Monthly Archives: March 2022

Edward Baxter (sheriff)

Edward Baxter was Sangamon County sheriff from 1894 to 1898. See Pawnee posse captures burglars, 1899.

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Pawnee posse captures burglars, 1899

A posse of Pawnee citizens corralled two burglars in a remote crossroads schoolhouse on Dec. 9, 1899. The two surrendered after a tense standoff. But their criminal careers would include one last episode in Springfield. The men, identified as Frank … Continue reading

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171 Springfield grocery stores, 1917 (list)

In February 1917, Quaker Oats partnered with Pettijohn’s Breakfast Food (Pettijohn’s made a wheat bran cereal that, like oatmeal, needed to be cooked) to offer a deal to Springfield households: anyone who sent in trademarks from the two cereals could … Continue reading

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Roy Bertelli, ‘Mr. Accordion’

Roy Bertelli’s mortal remains are at Oak Ridge Cemetery. His accordion is not. The internet is wrong on both counts. (Who could have guessed?) Bertelli (1910-2003), who called himself “Mr. Accordion,” gained local fame in 1997, when he paid $30,000 … Continue reading

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‘Ghost towns’ of Sangamon County

This entry has been expanded. See “Hat tips” below.  Sangamon County doesn’t have the kind of ghost towns sometimes portrayed in Western movies. But a variety of vanished or forgotten place names dot the county, each of which tells its … Continue reading

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