Monthly Archives: May 2016

Illinois State Museum totem pole

Abraham Lincoln sits atop a reproduction Alaskan totem pole outside the Illinois State Museum. For information on the totem pole’s creation and why it’s in Springfield, see Mid-Day Luncheon Club.

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Elmer Kneale (Mid-Day Luncheon Club)

Newspaper bill collector Elmer Kneale was the behind-the-scenes maestro of Springfield’s Mid-Day Luncheon Club from its founding in 1915 until his death in 1944. See Mid-Day Luncheon Club.

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Mid-Day Luncheon Club

Springfield’s Mid-Day Luncheon Club played host to world leaders, past and future presidents, philosophers, magnates and monarchs in a speech series that lasted more than 50 years. And then there was that totem pole. The club was made official in … Continue reading

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Old Capitol Art Fair beginnings

Springfield’s first Old Capitol Art Fair was a one-day affair in 1962 that featured 174 artists from around the Midwest. The event, held Saturday, May 26, 1962 (see note below), was one of the earliest events created by the Springfield … Continue reading

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Sangamon County place name origins

In April 1896, an unnamed Illinois State Journal writer attempted to determine the origins of Sangamon County place names. The results were two articles, published April 6 and April 13, that covered every township and most cities and villages in … Continue reading

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H.D. Anderson (accused embezzler)

Harry “H.D.” Anderson was accused of embezzling as much as $300,000 from the Springfield Brewing Co., which operated at 11th and Madison streets from 1933 until the mid-1940s. See Springfield Brewing Co.

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Nicholas Schlangen (brewer)

Nicholas Schlangen owned the Springfield Brewing Co. from 1937 until its demise in the mid-1940s. See Springfield Brewing Co.

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Conrad Engelking (brewer)

Conrad Engelking owned the Springfield Brewing Co. from 1934 to 1937. See Springfield Brewing Co.

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Springfield Brewing Co.

The Springfield Brewing Co. operated at 11th and Madison streets from 1933 until late 1946, when it closed in the wake of wartime grain shortages, a federal tax lawsuit, and an embezzling scandal. The grain shortage was unavoidable. The United … Continue reading

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Oak Ridge Abbey (mausoleum)

When Springfield’s first mausoleum was built, its builders played on people’s fears of disease, grave robbery, decomposition and neglect. What’s more, they promised, interment in the Oak Ridge Abbey would protect against the possibility of premature burial. The interior of … Continue reading

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