Author Archives: editor

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

First traffic signals (1924)

Posted on February 7, 2022 by editor

Struggling with out-of-control auto traffic downtown, Springfield decided in 1924 to experiment with traffic signals. Officials chose the intersection of Sixth and Monroe streets for the city’s first set of stop-and-go lights. They started working Nov. 5, 1924. One set … Continue reading →

Posted in Law enforcement, Local government, Transportation | 4 Comments

Springfield Auto Club ‘safety lanes’

Posted on February 5, 2022 by editor

Fifteen hundred motorists pulled their vehicles through the Springfield Automobile Club’s free “safety lane” on the south side of the downtown square in April 1930. Some did it twice. Safety lanes were a nationwide initiative of the American Automobile Association, … Continue reading →

Posted in Auto dealers, Business, Transportation | Leave a comment

Cathedral High School basketball champions, 1939

Posted on January 28, 2022 by editor

Springfield’s Cathedral Boys High School won its only Illinois Catholic Conference basketball tournament in 1939. The 16-team event was held at the Illinois State Armory Feb. 24-26. Cathedral’s 285 students (as the name suggests, the school was open only to … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Schools and school districts, Sports and recreation, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Springfield Giants (Class D baseball)

Posted on January 25, 2022 by editor

The Springfield Giants played one season, 1950, in the Class D Mississippi-Ohio Valley baseball minor league. See Springfield Sallies.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Springfield Sallies (professional women’s baseball)

Posted on January 25, 2022 by editor

Note: This entry was expanded in May 2025 to add information on local women who played in the AAGPBL. See below. The Springfield Sallies were one of the least successful, and also shortest-lived, teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Parks, Prominent figures, Sports and recreation, Women | 2 Comments

The Krehbiel murals (Illinois Supreme Court)

Posted on January 20, 2022 by editor

The first public art Albert Krehbiel created apparently was on the buggies, carriages and delivery wagons his father manufactured in Iowa. His most famous works, however, are the 13 allegorical murals that decorate the Illinois Supreme Court Building in Springfield. … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Architecture, Arts and letters, Buildings, Illinois capital, State government | Leave a comment

Alfred Piquenard, Statehouse architect

Posted on January 9, 2022 by editor

The question of who deserves credit for designing the Illinois Statehouse has a complicated answer. When commissioners awarded the first design contract, newspaper stories called it “the plan of J.C. Cochrane,” referring to Chicago architect John C. Cochrane. An early … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Historic Sites, Illinois capital, Prominent figures, State government | 2 Comments