Author Archives: editor

1924 ice storm

Posted on March 5, 2014 by editor

See weather disasters.

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1883 tornado

Posted on March 5, 2014 by editor

See Weather disasters.

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Ice storms (1883, 1924, 1978)

Posted on March 5, 2014 by editor

See Weather disasters.

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Weather disasters

Posted on March 5, 2014 by editor

Memorable weather disasters populate a number of Sangamon County histories and reminiscences. Here are some of the most notable, as outlined in a talk to the Sangamon County Historical Society on Jan. 20, 2014 by Curtis Mann of Lincoln Library’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Disasters, Early residents | Leave a comment

Road lane striping plan, 1921

Posted on March 5, 2014 by editor

The editors of the June 5, 1921, Illinois State Journal endorsed a provocative new idea: Painting a line down the middle of roads — well, at least on the curves — to keep drivers on their own sides. Here is … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, State government, Transportation | Leave a comment

Ku Klux Klan, 1920s

Posted on March 5, 2014 by editor

The high point of Ku Klux Klan activity in Sangamon County probably was a parade from the Statehouse to the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Oct. 11, 1924. About 2,000 Klan members participated in the march, the Illinois State Journal reported … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Politics, Schools and school districts, Spectacles, State government | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Illinois Building

Posted on March 5, 2014 by editor

The Illinois Building, at the northeast corner of Sixth and Adams streets, was built in 1931 to house the corporate offices of what then was the Central Illinois Public Service Co. See entry on CIPS.

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Central Illinois Public Service Co.

Posted on March 5, 2014 by editor

The utility company now part of the utility conglomerate Ameren Illinois was founded in Mattoon as an electric streetcar line in 1902. The firm eventually moved into other businesses — electric generation and distribution and delivery of  natural gas, water … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Business, Department stores, Depression, Industry | 7 Comments

Armbruster Manufacturing Co.

Posted on March 5, 2014 by editor

Update: Armbruster Manufacturing Co. announced its permanent closure in February 2024. Many artifacts and documents from the company’s almost 150 years in business were donated to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.  In 1875, Rudolph Herman “R.H”. Armbruster broke away from … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Industry, Military, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Photograph collections online

Posted on March 4, 2014 by editor

In addition to photos posted or linked to elsewhere in this index, many websites offer photos related to Sangamon County’s past, with little or no additional text. They are offered here for personal viewing. Important: The Sangamon County Historical Society … Continue reading →

Posted in Photos and photosets | 4 Comments