Category Archives: Early residents

Robert Pulliam: First settler?

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

Robert Pulliam (1776-1838) is usually credited with building the first cabin in Sangamon County and therefore being the county’s first European settler. Historical markers near the site of his first cabin (below) and in downtown Springfield identify him as the … Continue reading →

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Sangamo Town

Posted on October 9, 2013 by editor

Sangamo Town was a settlement on the Sangamon River that for a time rivaled Springfield as a commercial center, but after only 20 years or so was abandoned and all but forgotten. The man behind Sangamo Town was Moses Broadwell (1764-1827). Born … Continue reading →

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Sangamo Township

Posted on October 9, 2013 by editor

Before Sangamon County was created in January 1821, its territory was divided between Madison and Bond counties (mostly in Madison). Between the arrival of the first settler in 1817 and the ultimate formation of the county in 1821, a significant … Continue reading →

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The Sangamon country, 1819 (Ferdinand Ernst)

Posted on October 9, 2013 by editor

Ferdinand Ernst (1784?-1822) was a wealthy German farmer who led more than 100 Germans to the United States and founded a short-lived colony in Vandalia. He ventured to the Sangamon country in 1819. This excerpt comes from the Transactions of … Continue reading →

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Sangamon County centennial marker dedication, 1921

Posted on October 9, 2013 by editor

Ten children were the ceremonial participants a century ago, when the Springfield Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution organized a 100th-anniversary commemoration of the founding of Sangamon County. The DAR sponsored the installation of a plaque, mounted on a granite … Continue reading →

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Asa Shaw

Posted on October 8, 2013 by editor

Asa S. Shaw, a native of New York, was justice of the peace in 1828 Springfield. John Todd Stuart in 1881 recalled Shaw as “possessed of a very strong intellect, good judgment and superior business qualifications,” but said Shaw “succumbed … Continue reading →

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Mack, Frank and Mary “Polly” Shelby

Posted on October 8, 2013 by editor

Mack and Frank Shelby, ages 27 and 29, respectively, bought a lot at the southwest corner of Third and Washington streets in 1826, according to the Early African American Population of Springfield Illinois by Richard E. Hart (2008). Mack was … Continue reading →

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Mary and John Sherill

Posted on October 8, 2013 by editor

Mary Pentacost Sherill (1802-1850?)was a founding member of Springfield’s Second Presbyterian Church (later Westminster Presbyterian Church), which was formed on May 26, 1835. Second Presbyterian was known as both the Abolitionist Church and the Temperance Church. Mary’s husband, John (1784-1858), … Continue reading →

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Busher Brewery (Springfield Brewery)

Posted on October 7, 2013 by editor

The earliest recorded brewery in Springfield was started in 1840 by James Busher. Busher and his brother John emigrated from their native England and settled in Springfield in 1839. The brothers were tanners by trade, or at least worked in … Continue reading →

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John Todd Stuart

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

John Todd Stuart (1807-85) was Abraham Lincoln’s first law partner, a cousin of Mary Lincoln, a three-term U.S. representative and an influential resident of Springfield for 57 years. Stuart was born in Kentucky and moved to Springfield, already a lawyer, … Continue reading →

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