Author Archives: editor

Working at the rolling mill, 1890s

Posted on August 21, 2026 by editor

“Lofty stacks of the mills arose in the distance like armored sentinels over the concourse of men and metal, while clouds of soft coal smoke mingled with that of the vicinity coal mines and settled over the district. The adjacent … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Histories, Industry, Mills | Leave a comment

Illinois State Armory cornerstone (1937)

Posted on August 14, 2026 by editor

Gov. Henry Horner personally laid the first trowel of mortar for the cornerstone of the Illinois State Armory on Nov. 27, 1936. The 90-year-old Armory, undergoing massive reconstruction following decades of disuse, was renamed the Jim Edgar State Office Building … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Historic Sites, Illinois capital, Military, Prominent figures, State government, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

First ticketed women’s baseball game: ‘Blondes’ vs. ‘Brunettes’

Posted on July 31, 2026 by editor

The Women’s Professional Baseball League opens its 2026 season Saturday, Aug. 1, at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield. All 30 regular-season games are scheduled here. In a sense, the league’s location is a return home. According to The Athletic, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Journalism, Spectacles, Sports and recreation, Women | Leave a comment

Roselawn Memorial Park

Posted on July 18, 2026 by editor

Roselawn Memorial Park, “The Cemetery of Eternal Beauty,” was founded in 1927 by a seemingly mismatched consortium of Springfield entrepreneurs, politicians and religious leaders. The first burial at Roselawn, that of 34-year-old Martha Ellen Stevens Johnson, took place in September … Continue reading →

Posted in Business | Leave a comment

World War II draft lottery, 1940

Posted on July 9, 2026 by editor

Dale Britt of Springfield turned 24 on Oct. 29, 1940. His birthday present? His number (158) was picked first in the national military draft lottery, held the same day. Sangamon County was divided into five Selective Service districts, three in … Continue reading →

Posted in Military | Leave a comment

Balloonist dies, 1908

Posted on June 28, 2026 by editor

Thousands of spectators saw 27-year-old Luther “Pete” Jones die when the hot-air balloon he was riding flew into a tree at Mildred Park on Sunday, June 7, 1908. Jones (1881?-1908), an itinerant daredevil, had been hired to do stunts at … Continue reading →

Posted in Air travel, Amusements, Spectacles | Leave a comment

Joe Gomes’ parachute jump, 1887

Posted on June 19, 2026 by editor

Thousands of people gathered at Ninth Street and Enos Avenue on Dec. 5, 1887, to see Springfield-born daredevil Joe Gomes parachute 3,000 feet from a trapeze attached to a hot-air balloon. Both the balloon and the parachute were handmade by … Continue reading →

Posted in Air travel, Amusements, Spectacles | Leave a comment

Junior Home Economics Building, 1938-2026

Posted on June 12, 2026 by editor

The Junior Home Economics Building and its counterpart, the Junior Livestock Pavilion, were big improvements for the Illinois State Fairgrounds in 1938, the Illinois State Register reported that June. This year, activities formerly carried on in the poultry building will … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Architecture, Buildings, Illinois State Fair, State government | Leave a comment

Bulls, Bull Calves and entrepreneurial Germans

Posted on June 7, 2026 by editor

Entrepreneurial Germans made up the heart of the Bull Club and its offshoot, the Bull Calves – which came into existence because none of the Bulls wanted to let their sons join the older club. “A lot of us were … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Business, Germans, Industry, Prominent figures, Social life | Leave a comment

‘We prided ourselves in being first’ – Springfield broadcast memories

Posted on June 1, 2026 by editor

In 1990 or 1991, three of Springfield’s best-known television and radio personalities discussed local broadcast history with two interviewers from the Springfield chapter of Women in Communications Inc. The plan was to add historical items to “Making News in Mr. … Continue reading →

Posted in Communications, First Citizens, Histories, Journalism, Media, Prominent figures | Leave a comment