Historic Decatur / A.N. Marquis and Who’s Who

Side A: Originally called St. Clairsville and platted in 1801, Decatur was named for early 19th century naval hero Stephen Decatur. It is among the oldest villages in Brown County, which before 1817 was a part of Adams County. Among its notable early residents were Nathaniel Beasley (1774-1835), the first surveyor of Adams County, and Sarah Boone Montgomery (1763-1848), a heroine of the border wars in Kentucky. Decatur and Byrd Township supported at least four known stations on the Underground Railroad. Many area residents helped conduct escaping slaves northward to freedom. Side B: Born in Decatur and reared in nearby Hamersville, Albert Nelson Marquis (1855-1943) began his own publishing company in Cincinnati at age 21. In 1884 he moved A.N. Marquis and Co. to Chicago, where he specialized in business directories. Marquis published the first edition of Who’s Who in America in 1899. Immediately successful, the “Big Red Book” listed biographical information about nationally significant individuals, and inspired many similar topical references. Marquis was editor in chief until 1940. Who’s Who in America remains a standard reference for information about accomplished living Americans.