Author Archives: editor

J. Waldo Ackerman

Posted on April 15, 2015 by editor

J. Waldo Ackerman, later a federal judge, played major roles in the investigations of corruption allegations against state officials Orville Hodge in the 1950s and Paul Powell in the 1970s. See George Coutrakon, prosecutor. Also see Ackerman’s comments in the … Continue reading →

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George P. Coutrakon, prosecutor

Posted on April 15, 2015 by editor

Prosecutor George P. Coutrakon (1906-99) was a strict constructionist when it came to cleaning up vice-ridden Sangamon County following World War II – even when that meant challenging the Catholic church. Nelson Howarth, who was an assistant to Coutrakon in … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Greeks, Local government, Prominent figures | 1 Comment

Sgt. Joseph M. Hall (World War I)

Posted on April 12, 2015 by editor

Sgt. Joseph M. Hall, killed on Armistice Day, 1918, is co-namesake of Hall-Hagler Chapter 15, Disabled American Veterans.

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Kent Dunlap Hagler (World War I)

Posted on April 12, 2015 by editor

Kent Dunlap Hagler, who died in 1920, apparently of injuries suffered while an ambulance driver in World War, is a co-namesake of Hall-Hagler Chapter  15, Disabled  American Veterans.

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Hall-Hagler chapter, Disabled American Veterans

Posted on April 12, 2015 by editor

Springfield’s Hall-Hagler chapter of the Disabled American Veterans is named in honor of two World War I casualties who hailed from the city. Sgt. Joe Hall (1891-1918) died during the waning hours of the war – at 8:45 a.m. on … Continue reading →

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

Springfield city charter election, 1840

Posted on April 6, 2015 by editor

Springfield officially became a city on April 6, 1840. Springfield already had been incorporated as a town in 1832. As the community grew, however, city officials – including Abraham Lincoln, who became a town board member in 1839 — asked … Continue reading →

Posted in Local government, Politics, Springfield | 1 Comment

Stuart Elementary School

Posted on April 5, 2015 by editor

The Sixth Ward Primary School, located between Sixth and Seventh streets and Vine Street and South Grand Avenue, was the first Springfield public school organized after the original four ward schools. Stuart was built in 1883 and closed after the … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Early residents, Education, John T. Stuart, Prominent figures, Schools and school districts, Women | 25 Comments

Lithuanian radicals in Sangamon County

Posted on April 3, 2015 by editor

Excerpted from the introduction to “Leftist Lithuanians,” an entry  on the blog Lithuanians in Springfield, lllinois, written by Sandy Baksys: From the beginning of 1930s through the late 1950s, Springfield seems to have been home to the “Lithuanian Lodge,” the local … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethnic groups, Lithuanians, Politics, Social life, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Senate Theater

Posted on March 30, 2015 by editor

See The potato matinee of 1925.

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Lincoln Theater

Posted on March 30, 2015 by editor

See The potato matinee of 1925.

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