Category Archives: Business

Weaver Manufacturing

Posted on October 4, 2013 by editor

Weaver Manufacturing, founded in Springfield by brothers Ira and Gailard Weaver, was for a time the nation’s largest manufacturer of automobile garage equipment, such as jacks, safety test equipment, hydraulic presses and other items. Ira “I.A.” Weaver (1871-1965), was the … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Industry, Prominent figures | Tagged , | 34 Comments

WICS television

Posted on October 4, 2013 by editor

WICS signed on for the first time on Sept. 30, 1953, broadcasting the World Series between the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees, according to Doug Quick, who has compiled a massive online history of central Illinois broadcasting. The station’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Business | Tagged , | 2 Comments

John Williams (1828 pioneers)

Posted on October 4, 2013 by editor

John Williams (1808-90) was an early Springfield merchant and later, according to his Illinois State Journal obituary, a banker, railroad developer, mine owner and farmer. A friend and political ally of Abraham Lincoln, Williams later was a member of the … Continue reading →

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Rechner’s Bakery

Posted on May 22, 2013 by editor

Rechner’s Bakery, founded by August Rechner early in the 20th century, was known for its buttercake. The business closed in the 1980s. Bob Cavanagh recounted Rechner’s history in an Illinois Times article published in 2004. IT’s Julianne Glatz explored the … Continue reading →

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A. C. Connor’s Meat Market

Posted on May 22, 2013 by editor

A.C. Connor opened Springfield’s first cash-and-carry meat market at 628 E. Washington St. in 1907. From left: A. C. Connor, Howard Nation, Harvey Connor, Mable Worthington, Julius Schlauber, Joe Englehart and Mr. Cadwallader. Original content copyright Sangamon County Historical Society. You are … Continue reading →

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Curran

Posted on April 21, 2013 by editor

Curran was founded in the 1830s and laid out in the 1850s, when a store and post office also were established. However, the community wasn’t formally incorporated until 2005, when area residents decided to seek aid to build a sewer … Continue reading →

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Illinois Watch Co.

Posted on April 15, 2013 by editor

For a half-century, Springfield’s Illinois Watch Company was a nationally respected maker of timepieces. At its peak, between 1900 and 1928, Illinois Watch employed 1,300 workers, turned out 800 watches a day and was one of Sangamon County’s largest employers. The … Continue reading →

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Park Sherman Company

Posted on April 15, 2013 by editor

The Park Sherman Company operated in Springfield from the early 1930s, when founder Jacob Sherman bought a plant formerly operated by the Springfield-based Shanklin Manufacturing Co.,  until 1960. Shanklin Manufacturing, 2725 S. 11th St., founded by George Shanklin, marketed an … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Coal mines and mining, Industry | Tagged , | 66 Comments

Baker Manufacturing Co.

Posted on April 8, 2013 by editor

The Baker Manufacturing Company, founded in Springfield in 1908, was a predecessor of Springfield’s Allis-Chalmers (later Fiatallis) construction equipment plant. Baker Manufacturing produced a wide range of road construction and maintenance products, in its later years specializing in crawler tractor … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Industry | Tagged | 1 Comment

Buffalo

Posted on April 7, 2013 by editor

Buffalo, founded as a station on the Wabash Railroad, was platted in 1854  and incorporated as a village in 1872. Entrepreneur Josiah Green built the first house in what later became Buffalo in 1848; it was used as a boarding … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Communities, Railroads, Transportation | 1 Comment