During the 1950’s D. James Jumer was a successful franchisee and corporate officer of Chicken Delight Restaurants in Detroit, Michigan and Washington, D.C. In addition, he had successfully developed an exclusive restaurant and club in the Costa del Sol of Spain. Originally from Duluth Minnesota, Mr. Jumer became eager to return to his Midwest roots. So, in 1960, he acquired Kramer’s Restaurant in Peoria, Illinois, having selected this community due to its thriving business and energetic pace. He successfully converted and expanded Kramer’s into the Jumer’s Castle Lodge, Peoria, Illinois.Later hotel business expanded to include Jumer’s Castle Lodge, Bettendorf, Iowa, built in 1973; the Castle Lodge of Urbana, Illinois; and in 1988, the Jumer’s Chateau opened in Bloomington, Illinois. A former Sheraton Hotel in Galesburg, Illinois was acquired in 1982 and was renovated to become Jumer’s Continental Inn.1n 1988, Mr. Jumer, now with a successful chain of hotels in operation, expanded his business ventures by constructing The Peoria Boatworks Complex. This unique entertainment complex featured the Spirit of Peoria, an excursion boat with restaurant facilities seating over 400. That operated daily excursions along the Illinois River. The excursion boat was complemented by two permanently moored tug boats. One vessel was the Katie Hooper. This tug boat was converted into a restaurant and the second tug, the Belle Reynolds, was converted to a nautical museum. This development greatly enhanced the Peoria waterfront and was strongly endorsed by the City Council and the citizens of Peoria. A year later in 1989, the state of Iowa became the first state in the union to allow riverboat casino gaming. This precipitated the state of Illinois to pass similar legislation and provided the opportunity for Mr. Jumer to begin a new career in casino gaming.
Davenport Casinos
Davenport Casinos
Davenport Casinos