Category Archives: Prominent figures

DICKEY-john Corp.

Posted on April 9, 2016 by editor

Auburn-based DICKEY-john Corp. got its start in 1960, when Chatham-area farmer Robert Dickey was in the hospital recuperating from a lawn-mower accident that had cost him his right eye. One of his visitors was a minister. “In talking about farming, … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Business, Farming, Industry, Prominent figures | 2 Comments

Hotel Normandie

Posted on April 3, 2016 by editor

The Hotel Normandie, 311-15 S. Fourth St., opened in May 1896 under the management of “old hotel man” M.M. Armstrong, the Illinois State Journal reported. The interior of the building has recently been thoroughly remodeled and renovated, finished off with … Continue reading →

Posted in Auto dealers, Buildings, Business, Hotels & taverns, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

The Extraordinary Ordinary — 113 W. Mulberry St., Chatham

Posted on March 21, 2016 by editor

Note: This entry has been revised, thanks to information provided by Chatham-area Facebook users. Buildings customarily gain historic reputations from their age or because of their connections to a prominent person or event.  We also like them decorated in an … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Auto dealers, Buildings, Business, Prominent figures, Transportation | 2 Comments

Ben Victor (pharmacist, Thrifty Drugs chairman)

Posted on March 3, 2016 by editor

Benjamin “Mr. Ben” Victor (1908-88) was a Springfield pharmacist, founder and chairman of Illinois Thrifty Drugs, and philanthropist. The fall 2000 edition of Aspects magazine, published by Southern Illinois School of Medicine, synopsized Victor’s business and charitable activities. The profile … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Medicine, Prominent figures | 3 Comments

‘Dodds’ Corner’

Posted on March 3, 2016 by editor

A fortuitous location made “Dodds’ Corner,” named after a drugstore on the northwest corner of Fifth and Monroe streets, one of Springfield’s best-known landmarks for more than 70 years. Richard Dodds (1851-1921) went into business at the corner when he bought … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Prominent figures, Social life | 4 Comments

Dr. Daniel Ottis (World War I surgeon)

Posted on February 28, 2016 by editor

Dr. Daniel M. Ottis (1870-1929) was a prominent surgeon in Springfield who also was known for organizing the Sangamon County-based Unit W of the U.S. Medical Service during World War I. The Illinois State Journal summarized Ottis’ career in his … Continue reading →

Posted in Medicine, Military, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

New Berlin rodeo

Posted on February 23, 2016 by editor

The Stapleton Rodeo drew thousands of spectators weekly to an arena west of New Berlin from 1927 until the eve of World War II. Competitors ranged from local cowboys to some of the top nationwide riders. The rodeo’s impresario was … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Media, Prominent figures, Sports and recreation | Leave a comment

Joe Yucas (‘King of the Lithuanians’)

Posted on January 16, 2016 by editor

This entry has been retitled and greatly expanded. Joe Yucas (1874-1926) was a Springfield bar owner and political operative who the Illinois State Register once called “the King of the Lithuanians.” According to his obituary, Yucas immigrated to the U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Crime and vice, Ethnic groups, Hotels & taverns, Lithuanians, Prominent figures | 1 Comment

Radio beginnings in Springfield

Posted on October 30, 2015 by editor

Two boyhood friends turned radio pioneers brought Springfield its first permanent radio station in 1926. That station, whose original call letters were WCBS, broadcast its first program, a test featuring Alfred Blankschen, organist at Springfield’s Lyric Theater, on Dec. 10, … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Media, Prominent figures | 5 Comments

Illinois State Informer (newspaper)

Posted on October 19, 2015 by editor

The Illinois State Informer was a weekly newspaper founded by Dr. Alonzo Kenniebrew, a nationally prominent black physician, in the mid-1930s in Springfield. Kenniebrew (1875-1943), a graduate of Tuskegee Institute and close friend of Tuskegee founder Booker T. Washington, had moved to … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Arts and letters, Ethnic groups, Journalism, Media, Prominent figures | 3 Comments