Monthly Archives: March 2014

1850s Springfield, in four mysterious paintings

The four paintings below show all four sides of the Springfield square in the late 1840s or early 1850s. They are unusual in two ways: their perspective, presumably from the cupola of what now is the Old State Capitol; and … Continue reading

Posted in Arts and letters, Historic Sites, Histories, Hotels & taverns, Illustrations, Maps, Photos and photosets, Prominent figures, Springfield, State government | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

2006 twin tornadoes

See Weather disasters.

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Easter ice storm, 1978

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1924 ice storm

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1883 tornado

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Ice storms (1883, 1924, 1978)

See Weather disasters.

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Weather disasters

Memorable weather disasters populate a number of Sangamon County histories and reminiscences. Here are some of the most notable, as outlined in a talk to the Sangamon County Historical Society on Jan. 20, 2014 by Curtis Mann of Lincoln Library’s … Continue reading

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Road lane striping plan, 1921

The editors of the June 5, 1921, Illinois State Journal endorsed a provocative new idea: Painting a line down the middle of roads — well, at least on the curves — to keep drivers on their own sides. Here is … Continue reading

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Ku Klux Klan, 1920s

The high point of Ku Klux Klan activity in Sangamon County probably was a parade from the Statehouse to the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Oct. 11, 1924. About 2,000 Klan members participated in the march, the Illinois State Journal reported … Continue reading

Posted in African Americans, Politics, Schools and school districts, Spectacles, State government | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Illinois Building

The Illinois Building, at the northeast corner of Sixth and Adams streets, was built in 1931 to house the corporate offices of what then was the Central Illinois Public Service Co. See entry on CIPS.

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