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Wicked Decatur
In 1854, Decatur was nicknamed Hell's Half Acre."? By the 1910s and 1920s, the town was referred to as the "Second Most Corrupt City in Illinois, "? gaining notoriety as a place where murder, bootlegging, prostitution, kidnapping, gambling and political corruption were common. Members of the Decatur police force, like Troy Taylor's great-grandfather, were hard-pressed to bar the door against crime in a town that seemed determined to remain wide-open. Wicked Decatur presents a rogue's gallery of those who have slipped through the cracks of legality over the past century and a half."
128 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 28, 2021
Very entertaining read
Being a former Decaturite, I read this book with great interest. It was well layed out and was well written. I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in Decatur Illinois history
Being a former Decaturite, I read this book with great interest. It was well layed out and was well written. I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in Decatur Illinois history
October 22, 2013
I've tried a few times to read this book - I've simply determined that I hate the way that Troy Taylor writes. The stories from Decatur are interesting but he packs the chapter with basic history that I already know, then tacks on "this happened in Decatur." Also, he doesn't write in a chronological or linear fashion; each chapter is a topic that he covers completely, and then is done with, even when there are overlapping subject areas. Will not be reading any more Troy Taylor.
May 16, 2015
Read like a police report.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews