Author Archives: editor

John Knoepfle

See Sangamon County poets.

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Isaac Diller mansion

See Robert Rudolph. 

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Palmer Tuberculosis Sanitarium

See Open Air Colony.

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Guy Mathis

Guy Mathis (1866-1932) was a ground-breaking photographer and automobile entrepreneur in Springfield. Mathis is best remembered today for his photography.  In addition to opening the city’s first camera shop in the late 18990s, Mathis took hundreds of photos himself, with … Continue reading →

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Gov. Joel Matteson mansion

Springfield’s most elaborate early dwelling was that of former governor Joel Matteson (1808-73; governor, 1853-57). Matteson had moved into the then-new Executive Mansion during his gubernatorial term, but found it to be “dull and unfashionable.” So, Paul Angle reported in … Continue reading →

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Larkin Mead, Lincoln Tomb designer

Larkin Mead (1835-1910), who designed the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, got his artistic start from a snow angel. Not the kind children make by lying down in snow, but an 8-foot-tall, highly detailed snow statue of the biblical Recording … Continue reading →

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Mechanics and Farmers Bank

Although it is mentioned briefly in Paul Angle’s Here I Have Lived: A History of Lincoln’s Springfield, little is known about the short-lived Mechanics and Farmers Bank of Springfield. The bank was created in the late summer of 1852, when … Continue reading →

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John Todd Stuart’s memoir of Springfield

John Todd Stuart (1807-85) was Abraham Lincoln’s mentor and first law partner. He served three terms in both the Illinois General Assembly and U.S. Congress. Stuart, who arrived in Springfield from Kentucky in 1828, described the community as he found … Continue reading →

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Zimri Enos’ memoir of early Springfield

Zimri Enos (1821-1907), the son of Pascal and Salome Paddock Enos, came to Springfield with his family at age two. He became a lawyer, engineer, surveyor and property developer and served as a Springfield city alderman and member of the … Continue reading →

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Merchants and Shippers Association

The Merchants and Shippers Association of Springfield was organized in 1876. The group differed from the recently defunct Springfield Board of Trade only in name; the focus on industrial development and, to some extent, the membership of the two organizations … Continue reading →

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