Author Archives: editor

Cantrall: First church, first marriage

Posted on April 22, 2013 by editor

Founded and named: The village of Cantrall was originally named Antioch, but the name was changed to honor the Cantrall family, who were among the first European settlers of the area. In unusually precise fashion, the Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches, Disasters, Early residents | Tagged | 12 Comments

Curran

Posted on April 21, 2013 by editor

Curran was founded in the 1830s and laid out in the 1850s, when a store and post office also were established. However, the community wasn’t formally incorporated until 2005, when area residents decided to seek aid to build a sewer … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Communities, Early residents, Local government, Prominent figures | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Coal mining fatalities

Posted on April 21, 2013 by editor

Several hundred coal miners and mine workers lost their lives in Sangamon County mines through 1930, according to researcher Wayne Hinton.* Hinton’s former website also reported on four Sangamon County mine “disasters,” defined as any incident between 1880 and 1986 … Continue reading →

Posted in Coal mines and mining, Disasters | Tagged | Leave a comment

Ursuline Sisters: Pioneer educators

Posted on April 21, 2013 by editor

The Ursuline order of Catholic nuns played an important role in educating Springfield’s young from the mid-1800s through most of the 20th century, founding Ursuline Academy, a high school originally for girls only and Springfield Junior College, for decades Springfield’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches, Education, Prominent figures | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Pleasant Plains

Posted on April 21, 2013 by editor

The first Europeans settled near what is now Pleasant Plains about 1819, and a “Mr. Spillars” was operating a horse-powered grist mill by almost the same time. From the 1830s to the 1850s, a stagecoach line connected Springfield to Beardstown, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches, Communities, Early residents, Historic Sites, Prominent figures | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Divernon

Posted on April 19, 2013 by editor

According to Divernon: Its Place in Time, a centennial history written by David Brady in 2000, the village of Divernon began as one of four depots on a Litchfield-to-Springfield railroad formally known as the St. Louis & Chicago Railway Co. Informally, … Continue reading →

Posted in Coal mines and mining, Communities | Tagged | 15 Comments

Edwards Place: Center of social life

Posted on April 18, 2013 by editor

In 1833, Dr. Thomas Houghan, an early Springfield physician, built a 1½-story brick house in a 14-acre grove of elm, walnut, and maple trees on the northern edge of Springfield. The home, greatly altered over the years, now is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Early residents, Historic Sites, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Leland Grove

Posted on April 17, 2013 by editor

The city of Leland Grove was formed in response to a plague of potholes. Subdivision development took off in the area, on the southwest side of the city of Springfield, after World War II. But it wasn’t an easy sell. … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Local government, Prominent figures, Transportation | Tagged | Leave a comment

Grandview

Posted on April 17, 2013 by editor

Founded: Like Jerome and Southern View, the village of Grandview, which lies along North Grand Avenue east of Wheeler Avenue, was formed in 1939 so the village could obtain water from the city of Springfield. The incorporation initiative began with … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Local government | Leave a comment

Southern View

Posted on April 17, 2013 by editor

Like Grandview and Jerome, the village of Southern View, which abuts Springfield’s south side, was formed so the village could obtain water from the city of Springfield. Founded: Southern View residents voted 117 to 30 in 1939 to incorporate in … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Local government, Uncategorized | Leave a comment