Category Archives: Railroads

Bluford Wilson (lawyer, corruption fighter)

Posted on October 31, 2020 by editor

In his later years, Maj. Bluford Wilson was a railroad lawyer in Springfield. His spare time was consumed with church work, politics and, apparently, cultivating a luxuriant mustache. But as a young man, Wilson helped break up the Whiskey Ring, … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Churches, Prominent figures, Railroads | Leave a comment

Mail robbery, 1923, ‘most daring ever’

Posted on May 22, 2017 by editor

Ten men eventually went to prison for a 1923 mail robbery the Illinois State Journal called “the most daring ever staged in this city.” The gang struck at 1:20 a.m. April 1, 1923, at the Chicago & Alton railway station … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Law enforcement, Railroads, Transportation | 9 Comments

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 | 1 Comment

‘Deadman’s Crossing,’ 16th Street and Sangamon Avenue

Posted on May 10, 2017 by editor

The railroad intersection at 16th Street and Sangamon Avenue earned the nickname “Deadman’s Crossing” in the years before an underpass was built to route traffic below the train tracks. At least 16 people were killed at the crossing between 1903 … Continue reading →

Posted in Local government, Railroads, Transportation, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

‘Diamond Special’ train hijacking, 1913

Posted on June 16, 2015 by editor

Two audacious robbers hijacked the Illinois Central Railroad’s “Diamond Special” train near Glenarm on June 18, 1913. The northbound train, which ran between St. Louis and Chicago, was due in Springfield from the south, bearing 150 passengers and an American … Continue reading →

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

Ridgely family

Posted on May 31, 2015 by editor

Nicholas Ridgely, a Maryland native who moved to Sangamon County in 1835, was the father of 13 children by two wives (both named Jane). Here is a look at several Ridgelys who played prominent roles in 19th-century Springfield. *Nicholas Ridgely … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Business, Industry, Local government, Prominent figures, Railroads | 6 Comments

Two days in May: The funeral of Abraham Lincoln

Posted on April 22, 2015 by editor

As the funeral train carrying the coffin of President Abraham Lincoln pulled into Springfield’s Chicago & Alton station the morning of May 3, 1865, dozens of special trains had already disgorged visitors from all points of the compass. Thousands more … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Historic Sites, John T. Stuart, Lincoln Tomb, Lincoln, Abraham, Local government, Railroads | 2 Comments

Springfield in 1912 (‘General Facts’)

Posted on November 12, 2014 by editor

Above is a page from Springfield: The Capital of the State of Illinois (1912), published by the Springfield Commercial Association, a forerunner of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. Perhaps the most illuminating “general fact” to the modern reader is … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Industry, Media, Photos and photosets, Railroads | Leave a comment

Chatham railroad history

Posted on October 5, 2014 by editor

In the early 1800s, like many other places on what was then “the frontier,” lack of reliable transportation was an impediment to the growth of Sangamon County. The Sangamon River was an outlet to the Illinois River, but was too … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Communities, Historic Sites, Museums, Railroads, Transportation | Tagged | 5 Comments

The interurban railway

Posted on September 2, 2014 by editor

The Illinois Traction System, though originally an electric railway, was far more than a trolley. The ITS, also widely known as “the interurban” or “the traction,” was, in fact, a lifeline for many in central Illinois during the first half … Continue reading →

Posted in Railroads, Transportation | Tagged , , | 2 Comments