Author Archives: editor

The Booker’s Tavern corner (11th and South Grand)

Posted on April 11, 2022 by editor

“Squire Butler is Dead”, proclaimed a headline in the April 12, 1902, Illinois State Journal. “George H. Butler, familiarly known as ‘Squire’ Butler, was a character in the neighborhood of his home at 1124 South Grand avenue, east,” the Journal … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Buildings, Business, Hotels & taverns, Social life | 2 Comments

Edward Baxter (sheriff)

Posted on March 27, 2022 by editor

Edward Baxter was Sangamon County sheriff from 1894 to 1898. See Pawnee posse captures burglars, 1899.

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Pawnee posse captures burglars, 1899

Posted on March 27, 2022 by editor

A posse of Pawnee citizens corralled two burglars in a remote crossroads schoolhouse on Dec. 9, 1899. The two surrendered after a tense standoff. But their criminal careers would include one last episode in Springfield. The men, identified as Frank … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Law enforcement, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

171 Springfield grocery stores, 1917 (list)

Posted on March 20, 2022 by editor

In February 1917, Quaker Oats partnered with Pettijohn’s Breakfast Food (Pettijohn’s made a wheat bran cereal that, like oatmeal, needed to be cooked) to offer a deal to Springfield households: anyone who sent in trademarks from the two cereals could … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Grocery markets, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Roy Bertelli, ‘Mr. Accordion’

Posted on March 12, 2022 by editor

Roy Bertelli’s mortal remains are at Oak Ridge Cemetery. His accordion is not. The internet is wrong on both counts. (Who could have guessed?) Bertelli (1910-2003), who called himself “Mr. Accordion,” gained local fame in 1997, when he paid $30,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

‘Ghost towns’ of Sangamon County

Posted on March 7, 2022 by editor

This entry has been expanded. See “Hat tips” below.  Sangamon County doesn’t have the kind of ghost towns sometimes portrayed in Western movies. But a variety of vanished or forgotten place names dot the county, each of which tells its … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities | 3 Comments

Louie Mitchell, pioneer aviator

Posted on February 27, 2022 by editor

Louis “Louie” Mitchell not only was one of America’s first air pilots; at 210 pounds, he also was the heaviest. Mitchell had no connection to Sangamon County in life, but his final resting place is in Oak Ridge Cemetery’s Abbey … Continue reading →

Posted in Air travel, Transportation | Leave a comment

U.S. Grant marches to Island Grove, 1861

Posted on February 24, 2022 by editor

In 1927, Benjamin Warfield Brown, the son of agricultural pioneer James N. Brown, published a short memory of then-Col. U.S. Grant’s 1861 visit to the Brown family farm in western Sangamon County. The visit turned out to be, literally, part … Continue reading →

Posted in Celebrations, Early residents, Historic Sites, Military, Presidents, Prominent figures, Social life | Leave a comment

James N. Brown, founder of Illinois State Fair

Posted on February 21, 2022 by editor

James N. Brown helped create the Republican Party in Illinois. He bred famous shorthorn cattle on a showplace farm that stretched across Sangamon and Morgan counties. He was the second person (behind Cyrus McCormick, but ahead of Jonathan Baldwin Turner … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Animals, Early residents, Environment, Farming, Prominent figures | 2 Comments

First parking meters (1941)

Posted on February 16, 2022 by editor

Update: The city of Springfield announced in May 2026 that downtown parking meters were slated to be removed. The city eliminated the requirement for people to feed meters during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. — Ed.  Confusion, reluctance and a little … Continue reading →

Posted in Law enforcement, Local government, Transportation, Uncategorized | Leave a comment