central Railroad. Constructed about
1854, it was the social center of
centralia until it burned in 1918,
and was famous for its restaurant
in the days before the dining car.
Each train was met by a waiter who
announced the meals with a large
brass gong. Some of the great men
of american history dined at the
Centralia House, including Stephen
douglas, generals Grant, McClellan,
Sherman and many more. The restaurant
had such a fine reputation for good
food that traveling drummers scheduled
their trips to spend their weekends
here. It was also popular as a stopping-off
place for the local smart set.
The
building which houses the restaurant
now was built over a century ago
as a saloon and a sporting house.
It still retains its pre-1900 bar
and back bar. Except for an addition
for the kitchen and the conversion
of the stable to a storage room,
the restaurant is exactly as it
was over a century ago, even to
the spirits warehouse in a stone
cellar below the bar.
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