Author Archives: editor

Springfield street car service

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

Both the Capital Railway Co. and the Springfield City Railway Co. began horse-drawn trolley service in 1866, according to the History of Springfield, Illinois, Its Attractions as a Home and Advantage for Business, written by John Carroll Power in 1871. … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Transportation | Tagged | 6 Comments

Springfield tornado of 1957

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

The storm that forever repudiated the theory that Springfield was immune to tornadoes occurred at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14, 1957. The storm — later designated as F4 in severity — swept through the south side of Springfield, killing … Continue reading →

Posted in Disasters, Weather | Tagged | 1 Comment

Springfield Woolen Mills

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

The Springfield Woolen Mills produced woolen cloth and textiles for Central Illinois and consumers around the United States.  The mills operated from 1834 until 1906. For much of that time, the operation was housed in a three-story brick plant on … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Business, Industry, Mills, Prominent figures | 3 Comments

Ss. Peter and Paul Church

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 426 N. Sixth St., completed in 1866, was closed in 2001 and demolished in 2002. St. Pete’s, as it was known, was formed when Irish and German Catholics decided to form separate parishes in … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Churches | Tagged , | 19 Comments

St. Joseph’s Home

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

St. Joseph’s Home, a nursing home for the elderly at 3303 S. Sixth Street Road, opened in 1903. Officials announced in the fall of 2021 it would close that December. The home was operated by a Catholic order of nuns, … Continue reading →

Posted in Public health | Tagged | Leave a comment

Judge Lawrence Stone

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

Judge Lawrence E. Stone (1875-1946) served as a Sangamon County circuit judge and then an appellate judge from 1932 until his death. At his death, he was thought to hold the record for having his circuit-court decisions upheld by higher … Continue reading →

Posted in Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Street car ‘war’ of 1890

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

Springfield’s street car “war” of 1890 actually consisted of several months’ worth of legal and political maneuvering between two local street car operators, although a brief confrontation on Spring Street did leave the president of one of the companies with … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Industry, Local government, Transportation | Tagged | 2 Comments

John Todd Stuart

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

John Todd Stuart (1807-85) was Abraham Lincoln’s first law partner, a cousin of Mary Lincoln, a three-term U.S. representative and an influential resident of Springfield for 57 years. Stuart was born in Kentucky and moved to Springfield, already a lawyer, … Continue reading →

Posted in Early residents, Illinois capital, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The ‘Sudden Change’

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

When John Carroll Power was collecting material for his 1876 history of Sangamon County’s early settlers, he was frequently asked, “Has any person told you about the sudden change?” Several old-timers recalled to him the bizarre events of Dec. 20, … Continue reading →

Posted in Disasters, Early residents, Weather | Leave a comment

Sugar Creek Covered Bridge

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

The Sugar Creek Covered Bridge, the last covered bridge in Sangamon County, spans Sugar Creek a few hundred yards south of where early settler Robert Pulliam built a cabin during his first visit to the area in 1817. The 60-foot … Continue reading →

Posted in Historic Sites | Tagged , , | 7 Comments