Decatur

Decatur, Stephen, 1779-1820, American naval officer, b. Sinepuxent, near Berlin, Md.; son of a naval officer, Stephen Decatur. After joining the U.S. navy in 1798, he rose to fame in the Tripolitan War. In 1804 he and his men stole into Tripoli harbor and destroyed the captured U.S. frigate Philadelphia. This daring exploit won Decatur promotion to captain. He helped in the bombardment of Tripoli and, after peace was concluded (1805), negotiated successfully with the bey of Tunis. In 1808 he was one of the judges at the court-martial of James Barron; thereafter the two men were enemies. In the War of 1812 Decatur commanded three vessels, with the United States as his flagship. On Oct. 25, 1812, the United States met and captured the British frigate Macedonian. Afterward the British blockade held him powerless until Jan., 1815. Then (unaware that the war had ended) he put to sea in the President, outran three enemy ships and defeated the fourth, the Endymion, but the battle delayed him and he was forced to surrender to the other pursuers. In the so-called Algerine War in 1815 he used his squadron with vigor to force the dey of Algiers to sign the treaty that ended American tribute to Algeria. As one of the three navy commissioners (1815-20), he was powerful in naval affairs. His opposition to reinstating the unfortunate and disgraced James Barron led to bitter words. Barron challenged him, and in the ensuing duel Decatur was mortally wounded at Bladensburg, Md., on Mar. 22, 1820. Known for his reckless bravery and stubborn patriotism, he is also remembered for the toast, "Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong!"

Decatur. 1 City (1990 pop. 48,761), seat of Morgan co., N Ala., on the Tennessee River; inc. 1826. It has shipyards, port traffic, and diverse industries, including steel manufacturing. The city has thrived on power supplied by the Tennessee Valley Authority. A settlement there incorporated in 1820 as Rhodes Ferry was chartered in 1826 and renamed in honor of naval hero Stephen Decatur. During the Civil War, Decatur was continually raided by Union forces; two houses and the imposing state bank (1832) survive. The huge Browns Ferry nuclear power plant and a national wildlife refuge are nearby. The present city was formed (1927) by the union of Decatur and Albany (formerly New Decatur).

2 City (1990 pop. 17,336), seat of DeKalb co., NW Ga., a residential suburb of Atlanta; inc. 1823. Some light industry is there. The city was named for the U.S. war hero Stephen Decatur. Agnes Scott College and Columbia Theological Seminary are there. Carved on the side of nearby Stone Mountain, in a memorial park, are the figures of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davis (see Stone Mountain Memorial).

3 City (1990 pop. 83,885), seat of Macon co., central Ill., on the Sangamon River (dammed there to form Lake Decatur); inc. 1839. A railroad and industrial center in a fertile farm and livestock area, Decatur has railroad repair shops and huge plants for processing corn and soybeans. Other manufactures include transportation and mining equipment and machinery. Coal deposits underlie the area. Of interest are the Lincoln Log Cabin Courthouse, where Abraham Lincoln practiced law; Lincoln Square, where he received his first endorsement for the presidential nomination; and the city library, with its Lincoln collection. The site of Lincoln's first home in Illinois is in a state park nearby. The Grand Army of the Republic was organized in Decatur in Apr., 1866. Millikin Univ. is in the city.

(born Jan. 5, 1779, Sinepuxent, Md., U.S.—died March 22, 1820, Bladensburg, Md.) U.S. naval officer. He entered the navy in 1798. In the Tripolitan War, he led a daring expedition into the harbour of Tripoli to burn a captured U.S. ship. In the War of 1812 he commanded the USS United States and captured the British ship Macedonian. In 1815 he commanded a squadron in the Mediterranean that forced a peace with the Barbary states on U.S. terms. At a banquet on his return he gave a toast that included the words “Our country, right or wrong.” In the same year he was made a navy commissioner, an office he held until he was killed in a duel.

