Author Archives: editor

Wimmer Cemetery, Auburn

Posted on October 10, 2018 by editor

Wimmer Cemetery, an inactive but by no means abandoned graveyard east of Auburn, is one of Sangamon County’s oldest burying places. No one has been buried at Wimmer since 1934, and by 1999, the site was overgrown, dilapidated and vandalized. … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Historic Sites | 2 Comments

Riverton Athletic Club

Posted on October 3, 2018 by editor

The mammoth home run Robin Roberts hit on Oct. 14, 1951, remains a highlight in the 80-year history of the Riverton Athletic Club. Roberts, a Springfield native who had just completed the second of his six 20-win seasons as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Parks, Social life, Sports and recreation | 1 Comment

The Sangamon River

Posted on September 26, 2018 by editor

In 1831, a new Illinois county was formed from parts of Madison and Bond counties. The new county was named for the river that bisected it: the Sangamon. The headwater of the Sangamon River is a small stream emerging from … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Farming, Mills, Prehistory, Sangamon River, Sports and recreation, Transportation | Leave a comment

Great National Horse Show and Equestrian Fair, 1865

Posted on September 23, 2018 by editor

The 11th annual Great National Horse Show and Equestrian Fair, held on the outskirts of Springfield in August 1865, was neither national nor, apparently, all that great. But it did draw Harper’s Weekly, the era’s most popular magazine, to central … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Illustrations, Maps, Spectacles, Sports and recreation | Leave a comment

Rules for the First Methodist Church choir (1887)

Posted on September 18, 2018 by editor

Singing in a church choir was a duty to be taken seriously in 1887, at least if you belonged to the choir of First Methodist Episcopal Church in Springfield. The photos below spell out all the rules. But singers had … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches | Leave a comment

Dan Patch sets state fair race record (1906)

Posted on September 13, 2018 by editor

An estimated 40,000 people watched Dan Patch, the world’s most famous harness horse, set a new Illinois State Fair pacing record on Oct. 2, 1906. Dan Patch covered the one-mile fairgrounds track in 1:59¼, the first time a harness horse … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Animals, Social life, Sports and recreation | 1 Comment

Sangamo/Schlumberger Watthour Meter Serial Log

Posted on September 3, 2018 by editor

Hat tip: The following information, designed to help people determine the manufacturing dates of their Sangamo Electric watthour meters, was provided by SangamonLink reader David Dahle. Our thanks to him. Sangamo/Schlumberger watthour meter serial log Year                      Serial Numbers      … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Industry, Resources, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Labor Day, 1918

Posted on September 2, 2018 by editor

Springfield union members made plans for a giant parade on Labor Day 1918, one designed to highlight labor’s support for U.S. soldiers fighting in World War I as well as for the union movement. But it was rained out. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Celebrations, Communications, Labor unions, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Fashions in men’s hats, 1904 (John Lutz store)

Posted on August 27, 2018 by editor

Hats were a high-fashion item for men in 1904, and John Lutz, one of downtown’s longest-lasting hatters and haberdashers, offered a lot of choices. When he died, Lutz (1856-1921) had sold men’s clothing from the same address, 204 S. Sixth … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Illustrations, Prominent figures, Social life | Leave a comment

Maj. George W. Ford (Camp Butler superintendent)

Posted on August 24, 2018 by editor

Maj. George W. Ford was a rarity – an African-American who held a supervisory position in early 20th-century Sangamon County. Ford (1847-1939) also was an outspoken opponent of the Ku Klux Klan and racism, a friend of both W.E.B. DuBois … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Ethnic groups, Military, Prominent figures | 2 Comments