Category Archives: Historic Sites

The Kelley (Kelly) family

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

The Kelleys – Elisha, John, Henry and their relatives – are usually considered the first Europeans to live in the boundaries of what is now Springfield. (An 1817 settler, Levi Ellis, may actually deserve that designation, but the Kelley family’s cabins … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Early residents, Historic Sites, Oak Ridge signs, Prominent figures, Sangamon County, Springfield | Tagged , | 41 Comments

Funeral of President Lincoln (sketch)

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

Illustrator William Waud and his brother Alfred, both born in London, covered the Civil War for Harper’s Weekly, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper and the New York Illustrated News.  William Waud then followed the Abraham Lincoln funeral train across country. His … Continue reading →

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Lincoln Home neighborhood

Posted on October 16, 2013 by editor

Although the Lincoln family home at Eighth and Jackson streets in Springfield reflected Abraham Lincoln’s status as a prominent attorney and politician, the National Park Service points out that the neighborhood surrounding the home was a diverse one. The following … Continue reading →

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Lincoln-Herndon law office building, 1886 (photo)

Posted on October 16, 2013 by editor

Abraham Lincoln shared offices on the third floor of this building at Sixth and Adams streets with two of his three law partners — Stephen T. Logan, 1843-44, and William H. Herndon from 1844 to 1860. The second floor housed … Continue reading →

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Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop

Posted on October 16, 2013 by editor

This entry has been updated, corrected and expanded. Opened in the 1920s, the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop at 118 N. Pasfield St. is thought to be the oldest sandwich shop in continuous operation in Springfield. It also claims to have the … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Historic Sites, Restaurants | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Larkin Mead, Lincoln Tomb designer

Posted on October 15, 2013 by editor

Larkin Mead (1835-1910), who designed the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site, got his artistic start from a snow angel. Not the kind children make by lying down in snow, but an 8-foot-tall, highly detailed snow statue of the biblical Recording … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and letters, Buildings, Historic Sites, Lincoln, Abraham, Museums, Presidents | Tagged | 1 Comment

Oak Ridge Cemetery

Posted on October 14, 2013 by editor

Oak Ridge Cemetery was founded as about a 28-acre site in 1856. Dedication ceremonies were held on May 24, 1860, with the highlight being a lengthy, fulsome oration by James C. Conkling (1816-99). A sense of Conkling’s speaking style — … Continue reading →

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P-51D aircraft (National Register)

Posted on October 13, 2013 by editor

A U.S. Army P-51D aircraft, the top-performing fighter plane in World War II, housed at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The plane has won a variety of restoration awards. Aircraft are eligible … Continue reading →

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Potawatomi Trail of Death

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

The Potawatomi Trail of Death is the name given to the forced removal in 1838 of more than 800 Potawatomi Native Americans from north-central Indiana to eastern Kansas. A total of 41 people, mostly children, died during the 10-week, 660-mile … Continue reading →

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George Power Farmstead

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

The George Power Farmstead , east of Cantrall off County Road 9.5N, is Sangamon County’s best remaining example of a 19th-century farm layout — and perhaps the site where fledgling lawyer Abraham Lincoln argued his first case. Kentucky-born George “Squire” … Continue reading →

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