Author Archives: editor

Howard Knotts

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

Howard Knotts (1895-1942) shot down six German planes in less than a month during World War I, winning the U.S. Distinguished Service Cross and the British Distinguished Flying Cross. He was downstate Illinois’ only “flying ace” during World War I. … Continue reading →

Posted in Air travel, Airport, Military, Prominent figures | Tagged | 1 Comment

Harriet Knudson (First Citizen)

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

Harriett Knudson (1883-1969) is best known as the driving force behind creation of the Lincoln Memorial Garden and Nature Center at Lake Springfield. She also organized the Springfield Civic Garden Club (Knudson was the first person elected to honorary life … Continue reading →

Posted in First Citizens, Parks, Prominent figures, Social services, Women | Tagged | Leave a comment

Koke Mill

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

Koke Mill was on Spring Creek, near the present-day Koke Mill Road crossing. One of the best-known local mill names today, Koke Mill has one of the most complicated histories of ownership. It went through more than a dozen owners … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Industry, Mills, Prominent figures | Tagged , | 10 Comments

Kun Brewery

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

During its heyday, the Kun Brewery was one of the most prominent in the city, and one of its flamboyant brewmaster/owners erected a locally famed mansion at Walnut and Carpenter streets. Though long forgotten, the brewery came to light, literally, … Continue reading →

Posted in Breweries, Business, Fever River, Prominent figures | 11 Comments

Lake Springfield

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

Lake Springfield is a 4,000-acre artificial lake constructed by the city of Springfield in the early 1930s. The lake first reached full pool (560 feet above sea level) on May 2, 1935; it was dedicated in a three-day-long celebration in … Continue reading →

Posted in Local government, Prominent figures, Public health | 4 Comments

Robert Carr Lanphier meets Thomas Edison

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

Robert C. Lanphier (right)was the engineering genius behind the creation of Sangamo Electric Co., which was incorporated in 1899. In his section of a privately published booklet, “Sangamo: A History of 50 Years” (1949), Lanphier related his first meeting with … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Industry, Prominent figures | 2 Comments

Philip Latham (1828 pioneers)

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

Philip C. Latham (1804-44) was listed as a clerk in James Henry’s store at First and Jefferson streets in 1828, according to John Todd Stuart’s later remembrances. (The store is No. 13 on the reconstructed map of 1828 Springfield.) However, … Continue reading →

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Maydie Spaulding Lee

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

Mary Thankful Spaulding Lee — known universally as “Maydie” — has been overshadowed in history by her dynamic brothers, Willis and Charles Spaulding. But some of those involved in Springfield’s early 1900s’ progressive movement, including poet Vachel Lindsay, suggested that … Continue reading →

Posted in Lindsay, Vachel, Prominent figures, Women | Tagged | Leave a comment

Edward Levanius

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

Edward Levanius (1877-1970) ,who worked in Springfield for more than 65 years, was a master of tombstone art. Born in Landskrona, Sweden, Levanius immigrated to the United States at the age of 16. Before he moved to Springfield, Levanius lived in … Continue reading →

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Funeral of President Lincoln (sketch)

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

Illustrator William Waud and his brother Alfred, both born in London, covered the Civil War for Harper’s Weekly, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper and the New York Illustrated News.  William Waud then followed the Abraham Lincoln funeral train across country. His … Continue reading →

Posted in Historic Sites, Illustrations, Journalism, Lincoln Tomb, Lincoln, Abraham | Tagged | Leave a comment