Category Archives: Disasters

Buffalo Hart tornado deaths, 1927

Posted on April 18, 2018 by editor

Three people, including two children from one family, died when a tornado destroyed Buffalo Hart the afternoon of April 19, 1927. “Until yesterday this town was a quiet and contented village,” the Illinois State Journal reported in a story written … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Disasters | Leave a comment

Coldest day in Springfield history (1905)

Posted on January 4, 2018 by editor

Springfield’s temperature fell to 24 degrees below zero at 7 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, 1905, the lowest official reading ever recorded in the city. Engines seized up, gas mains failed, and the destitute crowded local jails. Even the ink … Continue reading →

Posted in Disasters, Fires, Illinois capital, Weather | Leave a comment

Rainfall records, 1926

Posted on September 23, 2017 by editor

Two massive rainstorms made Springfield a virtual island on Sept. 8, 1926, flooding streets and basements, stranding autos, trains and streetcars, and leading to the electrocution of an Illinois Watch Co. worker. Even people using the Knights of Columbus swimming … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Disasters, Sangamon River | Leave a comment

Seven children die in car/train accident, 1928

Posted on May 11, 2017 by editor

Seven young people – six siblings and a cousin – were killed on June 5, 1928, when the car they were in drove in front of a southbound Interurban train near Auburn. The car was traveling west on Divernon Road. … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Disasters, Railroads, Transportation | Leave a comment

Johnston-Hatcher fires, 1907 & 1913

Posted on March 4, 2017 by editor

The Johnston-Hatcher Co. sold home furnishings of all kinds from 1899 to 1949 in downtown Springfield. The store, however, fell victim to two of the city’s most devastating early 20th-century fires. Johnston-Hatcher was the creation of two sets of brothers … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Airport, Amusements, Auto dealers, Buildings, Business, Crime and vice, Disasters, Farming, Fires, Presidents, Prominent figures, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Ridgely School fire, 1916

Posted on February 3, 2017 by editor

Regular fire drills were credited with saving the lives of an unknown number of children when Ridgely School caught fire in the middle of classes on Nov. 15, 1916. The blaze began when sparks from the school’s coal furnace flew … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Children, Disasters, Education, Fires, Schools and school districts | Leave a comment

Carver Convalescent Center fire, 1972

Posted on January 15, 2017 by editor

Investigators never agreed on the cause of the fire that killed 10 residents of a shabby nursing home on May 6, 1972. The number of deaths make the fire at Carver Convalescent Center, 1527 E. Washington St., the worst single … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Disasters, Fires, Public health | Leave a comment

Boston Store fire, 1915

Posted on November 30, 2016 by editor

What was thought to be Springfield’s most disastrous fire ever, up to that point, demolished The Boston Store on the east side of the downtown square on Dec. 7, 1915. The Boston Store was part of a loosely affiliated chain … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Business, Department stores, Disasters, Fires, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Most costly fires in Springfield, 1904-48

Posted on November 30, 2016 by editor

The following list of the most destructive fires in Springfield history was published in the May 3, 1948, Illinois State Journal. The list is based solely on the amount of property damage. Damage estimates are not adjusted for inflation. Preliminary … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Business, Department stores, Disasters, Fires | 2 Comments

Stable fire, 1915

Posted on November 19, 2016 by editor

Fifty-one horses were “roasted and steamed to death” in a fire that destroyed a stable owned by Ira Dudley in the 900 block of East Washington Street on Sept. 15, 1915. The fire was discovered by two men walking along … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Disasters, Fires | Leave a comment