Monthly Archives: April 2013

Leland Grove

Founded: The city of Leland Grove was formed in response to a plague of potholes. Subdivision development took off in the area, on the southwest side of the city of Springfield, after World War II. But it wasn’t an easy sell. … Continue reading

Posted in Communities, Local government, Prominent figures | Tagged | Leave a comment

Grandview

Founded: Like Jerome and Southern View, the village of Grandview, which lies along North Grand Avenue east of Wheeler Avenue, was formed in 1939 so the village could obtain water from the city of Springfield. The incorporation initiative began with … Continue reading

Posted in Communities, Local government | Leave a comment

Southern View

Like Grandview and Jerome, the village of Southern View, which abuts Springfield’s south side, was formed so the village could obtain water from the city of Springfield. Founded: Southern View residents voted 117 to 30 in 1939 to incorporate in … Continue reading

Posted in Communities, Local government, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Jerome

Like Grandview and Southern View, the village of Jerome, which is nearly surrounded by Springfield on the city’s south and west sides, was incorporated in 1939 so the village could obtain water from the city of Springfield. Founded and named: … Continue reading

Posted in Communities, Disasters, Local government, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Illinois State Armory

The Illinois State Armory at 107-11 E. Monroe St. in Springfield was built in 1936 to replace the State Arsenal, which previously stood on the site but had been destroyed in an arson fire. The new Armory was equipped with what was … Continue reading

Posted in Buildings, Historic Sites, Illinois capital, State government | Tagged | 17 Comments

Illinois Watch Co.

For a half-century, Springfield’s Illinois Watch Company was a nationally respected maker of timepieces. At its peak, between 1900 and 1928, Illinois Watch employed 1,300 workers, turned out 800 watches a day and was one of Sangamon County’s largest employers. The … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Industry, Prominent figures | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Park Sherman Company

The Park Sherman Company operated in Springfield from the early 1930s, when founder Jacob Sherman bought a plant formerly operated by the Springfield-based Shanklin Manufacturing Co.,  until 1960. Shanklin Manufacturing, 2725 S. 11th St., founded by George Shanklin, marketed an … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Coal mines and mining, Industry | Tagged , | 61 Comments

Dr. Gershom Jayne (1828 pioneers)

Dr. Gershom Jayne (1791-1867), born in New York, moved to Sangamon County in 1819 and practiced medicine in the area for 47 years. When he arrived, he was the only physician that far north in Illinois. He was remembered in … Continue reading

Posted in Early residents, Prominent figures | Tagged | Leave a comment

Portuguese immigrants

Note: This entry has been updated and expanded. Religious differences on the  island of Madeira were the unlikely backdrop for an equally unlikely influx of immigrants — people of Portuguese descent — to Sangamon County in 1850. Members of the … Continue reading

Posted in Churches, Early residents, Portuguese, Prominent figures | Tagged | 39 Comments

Lincoln’s Farewell Address to Springfield

The occasion of Abraham Lincoln’s leaving for Washington, D.C., on the morning of Feb. 11, 1861 inspired an eloquent farewell to Springfield. Made from the rear of the train to an estimated 1,000 of his friends and neighbors, the speech … Continue reading

Posted in Lincoln, Abraham | Tagged , | Leave a comment