Author Archives: editor

International Union of Operating Engineers, 1930s (photo)

Posted on January 10, 2018 by editor

Springfield-based Local 965 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, founded in 1931, struggled at its start, largely because of the Great Depression. But there was another problem, according to an international union official who critiqued the local in 1933: … Continue reading →

Posted in Labor unions | Leave a comment

Coldest day in Springfield history (1905)

Posted on January 4, 2018 by editor

Springfield’s temperature fell to 24 degrees below zero at 7 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, 1905, the lowest official reading ever recorded in the city. Engines seized up, gas mains failed, and the destitute crowded local jails. Even the ink … Continue reading →

Posted in Disasters, Fires, Illinois capital, Weather | Leave a comment

New Year’s 1918

Posted on December 30, 2017 by editor

A lack of liquor meant a quiet New Year’s Eve a century ago in Springfield. City residents had voted in April 1917 to ban saloons and alcohol, and the Illinois State Register reported on the consequences for New Year’s revelry on … Continue reading →

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‘The ague’ in early Sangamon County

Posted on December 28, 2017 by editor

“The ague” was the common term for malaria, which infested Sangamon County during most of the 19th century. See Malaria in early Sangamon County.

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Malaria in early Sangamon County

Posted on December 28, 2017 by editor

The Sangamo Country of the early 1800s was an agricultural paradise in many ways, but it had one major drawback: the anopheles mosquito, which carried the malaria parasite. Virtually every early resident of central Illinois was exposed to malaria – … Continue reading →

Posted in Early residents, Medicine | 1 Comment

First dial telephones (1930s)

Posted on December 25, 2017 by editor

Six hundred dial telephones were put into service at the Illinois Statehouse in March 1934, the first use of dial technology anywhere in Sangamon County. However, no one in the Capitol could dial a phone outside the building for nearly … Continue reading →

Posted in Communications | Leave a comment

Camp Butler (Civil War training camp)

Posted on December 17, 2017 by editor

At the start of the Civil War in 1861, states scrambled to build training facilities for the influx of raw recruits.  Springfield’s first attempt at a location was Camp Yates, an area bordered today by Washington, Governor, Lincoln and Douglas … Continue reading →

Posted in Historic Sites, Military | 11 Comments

Courthouse square locomotive

Posted on December 17, 2017 by editor

Two thousand people filled Adams Street in 1915 to watch a steam locomotive puff its way from Third Street to the courthouse square. The engine – the Chicago & Alton Railroad’s No. 533 – was set up on the south … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Historic Sites, Spectacles | Leave a comment

Second Christmas parade (1929)

Posted on December 8, 2017 by editor

Correction: This entry has been retitled. The first Christmas parade (smaller and less formal) in Springfield was held in 1914. You can read about it here. Embarrasssed apologies from SangamonLink’s editor, who wrote both entries, for forgetting the first one. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Celebrations, Children, Department stores, Depression, Spectacles | 1 Comment

Frank Tracy (banker)

Posted on December 3, 2017 by editor

Frank W. Tracy (1833-1903) was president of the First National Bank and an investor, alderman, school board member and civic leader. See First electrified home.

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