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(born Jan. 5, 1779, Sinepuxent, Md., U.S.—died March 22, 1820, Bladensburg, Md.) U.S. naval officer. He entered the navy in 1798. In the Tripolitan War, he led a daring expedition into the harbour of Tripoli to burn a captured U.S. ship. In the War of 1812 he commanded the USS United States and captured the British ship Macedonian. In 1815 he commanded a squadron in the Mediterranean that forced a peace with the Barbary states on U.S. terms. At a banquet on his return he gave a toast that included the words “Our country, right or wrong.” In the same year he was made a navy commissioner, an office he held until he was killed in a duel.

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City (pop., 2000: 81,860), central Illinois, U.S. Situated on the Sangamon River east of Springfield, it was founded in 1829. In 1860 it was the site of Abraham Lincoln's first endorsement by a party convention for the presidential nomination. It is a commercial centre for the surrounding agricultural region. Industries include the processing of corn and soybeans and the manufacture of tractors and other vehicles.

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Decatur is the name of many places in the United States, most of which are named for Stephen Decatur, a United States Navy officer at the turn of the 19th Century.

Geographical Locations (United States)

Counties

• Decatur County, Alabama, a short-lived former county which area was divided between Madison County and Jackson County, Alabama
• Decatur County, Georgia
• Decatur County, Indiana
• Decatur County, Iowa
• Decatur County, Kansas
• Decatur County, Tennessee

Cities, Towns, Villages

• Decatur, Alabama, county seat of Morgan County, Alabama
• Decatur, Arkansas, a city in Benton County, Arkansas
• Decatur, Georgia, county seat of DeKalb County, Georgia
• Decatur, Illinois, county seat of Macon County, Illinois
• Decatur, Indiana, county seat of Adams County, Indiana
• Decatur, Iowa, a city in Decatur County, Iowa
• Decatur, Michigan, a village in Van Buren County, Michigan
• Decatur, Mississippi, county seat of Newton County, Mississippi
• Decatur, Nebraska, a village in Burt County, Nebraska
• Decatur, New York, a town in Otsego County, New York
• Decatur, Ohio, an unincorporated community in Brown County, Ohio
• Decatur, Tennessee, county seat of Meigs County, Tennessee
• Decatur, Texas, county seat of Wise County, Texas

Townships

• Decatur Township, Marion County, Indiana
• Decatur Township, Michigan, in Van Buren County, Michigan
• Decatur Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania
• Decatur Township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania

Other places

• Decatur Avenue, Bronx, New York, Bronx street that travels one-way north-bound alongside Webster avenue, starting on fordham road , temporarily interrupted on musholu parkway and continues to 211 th street.
• Decatur Street, Atlanta, Georgia, among the earliest streets of the city, established in the mid-19th Century
• Decatur Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, formerly known as "Levee Street"
• The Decatur Highway, US 31 between Decatur, Alabama and Birmingham, Alabama
• Decatur (MARTA station), a rail station located in Decatur, Georgia
• Port of Decatur, located on the Tennessee River in Decatur, Alabama
• Decatur Island, one of the San Juan Islands in Washington state
• Mount Decatur, Gales Ferry, in New London County, Connecticut
• Decatur Metropolitan Area, located in North-Central Alabama
• Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area, located in North Alabama

Schools

Italy

• Stephen Decatur Secondary School (Italy)

United States

• Decatur High School (Alabama), located in Decatur, Alabama
• Decatur High School (Georgia), located in Decatur, Georgia
• Decatur High School (Federal Way, Washington), named after the USS Decatur
• Stephen Decatur High School (Maryland)
• Stephen Decatur Middle School (Maryland)

Other uses

• Decatur Maritime Security, An international security company providing threat assessments, physical security and consulting for government and commercial maritime enterprises operating in piracy-troubled waterways. Founded by former US Naval anti-terrorism and force protection experts, Daniel Randall and Brandon Cunningham.
• "Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Step Mother!", a song by Sufjan Stevens from his 2005 album Illinois (album)
• The Decatur Daily, a daily newspaper serving Decatur and the Tennessee Valley in northern Alabama, United States