Author Archives: editor

Columbus ‘Pigeon’ Wilson (Sangamon County Poor Farm)

Posted on February 22, 2015 by editor

Columbus “Pigeon” Wilson (birth and death dates unknown), lived at the the Sangamon County Poor Farm near Buffalo longer than any other resident. Because of his delusions about great wealth, he also became the home’s best-known resident.

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Sangamon County Poor Farm

Posted on February 22, 2015 by editor

Sangamon County first created a home to care for the poor, feeble, disabled and mentally ill in 1851, four years after famed social reformer Dorothea Dix wrote a scathing commentary about the county’s practice of keeping paupers and the insane … Continue reading →

Posted in Local government, Medicine, Public health, Sangamon County, Social services | 6 Comments

Sangamon County/Springfield timeline, 1818-1840

Posted on February 17, 2015 by editor

The following timeline is taken from a handout distributed by Melinda Garvert for a talk she presented at the Iles House on Feb. 17, 2015. Reprinted with permission. 1818 —  Illinois becomes the 21st state in the union due to … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Early residents, Illinois capital, Local government, Prominent figures, Sangamon County, Springfield, State government | 14 Comments

Lincoln Home neighborhood in 1971 (Nelson Howarth)

Posted on February 11, 2015 by editor

Nelson Howarth, with only a week to go in his third and final term as mayor of Springfield, testified in April 1971 before the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Parks and Recreation in support of designating the Lincoln Home neighborhood … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Historic Sites, Lincoln Home, Lincoln, Abraham, Local government, Museums, National Register, Parks, Presidents, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Executive Mansion demolition plan, 1963

Posted on February 10, 2015 by editor

Postponed maintenance, repair crises and general dilapidation have been recurring problems at the Illinois Executive Mansion – most recently in 2014 and 2015, when a leaky roof and mold in the basement helped create a need for more than $5 … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Historic Sites, Illinois capital, State government | 1 Comment

Lincoln Library Carnegie building, 1904-74

Posted on February 5, 2015 by editor

Springfield residents fondly remember the city’s Carnegie library, opened in 1904 and demolished in 1974, for some of the same features that ultimately made the building unsuitable as a library. The library was memorably described by Margaret Boswell in an … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Arts and letters, Buildings, Local government | 13 Comments

‘Mary Todd Lincoln’ misnomer

Posted on January 30, 2015 by editor

In a Jan. 29, 2015, talk introducing her new book, Mary Lincoln: Southern Girl, Northern Woman, Stacy Pratt McDermott, assistant director/associate editor of the Papers of Abraham Lincoln, listed 10 things she wanted her audience to know about Mary. No. … Continue reading →

Posted in Histories, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures, Women | Leave a comment

Mary Lou Schneider (Smokey’s Den)

Posted on January 30, 2015 by editor

Mary Lou “Smokey” Schneider operated Smokey’s Den, Springfield’s first bar openly catering to the gay community, from 1966 to 2003. See Smokey’s Den.

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Smokey’s Den

Posted on January 30, 2015 by editor

Smokey’s Den, originally at 127 N. Fifth St., was the first bar in Springfield that openly catered to gay men and women. When Smokey’s closed in 2003, after nearly four decades in business, it was thought to be the oldest … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Business, Hotels & taverns, Prominent figures, Social life | Leave a comment

Early farming changes (William Herndon description)

Posted on January 25, 2015 by editor

On Aug. 31, 1876, William Herndon (1818-91), Abraham Lincoln’s last law partner and biographer, spoke to the ninth annual meeting of the Old Settlers of Sangamon County. Here is part of his speech, in which he recounts changes in farming … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Early residents, Farming, Histories, Prominent figures | Leave a comment