Author Archives: editor

Miss Nellie Hughes (librarian)

Posted on September 22, 2015 by editor

Miss Nellie Hughes was librarian at Lincoln Library’s North Branch from its founding in 1926 until her retirement in 1972. See North Side State Bank collapse, 1927.

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Lincoln Library North Branch

Posted on September 22, 2015 by editor

Lincoln Library’s North Branch was in a former bank building at 719-21 North Grand Ave. E. from 1931 until 2005. See North Side State Bank collapse, 1927.

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North Side State Bank collapse, 1927

Posted on September 22, 2015 by editor

The North Side State Bank operated from 1920 to 1927, when state auditors ordered it closed in the wake of a complicated financial scandal involving two banks, three insurance companies, and a former Springfield resident who may have absconded with … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and letters, Buildings, Business, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Downtown arches

Posted on September 17, 2015 by editor

The steel arches that once dominated the four corners of Springfield’s downtown square went from being a graceful addition to an eyesore in barely 20 years. Actually, Springfield erected two sets of arches on the square in the late 1800s. … Continue reading →

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E. Carl Lundgren

Posted on September 8, 2015 by editor

Music educator E. Carl Lundgren was the main force behind creation of the Springfield Muni Opera. See that entry.

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Tom Shrewsbury (Muni Opera)

Posted on September 8, 2015 by editor

Tom Shrewsbury was among a group of civic and arts leaders who revived the Springfield Muni Opera in the 1960s. See Springfield Muni Opera.

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Springfield Muni Opera

Posted on September 8, 2015 by editor

The Springfield Muni Opera’s earliest ancestor was a play named “Good News,” performed by the Springfield Municipal Choir at Lanphier Park on July 28, 1938. But today’s outdoor community musical theater more accurately dates from a presentation of “Bye Bye … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Arts and letters, Local government, Prominent figures, Social life, Theaters | 8 Comments

Lauterbach Cottage Hardware ax attacks (1981)

Posted on September 1, 2015 by editor

No one was ever charged with the 1981 ax attacks at Lauterbach’s Cottage Hardware Store, but the case did lead to a change in Illinois’ mental-health privacy law. The attacks took place inside the family-owned hardware store at 15th Street … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Crime and vice, Law enforcement | 21 Comments

Birds of Sangamon County

Posted on August 28, 2015 by editor

A 40-year study by Illinois State Museum ornithologist H. David Bohlen found 359 different species of birds in Sangamon County. However, Bohlen warns in his report, published online by the museum in 2013, that increasing human population has badly reduced … Continue reading →

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Hay-Edwards School (1914-2000)

Posted on August 27, 2015 by editor

The former Hay-Edwards School, for which redevelopment plans were announced in August 2015, got its name from a former mayor and school board chairman and a prominent Springfield family. Charles Hay (1841-1916), a brother of President Abraham Lincoln’s secretary (and later … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Local government, Prominent figures, Schools and school districts | 4 Comments