Monthly Archives: July 2015

Esquire theater

Posted on July 22, 2015 by editor

Springfield’s Esquire theater opened in late 1937 via an unusual alliance between two central Illinois  movie chains. Kerasotes Theaters of Springfield and Frisina Amusement Corp., founded in Taylorville, had almost simultaneously announced plans to build separate “suburban” theaters within a … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Buildings, Social life, Theaters | Leave a comment

Charles E. Planck (killer of Lincoln family dog)

Posted on July 19, 2015 by editor

Charles E. Planck (1842-1917) may have been mistreated by history. See The death of Fido, the Lincoln family dog.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The death of Fido, the Lincoln family dog

Posted on July 19, 2015 by editor

Fido, a yellow mongrel dog the Abraham Lincoln family adopted about 1855, stayed behind when the Lincolns moved to Washington, D.C., in 1861 and was stabbed to death sometime in 1866. The man who killed Fido has gone down in … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Crime and vice, Lincoln, Abraham | 13 Comments

Paul Powell shoebox scandal

Posted on July 15, 2015 by editor

The discovery of hundreds of thousands of dollars stuffed in suitcases, an attache case, loose envelopes and, of course, a shoebox within days after the October 1970 death of Illinois Secretary of State Paul Powell remains clouded by confusion and … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Illinois capital, Politics, Prominent figures, State government | 1 Comment

Midland Ordnance Plant

Posted on July 11, 2015 by editor

The Midland Ordnance Plant was the name sometimes given to the north half of what later became generally known as the Sangamon Ordnance Plant, located along U.S. 36 west of Illiopolis. See Sangamon Ordnance Plant.

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Oak Ordnance Plant

Posted on July 11, 2015 by editor

The Oak Ordnance Plant was the original name of the north half of what later became known generally as the Sangamon Ordnance Plant, located along U.S. 36 west of Illiopolis. See Sangamon Ordnance Plant.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Sangamon Ordnance Plant

Posted on July 7, 2015 by editor

Dozens of seemingly out-of-place structures dot farm fields west of Illiopolis, the last reminders of what once was one of the U.S.’s largest producers of World War II artillery ammunition. From 1942 to 1945, the Sangamon Ordnance Plant produced 24 … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Agriculture, Buildings, Communities, Disasters, Industry, Military, Transportation, Women | 46 Comments