Category Archives: Historic Sites

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 →

Posted in Historic Sites, Native Americans | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Early residents, Historic Sites, Illustrations, Lincoln, Abraham, Local government, Prominent figures | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Race riot of 1908

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

Update: On Aug. 16, 2024, President Joe Biden designated an area along Springfield’s 10th Street railroad tracks the Springfield Race Riot National Monument. The new monument takes in the remains of five homes destroyed during the riot. The structures were … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Disasters, Fever River, Historic Sites, Law enforcement, Markers, Race riot of 1908, Resources, Springfield | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Julius Rosenwald

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

This entry has been revised in light of new efforts to recognize Julius Rosenwald’s charitable and other contributions on both the local and national levels. Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932), a Springfield native, teamed with Richard Sears to build Sears, Roebuck & … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Education, Historic Sites, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures, Schools and school districts, Social services | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Children, Early residents, Historic Sites, Local government, Markers, Sangamon County | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Santa Anna’s artificial leg

Posted on October 8, 2013 by editor

One of the more popular attractions at the Illinois State Military Museum in Springfield is the artificial leg that belonged to Mexican General Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna, conqueror of the Alamo. The limb was captured during the battle of … Continue reading →

Posted in Historic Sites, Military, Museums, Prominent figures | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Sugar Creek Covered Bridge

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

The Sugar Creek Covered Bridge, the last covered bridge in Sangamon County, spans Sugar Creek a few hundred yards south of where early settler Robert Pulliam built a cabin during his first visit to the area in 1817. The 60-foot … Continue reading →

Posted in Historic Sites | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

The Town House

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

The Town House, a condominium building at 718-20 S. Seventh St., was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 partly for its architectural distinction and partly because of its historic import as one of the few urban-style … Continue reading →

Posted in Historic Sites | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Dana-Thomas House

Posted on April 26, 2013 by editor

The Dana-Thomas House, designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, was built at 301 E. Lawrence Ave. for Springfield hostess Susan Lawrence Dana. Dana gave Wright his first “open checkbook” commission, and the result, as described by the Springfield Historic Sites … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Historic Sites, Prominent figures, State government | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Bullard & Bullard: Leading architects

Posted on April 23, 2013 by editor

The architectural Bullard family, founded by Samuel A. Bullard (1853-1926), designed many of Springfield’s most prominent late 19th-century churches, schools, and public buildings. It and the firm of Helmle & Helmle are considered the most successful and most accomplished of … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Churches, Historic Sites, Local government, Prominent figures | Tagged , | 20 Comments