Category Archives: Medicine

Sangamon County Poor Farm

Posted on February 22, 2015 by editor

Sangamon County first created a home to care for the poor, feeble, disabled and mentally ill in 1851, four years after famed social reformer Dorothea Dix wrote a scathing commentary about the county’s practice of keeping paupers and the insane … Continue reading →

Posted in Local government, Medicine, Public health, Sangamon County, Social services | 6 Comments

Elizabeth Brown Ide

Posted on August 14, 2014 by editor

Elizabeth Brown Ide (1873-1978), who was born into money and married more, could have been merely a socialite. Instead, she became Springfield’s most prominent children’s advocate during the early 20th century. Ide’s parents were Christopher Brown and Caroline Owsley Brown, … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Medicine, Prominent figures, Public health, Social services, Springfield Survey, Women | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Springfield Hospital and Training School

Posted on October 7, 2013 by editor

A home on the northwest corner of Fifth Street and North Grand Avenue in Springfield was the genesis of today’s Memorial Medical Center. The house was built by T.S. Little, described in 1874 as a “clothier and merchant tailor” with a shop … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Medicine, Public health, Social services | Tagged , | 10 Comments

Springfield Survey, 1914

Posted on October 4, 2013 by editor

The Springfield Survey of 1914 was a massive study of local schools, prisons, and other institutions, and it’s still well-known in the fields of sociology and social work. But, partly because it was so ambitious, nothing similar was ever attempted … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Children, Education, Law enforcement, Local government, Medicine, Parks, Photos and photosets, Public health, Resources, Schools and school districts, Social services, Springfield, Springfield Survey | Tagged | 4 Comments