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Davis Ewing Concrete
Bloomington
McLean County, Illinois
(Transcribed by: Teri Moncelle Colglazier)

[Moncelle Family Postcards] During the first two decades of the 20th century, rising corn prices spurred a rural building boom, as farmers erected larger, sturdier homes, as well as barns, corn cribs, silos, and other outbuildings. At the same time, these prosperous farmers were breaking free from a world dominated by wood and experimenting with new construction materials, such as quality concrete in the form of Portland cement. Few were better positioned to profit from this new era than Davis Ewing of Bloomington. From about 1907 through the mid-1920s, Ewing’s concrete company played a prominent role in reshaping the landscape of the Corn Belt countryside. In the spring of 1923, The Pantagraph paid a visit to Ewing’s modern plant, located at East Empire Street and the Illinois Central Railroad (today’s Constitution Trail). “This seems to be the age of concrete,” declared The Pantagraph, “and its utilization has replaced wood to as great an extent as the motor vehicle has been substituted for the horse.” Ewing got his start in concrete sidewalks, and even today one can stumble across brass plaques bearing his company’s name inset in old walkways. These medallion-like markers were once a common way for concrete manufacturers to advertise their finished work. He also laid concrete for cellar floors, curbs, driveways, and foundations. Eventually, Ewing abandoned sidewalks for the more ambitious — and presumably more lucrative — business of manufacturing concrete blocks. The company’s “steam-cured” concrete blocks, as well as its concrete stucco, were used in the construction of residential and commercial buildings throughout the Twin Cities. Although plenty of city folk needed concrete, Ewing’s primary customers were Corn Belt farmers. Ewing sold concrete blocks for farmhouses; specially designed, ventilated blocks for corn cribs and silos; and concrete posts for fencing. Not only were Ewing’s patented, wire-reinforced concrete posts sturdy, they were relatively inexpensive, especially if one considered concrete’s durability (compared to wood) and low maintenance requirements (compared to hedge). He sold these under the savvy marketing name of “100 Year Posts,” all but guaranteeing a lifespan of a century or more. Davis Ewing came from an old line Democratic family in a Republican city. His father, James Stevenson Ewing, served as U.S. minister to Belgium under President Grover A. Cleveland. In October 1907, Ewing married Hazle (sometimes spelled Hazel) Buck, whose father had a 49 percent stake in the Wrigley chewing gum company. Davis and Hazle never had children of their own, but they formally adopted one boy, Ralph, and raised another, Nelson. Although evidence of the concrete business remains with us today in the form of sidewalks, homes, corn cribs, fence posts and the like, Ewing’s most visible contribution to the central Illinois landscape remains Ewing Manor, his former residence at the northwest corner of Towanda Avenue and Emerson Street. Unfortunately, Davis and Hazle Ewing divorced in 1931, two years after the completion of “Sunset Hill” (the estate’s original name). Davis moved and retired to the Chicago area, while Hazle remained at what would become known locally as “Ewing Castle.” Davis Ewing remarried and eventually moved to Mt. Dora, Fla., passing away in 1972. Hazle Buck Ewing became a beloved Twin Cities philanthropist with an interest in promoting the United Nations and conservation. She died in August 1969 at the age of 88. Today, Sunset Hill is known as the Ewing Cultural Center and is operated by the Illinois State University Foundation. It includes the house, gardens and an outdoor theater. Ewing’s concrete posts once lined Sunset Hill’s perimeter along Towanda and Emerson. The posts, though, were recently dug up and scattered around the cultural center grounds as part of a $5 million-plus public gardens project. Once paragons of utility, the posts now serve a purely ornamental role. Still, there’s no reason to doubt that they won’t be around another two decades and become — true to Ewing’s guarantee — “100 Year Posts.” [The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Illinois - By Bill Kemp, Archivist/Librarian, McLean County Museum of History]

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