Author Archives: editor

Bressmer department store fire, 1948

Posted on December 11, 2016 by editor

Fire caused by a lightning bolt destroyed the John Bressmer Co. department store in downtown Springfield early on May 2, 1948. First reports estimated damages of $2 million. Even though that figure was later adjusted downward to about $1.3 million, … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Business, Department stores, Fires | 2 Comments

Samuel Lewis (first rural mail carrier)

Posted on December 2, 2016 by editor

Samuel Lewis of Auburn was the first person to contract with the U.S. Post Office to deliver mail to rural residents of Sangamon County. See Rural mail delivery begins, 1896.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Frank Hatch Jones (politician, postmaster)

Posted on December 2, 2016 by editor

Frank Hatch Jones of Springfield (later Chicago) was U.S. first assistant postmaster general when mail delivery began to rural households. See Rural mail delivery begins, 1896. 

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Rural mail delivery begins, 1896

Posted on December 2, 2016 by editor

The first rural mail deliveries in Sangamon County – in fact, in all of Illinois – took place in the Auburn area on Dec. 10, 1896. Rural Free Delivery, as it became known, started as a nationwide experiment, one many … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Politics, Prominent figures | 9 Comments

Boston Store fire, 1915

Posted on November 30, 2016 by editor

What was thought to be Springfield’s most disastrous fire ever, up to that point, demolished The Boston Store on the east side of the downtown square on Dec. 7, 1915. The Boston Store was part of a loosely affiliated chain … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Business, Department stores, Disasters, Fires, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Most costly fires in Springfield, 1904-48

Posted on November 30, 2016 by editor

The following list of the most destructive fires in Springfield history was published in the May 3, 1948, Illinois State Journal. The list is based solely on the amount of property damage. Damage estimates are not adjusted for inflation. Preliminary … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Business, Department stores, Disasters, Fires | 6 Comments

Corn husking competitions

Posted on November 26, 2016 by editor

Nearly 4,000 “farmers, farmers’ wives and children” jammed the grounds of the F.I. Taylor farm near New Berlin on Nov. 21, 1924, for the first annual Illinois State Corn Husking contest. The competition, sponsored by Prairie Farmer magazine, continued into … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Amusements, Farming | Leave a comment

‘Wine to water’ mystery, 1923

Posted on November 19, 2016 by editor

Hauler Ira Dudley was accused of stealing wine in what became known as Springfield’s own wine-to-water miracle of 1923. See Stable fire, 1915.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Stable fire, 1915

Posted on November 19, 2016 by editor

Fifty-one horses were “roasted and steamed to death” in a fire that destroyed a stable owned by Ira Dudley in the 900 block of East Washington Street on Sept. 15, 1915. The fire was discovered by two men walking along … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Disasters, Fires | Leave a comment

Gov. John Tanner Monument

Posted on November 13, 2016 by editor

Gov. John Tanner (1897-1901) is interred in one of the most visible monuments at Oak Ridge Cemetery. See “Battle of Virden”.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment