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Blogroll
Category Archives: Railroads
Bluford Wilson (lawyer, corruption fighter)
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
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Mail robbery, 1923, ‘most daring ever’
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
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
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
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
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Ridgely family
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
Two days in May: The funeral of Abraham Lincoln
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
Springfield in 1912 (‘General Facts’)
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
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Chatham railroad history
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 Chatham
5 Comments
The interurban railway
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 Illinois Terminal, Illinois Traction, interurban
2 Comments