Author Archives: editor

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

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was created when Springfield’s Evangelical Lutheran congregation, organized in 1841 in the home of the Rev. Francis Springer, split into German and English wings in 1854. In 1854, the trustees of the Evangelical Lutheran Church were … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches, Education | Tagged | Leave a comment

Union Station

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

Springfield’s Union Station is a former railroad passenger terminal that has been converted into a visitors center for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The station opened in 1898. … Continue reading →

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Utopian Socialism in Sangamon County

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

A brief experiment in the 1840s near Loami brought the ideals of “utopian socialism” to Sangamon County. The experiment, called the Sangamon Association and then the Integral Phalanx, was based on the ideas of French philosopher Charles Fourier. He believed … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Communities | Tagged , | 1 Comment