Monthly Archives: November 2022

The Lemon Jelly Cake (Madeline Babcock Smith)

Madeline Babcock Smith earned her spot in the literary limelight. But she never got to enjoy it. Smith’s first novel, The Lemon Jelly Cake, published Aug. 4, 1952, “enjoyed an immediate and astounding success,” Dan Guillory wrote in his introduction … Continue reading

Posted in Arts and letters, Children, Communities, Crime and vice, Family life, Media, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Homer Ellis, photographer (Springfield Survey)

Research by SangamonLink may have solved a minor historical mystery: the name of the photographer whose images illustrate the 1914 Springfield Survey. The survey was a massive study of the city’s economic, cultural, charitable and municipal institutions, an effort so … Continue reading

Posted in Communications, Illustrations, Media, Photos and photosets, Springfield Survey | Leave a comment

Lithuanian-American war casualties (WW I&II)

A long-vanished plaque inside a demolished Catholic church once memorialized eight Lithuanian-American soldiers who died in uniform during World Wars I and II. The plaque hung in St. Vincent de Paul Church, the last “national church” – churches that predominantly … Continue reading

Posted in Churches, Lithuanians, Military | Leave a comment

Springfield postal service/postmasters

Receiving mail was a hit-or-miss proposition before Springfield got its first post office, and it wasn’t a picnic afterwards, either. The Springfield post office will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2023. The first postmaster was pioneer storekeeper Elijah Iles. The … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Communications, Journalism, Prominent figures | Leave a comment