Author Archives: editor

Billy Sunday revival (1909)

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

Evangelist Billy Sunday’s six-week-long revival meeting in Springfield in 1909 is remembered chiefly because of a spectacular attack on Sunday the very first night of the revival. Sunday’s revivals were typically held in open-air “tabernacles” specially constructed for the evangelist. … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches, Social services | Tagged | 4 Comments

The Sunshine School

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

The Sunshine School, housed on the north side of Springfield High School, was an early special education facility. It also was part of a nationwide effort to combat diseases such as tuberculosis. Many school districts across the country hosted similar … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Education, Fever River | Tagged | Leave a comment

Talisman steamboat

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

The Talisman, a “splendid upper cabin steamer,” left Cincinnati on Feb. 2, 1832, bound for Springfield via the Ohio, Mississippi, Illinois and — most importantly to central Illinoisans — the Sangamon rivers. The venture raised hopes that the Sangamon could … Continue reading →

Posted in Lincoln, Abraham, Sangamon River, Transportation | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Col. John Taylor (1828 pioneers)

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

This entry has been edited (2025) to remove a photo incorrectly identified as that of Col. John Taylor. Col. John Taylor (1780-1849) was a pioneer merchant, land speculator and Sangamon County official, serving as the county’s first sheriff and as … Continue reading →

Posted in Early residents, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures, Sangamon County, Springfield | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Temple B’rith Sholom

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

Temple B’rith Sholom, Springfield’s Reform synagogue, began with 19 members in 1858. Originally called the Springfield Jewish Congregation, the group first met in a third-floor room at 216 S. Sixth St. It later moved to Hart’s Hall at 221 S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches, Jewish, Lincoln, Abraham | Leave a comment

Temple Israel

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

Temple Israel, 1140 W. Governor St., traces its history to Eastern European Jewish immigrants’ arrival in Springfield in the 1880s. They established an Orthodox synagogue, B’Nai Abraham, at  Seventh and Mason streets. The temple’s longtime rabbi, Rabbi Barry Marks, wrote … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches, Jewish | Tagged | Leave a comment

Dr. John Todd

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

John Todd (1787-1865) was Mary Lincoln’s uncle and the de facto patriarch of the Springfield Todds. Born near Lexington, Ky., Todd received an excellent education, first becoming one of the earliest graduates of Transylvania University in Lexington, then graduating from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Early residents, Prominent figures | Tagged | 3 Comments

Torrence Mill

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

The Torrence Mill, one of the last watermills to operate in Sangamon County, was on the South Fork of the Sangamon River in Cotton Hill Township, north of modern-day New City Road. The Torrence Mill dates to the late 1830s. … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Industry, Mills | Leave a comment

The Town House

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

The Town House, a condominium building at 718-20 S. Seventh St., was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 partly for its architectural distinction and partly because of its historic import as one of the few urban-style … Continue reading →

Posted in Historic Sites | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Township government

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

When Sangamon County was organized in 1821, it was governed under the only form of county government the state constitution then permitted. The control of county functions was in the hands of a three-person elected commission, a form of county … Continue reading →

Posted in Local government, Sangamon County | Leave a comment