Category Archives: Prominent figures

Bulls, Bull Calves and entrepreneurial Germans

Posted on June 7, 2026 by editor

Entrepreneurial Germans made up the heart of the Bull Club and its offshoot, the Bull Calves – which came into existence because none of the Bulls wanted to let their sons join the older club. “A lot of us were … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Business, Germans, Industry, Prominent figures, Social life | Leave a comment

‘We prided ourselves in being first’ – Springfield broadcast memories

Posted on June 1, 2026 by editor

In 1990 or 1991, three of Springfield’s best-known television and radio personalities discussed local broadcast history with two interviewers from the Springfield chapter of Women in Communications Inc. The plan was to add historical items to “Making News in Mr. … Continue reading →

Posted in Communications, First Citizens, Histories, Journalism, Media, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Chicago & Alton rail tragedy, 1873

Posted on May 8, 2026 by editor

Four Springfield men, including a former mayor, died gruesomely in a train collision outside Chicago in 1873. At least 19* people died in the crash, which occurred when a coal freight ran into – and under – a southbound Chicago … Continue reading →

Posted in Disasters, Local government, Politics, Prominent figures, Railroads, Transportation | 1 Comment

Col. John H. Wilson Jr., post office namesake

Posted on April 27, 2026 by editor

A tiny sign above a self-service stamp machine is the only public indication that Springfield’s Cook Street post office is named after a World War II hero. John H. Wilson Jr. (1918-2008) earned a Silver Star, the nation’s third highest … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Buildings, Military, Prominent figures | 2 Comments

Route 66: Where are all the people going? (1946)

Posted on March 3, 2026 by editor

Wilford Kramer, chief editorial writer for the Illinois State Journal, saw problems with the post-World War II widening of Route 66 from two lanes to four. This is a reprint of “Upon Reflection,” Kramer’s regular editorial page column, printed on … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism, Media, Prominent figures, Route 66, Transportation, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Samuel S. Ball investigates Liberia emigration, 1848

Posted on February 8, 2026 by editor

Editor’s note: This bulk of this entry comes from a talk, titled “The Spirit of Springfield’s Early African-Americans,” delivered by local historian Richard E. Hart on May 20, 2002, to the Sangamon County Historical Society. Hart (1942-2022), an indefatigable researcher, … Continue reading →

Posted in Abolitionism, African Americans, Early residents, Histories, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Auburn’s double-decker bandstand

Posted on January 18, 2026 by editor

The double-decker bandstand on the Auburn square evokes the early 1900s, when growing pains preoccupied Auburn residents. Today’s bandstand is a 21st-century replica of Auburn’s original two-story bandstand. The first bandstand was built in 1905, shortly after Auburn residents voted … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Architecture, Celebrations, Communities, Historic Sites, Local government, Markers, Prominent figures, Route 66, Social life, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

James Wickersham, legendary Alaskan

Posted on December 21, 2025 by editor

James L. Wickersham spent only six years, from about 1877 to 1883, in Sangamon County. He came to Springfield as assistant, office boy and general dogsbody to former Gov. John M. Palmer. He left the city as a fledgling lawyer, … Continue reading →

Posted in Prominent figures | 1 Comment

Rochester’s Alaskan mountain

Posted on December 13, 2025 by editor

A photo caption below has been corrected. Unlikely though it seems, Rochester, Illinois, elevation 570 feet, has a legitimate claim to a mountain in Alaska. But you have to drive 3,800 miles to see it. Mount Deborah, 12,339 feet above … Continue reading →

Posted in Prominent figures, Uncategorized, Women | 3 Comments

Thanksgiving menu at the Oriental Café, 1925

Posted on November 23, 2025 by editor

Cream of oyster soup and Lobster Newburg joined Vermont turkey on the Oriental Café’s holiday menu for Thanksgiving Day 1925. The price? $1.25. The Lum family served Chinese and American dishes at the Oriental, “Springfield’s finest café,” from 1924 to … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Celebrations, Chinese, Ethnic groups, Medicine, Prominent figures, Restaurants | 1 Comment