Monthly Archives: July 2020

Killing of police detective, 1938

Posted on July 26, 2020 by editor

A work disappointment sent James Young into an emotional crisis on Jan. 11, 1938, culminating in the deaths of both Young and Springfield Police Detective Patrick Gilmore. Florence Young told officers later the incident began that morning, when her husband … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Law enforcement | Leave a comment

First computer (1954)

Posted on July 24, 2020 by editor

The Franklin Life Insurance Co. had to tear out windows and walls to accommodate Springfield’s first computer. Then it had to hire a derrick to hoist the “electronic brain” five floors up. Franklin Life ordered the $1 million Univac from … Continue reading →

Posted in Business | Leave a comment

Good Will Girls (1920s)

Posted on July 19, 2020 by editor

The Good Will Girls were the brainchild of a convicted con man, but they became the stars of a Springfield Chamber of Commerce bid to attract out-of-town shoppers in the 1920s. The chamber periodically sponsored car caravans to outlying communities … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Springfield, Women | Leave a comment

Murder-extortion gang, 1932

Posted on July 13, 2020 by editor

A wild shootout in Christian County in 1932 ended the bloody history of a Springfield-based murder and extortion gang. Authorities claimed their followup investigation solved a half-dozen area slayings. But Springfield’s chief of detectives struggled to explain why police hadn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Italians, Law enforcement | Leave a comment

Bachmann & Keefner Pharmacy

Posted on July 10, 2020 by editor

When it closed in 2003, Bachmann & Keefner Pharmacy, with its black-and-white mosaic floor, handsome walnut paneling and fire-engine-red bar stools, ended a 90-year tradition at the southeast corner of Sixth Street and Capitol Avenue. The corner building, under various … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Business, Medicine, Restaurants | 4 Comments

Rev. Charles Dresser (Lincoln marriage, Lincoln Home)

Posted on July 5, 2020 by editor

The man who built the cottage that became the Lincoln Home also officiated the marriage of Abraham and Mary Lincoln. His life’s work, however, was formation of the church that became Springfield’s Cathedral Church of St. Paul. Rev. Charles Dresser … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Churches, Historic Sites, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures | Leave a comment