Category Archives: Historic Sites

Illinois State Armory

Posted on April 15, 2013 by editor

The Illinois State Armory at 107-11 E. Monroe St. in Springfield was built in 1936 to replace the State Arsenal, which previously stood on the site but had been destroyed in an arson fire. The new Armory was equipped with what was … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Historic Sites, Illinois capital, State government | Tagged | 17 Comments

Jameson Jenkins

Posted on April 13, 2013 by editor

(Alternative spellings: Jamieson Jenkins, Jimison Jarkins) Jameson Jenkins (1810?-1873) was an African American drayman – a carter or teamster – in Springfield from the late 1840s through the 1860s. He was a neighbor of the Lincoln family and was active … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Early residents, Ethnic groups, Historic Sites, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Rochester

Posted on April 12, 2013 by editor

Prior to European settlement, Rochester Township was one of the most heavily wooded sections of Sangamon County, and as a result, became one of the earliest areas to be settled. The first permanent European resident was probably James McCoy, who … Continue reading →

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Sherman

Posted on April 12, 2013 by editor

James Sayles built a home on the current site of Sherman in 1819. However, the village wasn’t platted until 1858, after construction of the Springfield-to-Bloomington section of the Chicago & Alton Railroad, and it wasn’t incorporated as a village until … Continue reading →

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Eva Carroll Monroe

Posted on April 11, 2013 by editor

Eva Carroll Monroe was the founder and director of the Lincoln Colored Home, 427 S. 12th St., from 1904 until it closed in 1932. See Lincoln Colored Home.  

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Lincoln Colored Home

Posted on April 11, 2013 by editor

Eva Carroll Monroe (1868-1950) created and operated the Lincoln Colored Home, the first orphanage for African-American children in Sangamon County, from 1904 until 1933. As of early 2019, the building, though empty and boarded up, still stood at 427 S. … Continue reading →

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National Register of Historic Places

Posted on March 31, 2013 by editor

The National Register of Historic Places includes more than 60 listings in Sangamon County. In addition to the linked list, more information on many of the sites is available on SangamonLink.org. Other entries will be added periodically. Use SangamonLink’s Index or the Search … Continue reading →

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Chatham

Posted on March 31, 2013 by editor

The village of Chatham was laid out in October 1836 by Luther Ransom, who also built the first house in the community. Chatham got its first burst of growth following the building of the Alton & Sangamon Railroad (later the … Continue reading →

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John L. Lewis

Posted on March 26, 2013 by editor

For 40 years the head of the biggest coal miners union in the U.S. in an era when the country depended almost entirely on coal for its energy needs, John Llewellyn Lewis (1880-1969) was a household name from the 1920s … Continue reading →

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Williamsville

Posted on March 26, 2013 by editor

European settlers lived in the Williamsville area by the early 1820s, but the village itself wasn’t laid out until 1853. The community’s first house was built by Jacob Flagg in the fall of that year. Williamsville is named after Col. … Continue reading →

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