Ribbon Cutting Held for Damron Court

(PARTICIPATING IN THE DAMRON COURT RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY WERE, (l-r): MIKE BALLINGER OF MILANO AND GRUNLOH ENGINEERS, CITY ADMINISTRATOR JIM ARNDT, LEE BECKMAN OF MILANO AND GRUNLOH ENGINEERS, CITY ENGINEER JEREMY HEUERMAN, CITY CLERK KELSEY LOCK, LISA WORTMAN AND JOHN WORTMAN OF WORTMAN PROPERTIES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TODD HULL, EFFINGHAM MAYOR JEFF BLOEMKER, AND CITY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS STEVE MILLER. GREG KOESTER OF THE CITY ENGINEER'S OFFICE IS HIDDEN BEHIND THE PHOTO OF FORMER MAYOR DR. E.L. DAMRON)

Damron Court isn't a long roadway, but it's sure involved in a lot of activity in Effingham.

The street, basically a cul-de-sac at this point, was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning. The roadway extends west off Keller Drive, providing access to Chipotle and to Panera Bread.

The roadway is named in memory of former Effingham Mayor Dr. E.L. Damron, who served from 1911 to 1913. During the ceremony, Mayor Jeff Bloemker shared that Damron was a long-time physician in Effingham, but also served as an Exalted Ruler of the Elks Lodge and was president of the Effingham Rotary Club. He was also a Spanish-American War veteran and also owned Damron's Drug Store in downtown Effingham. 

The drug store, or its proximity at Jefferson and Banker, is part of Damron's greatest claim to fame. His car was parked outside the business one day in 1932 when it was stolen by the notorious Bonnie and Clyde. The car was eventually recovered in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, where the former mayor journeyed to retrieve his vehicle.

Mayor Bloemker thanked John and Lisa Wortman of Wortman Properties for their efforts to redevelop the area. He also spoke about the options opening up that area west of Keller could give the City as far as further infrastructure work. That could include another street connecting West Evergreen and Avenue of Mid-America to alleviate some of the traffic burden on Keller Drive.