Category Archives: Markers

Sangamon County’s Confederate memorial

Posted on August 19, 2017 by editor

Note:  Camp Butler itself (see link below) describes its Confederate obelisk as a “monument.” However, it probably is more accurate to call it a “memorial,” because the obelisk was erected, as its inscription says, in memory of  Confederate soldiers buried … Continue reading →

Posted in Historic Sites, Markers, Military | 4 Comments

The Battle of Virden (1898)

Posted on November 13, 2016 by editor

The 1898 “Battle of Virden,” a 10-minute gunfight that killed 13 men and had lasting significance for Illinois coal mining, was fought in Macoupin County, just south of the Sangamon County line. However, the Virden confrontation also led to turmoil … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Business, Coal mines and mining, Labor unions, Markers, Oak Ridge signs, State government | 10 Comments

Old Stone House, Rochester

Posted on September 7, 2016 by editor

The Old Stone House, a project of the Rochester Historical Preservation Society, is an 1830s dwelling moved from its original site east of town to near Rochester Community Park. It is open periodically as a living history demonstration. The house … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Communities, Historic Sites, Lincoln, Abraham, Markers, Museums | 3 Comments

Irwin’s Park (‘Irwin’s Grove’)

Posted on April 2, 2016 by editor

Irwin’s Park, two miles north of Auburn off Illinois 4, is probably the oldest public meeting place in Sangamon County. For many years, it was also one of the most popular. Today, the property, operated by Auburn Township and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Celebrations, Coal mines and mining, Historic Sites, Markers, Parks, Sports and recreation | 10 Comments

‘The Wedding of the Rose and the Lotus’ (Vachel Lindsay)

Posted on March 22, 2015 by editor

Springfield poet Vachel Lindsay wrote The Wedding of the Rose and the Lotus in 1912 to recognize the importance of the Panama Canal, which connected the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The rose signifies the West and the lotus the East. … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and letters, Buildings, Lindsay, Vachel, Markers, Prominent figures | 1 Comment

Camp Yates

Posted on October 31, 2013 by editor

At the start of the Civil War, the Sangamon County Fairgrounds on the western outskirts of Springfield was hastily converted into a mustering and training camp for new recruits and militias from around the state. Called Camp Yates, after Illinois’ Civil … Continue reading →

Posted in Markers, Military, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Revolutionary War veterans buried in Sangamon County

Posted on October 22, 2013 by editor

This entry has been updated. A marker on the Old Capitol Plaza identifies 27 veterans of the American Revolution who are buried in Sangamon County, but that figure probably identifies only half of the patriots whose final resting places are … Continue reading →

Posted in Early residents, Markers, Military, Prominent figures, Resources | Tagged | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Early residents, Histories, Markers | 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

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