Monthly Archives: September 2015

‘First flash of lightning’: Telegraph reaches Springfield

Posted on September 29, 2015 by editor

Edited to add Hat Tip (see below) In 1848, only four years after Samuel F.B. Morse famously sent the message “What hath God wrought!,” Springfield became linked to the rest of the world via telegraph. The Illinois State Journal’s story … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Media | Leave a comment

Nude swimming banned, 1921

Posted on September 28, 2015 by editor

Springfield Park District officials resorted to a police guard and at least one arrest to keep boys from swimming nude in a Lincoln Park pond in 1921. Officials warned the pond would be closed and drained if swimmers didn’t wear … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Children, Law enforcement, Local government | 1 Comment

Miss Nellie Hughes (librarian)

Posted on September 22, 2015 by editor

Miss Nellie Hughes was librarian at Lincoln Library’s North Branch from its founding in 1926 until her retirement in 1972. See North Side State Bank collapse, 1927.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Lincoln Library North Branch

Posted on September 22, 2015 by editor

Lincoln Library’s North Branch was in a former bank building at 719-21 North Grand Ave. E. from 1931 until 2005. See North Side State Bank collapse, 1927.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

North Side State Bank collapse, 1927

Posted on September 22, 2015 by editor

The North Side State Bank operated from 1920 to 1927, when state auditors ordered it closed in the wake of a complicated financial scandal involving two banks, three insurance companies, and a former Springfield resident who may have absconded with … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and letters, Buildings, Business, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Downtown arches

Posted on September 17, 2015 by editor

The steel arches that once dominated the four corners of Springfield’s downtown square went from being a graceful addition to an eyesore in barely 20 years. Actually, Springfield erected two sets of arches on the square in the late 1800s. … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Business, Celebrations, Local government | Leave a comment

E. Carl Lundgren

Posted on September 8, 2015 by editor

Music educator E. Carl Lundgren was the main force behind creation of the Springfield Muni Opera. See that entry.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Tom Shrewsbury (Muni Opera)

Posted on September 8, 2015 by editor

Tom Shrewsbury was among a group of civic and arts leaders who revived the Springfield Muni Opera in the 1960s. See Springfield Muni Opera.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Springfield Muni Opera

Posted on September 8, 2015 by editor

The Springfield Muni Opera’s earliest ancestor was a play named “Good News,” performed by the Springfield Municipal Choir at Lanphier Park on July 28, 1938. But today’s outdoor community musical theater more accurately dates from a presentation of “Bye Bye … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Arts and letters, Local government, Prominent figures, Social life, Theaters | 8 Comments

Lauterbach Cottage Hardware ax attacks (1981)

Posted on September 1, 2015 by editor

No one was ever charged with the 1981 ax attacks at Lauterbach’s Cottage Hardware Store, but the case did lead to a change in Illinois’ mental-health privacy law. The attacks took place inside the family-owned hardware store at 15th Street … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Crime and vice, Law enforcement | 20 Comments