While this list includes some of the more useful general local history resources, it is by no means a complete catalog (for instance, those seeking information on Abraham Lincoln specifically should look elsewhere). Additional suggestions are welcome.
Offline
Sangamon Valley Collection, third floor, Lincoln Library, Springfield. Vertical files organized topically, past city directories, local histories in print, thousands of public domain photos, access to newspaper microfilm and other research materials, and most of all, expert guidance from the library staff. In general: If you don’t know where to start, start here.
Microfilm of local newspapers, also in the Sangamon Valley Collection. Contemporary reports of history events, though the researcher needs to know the approximate dates.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Sixth and Jefferson streets. Editions of more than 100 Springfield newspapers available on microfilm (although many were short-lived or have few extant copies). The Illinois State Journal and its predecessors are indexed through 1860. The presidential library’s collection of Sangamon County newspapers also includes publications from Auburn, Buffalo, Chatham, Divernon, Illiopolis, Mechanicsburg, New Berlin, Pawnee, Pleasant Plains, Riverton, Rochester and Williamsville.
Sangamon Sources: A Research Guide to Local History, 1865-1970, James Krohe Jr. (ed.), 1975. Annotated (often acerbically) guide to more than 400 books, articles, pamphlets, monographs, government records, studies and maps related to Sangamon County prepared prior to 1970. Indexed. Remains extremely informative despite being 50 years old. Available at Lincoln Library.
Books and pamphlets (on- and offline)
Here I Have Lived: A History of Lincoln’s Springfield, Paul Angle, 1935. Full text available online.
A New Eden: The Pioneer Era in Sangamon County, Robert Howard, 1974. Short history of the early county published by the Sangamon County Historical Society. Full text available online.
Sugar Creek: Life on the Illinois Prairie, John Mack Faragher, 1986. Faragher focuses on the Sugar Creek area of southern Sangamon County to examine social, economic and political developments in pioneer America. Partially readable online. In a review published in the Sangamon County Historical Society’s Historico in April 2011, former SCHS president David Scott noted, “The focus of the book is not on the influence of the frontier in creating American individualism, but rather on community and associations.”
The Sangamo Frontier: History & Archaeology in the Shadow of Lincoln, Robert Mazrim, 2007. Partially readable online.
The Sangamon Saga, Bruce Campbell, 1976. Chronologically based episodic history of the county up to 1976; events largely organized by decade. Although Campbell’s chronology is not always totally accurate, it’s usually close enough that a researcher can pin down when an event occurred and then, in turn, check newspaper files or other records to fill in details. The Saga is not available online, but the Lincoln Library catalog lists eight copies, both circulating and (in the Sangamon Valley and juvenile reference sections) non-circulating. The Saga also is available from online booksellers.
The Sangamon Country, Helen Van Cleave Blankmeyer, 1935 (republished 1965 by the Sangamon County Historical Society). Anecdotal history originally written for schoolchildren; as a probable result, Blankmeyer seems to have chosen colorful renditions over documented ones whenever possible. Although portions of Sangamon Country are based on interviews with old settlers, Blankmeyer appears to have invented some details and created many spurious quotations. Use with care, but potentially useful in pointing researchers to aspects of county history. Not available online, but accessible through Lincoln Library.
Springfield Sculptures, Monuments and Plaques, Carl and Roberta Volkmann, 2008. Designed as a complete listing of local statuary at the time. Not online, but available at Lincoln Library and various online book dealers.
Sangamon County Historical Society publications. The Sangamon County Historical Society has published 36 books, pamphlets and program booklets since 1965, on subjects ranging from Abraham Lincoln sculpture to the local chili culture to Springfield’s most powerful crime boss. Most of the publications remain in print and are available through the historical society. Some also can be read online.
Online
Early histories
History of Springfield, Illinois, its attractions as a home and advantage for business, manufacturing, etc., by John Carroll Power. Published for the city Board of Trade, 1871. Readable online or as a downloadable PDF. (Editor: In general, downloaded PDFs allow much easier and faster searches and copying.)
History of the early settlers of Sangamon County, Illinois by John Carroll Power, assisted by his wife, Mrs. S.A. Power. Published 1876, 797 pages. Readable online or as downloadable PDF.
History of Sangamon County, Illinois, Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships, anonymous, Inter-State Publishing Co., 1881. Readable online or as downloadable PDF. The Sangamon County Historical Society calls this “the first real county history,” compiled by “a corps of experienced historians with instructions to prepare a faithful and reliable history of the County.”
Souvenir of Springfield, Published by H. E. Barker, Art Dealer, 1890. Drawings of 89 homes, businesses, churches and other institutions in 1890. Viewable online, images can be saved.
Portrait & Biographical Album of Sangamon County, Chapman Bros., Chicago, 1891. Although the text is florid, lithograph plates in the Biographical Album include portraits of various dignitaries and illustrate dozens of Sangamon County farms prior to the turn of the century.
Past and Present of Springfield and Sangamon County, Illinois, Joseph Wallace, 1904. Includes biographies and photos of many prominent individuals of the period. An index to Past and Present’s biographies also is available, and many of the biographies themselves can be accessed from there.
Historical Encyclopedia Of Illinois and History of Sangamon County, Newton Bateman and Paul Selby, 1912. Two volumes, both available online, but separately. The first volume is general history; Volume II is made up of biographical sketches. Researchers may have to check both volumes to find references.
Vol. 1: https://archive.org/details/historicalencycloisc01bate
Vol. 2: https://archive.org/details/historicalencyclv2bate
Newspaper articles
Newsbank (available free to anyone with a card from Springfield’s Lincoln Library and many other libraries) is a searchable database of The State Journal-Register and its predecessors covering the period from 1831 through 1923 (in the case of the Illinois State Register) or through 2008 (the Illinois State Journal and State Journal-Register). The State Journal-Register’s computer archives also can be used to access news stories; Lincoln Library card holders also may do that for free.
In addition, if you know approximate dates, both Lincoln Library and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library have microfilm of many local newspapers.
Genealogybank, Newsbank’s sister site, provides identical access to archives of more than 6,100 newspapers throughout the country; final available dates vary. There is no need for a library card, but there is a fee to subscribe.
Photos
See Photograph collections online in SangamonLink’s Index to Entries.
General resources
Illinois Digital Archives, maintained by the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office. The Digital Archives, while not the easiest site to search, contain an enormous amount of information. A search engine (i.e., Google) is often the best way to locate Digital Archives material.
Oral history interviews, available online through the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. Many of those relevant to central Illinois were originally done under the aegis of Sangamon State University, the former name of the University of Illinois Springfield. Interviews are indexed both by interviewee and by subject.
Century Past: The Great Lakes States Past and Present: Online historical library covering the old Northwest Territory (Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin). Antique web design, but site offers more than 100 pages with links to 1,300 online books and other resources. Free, no registration required.
A Guide to Researching the History of a House (reader suggestion): Compiled by homeadvisor.com, this suggests a variety of ways interested people can find out more about the history of their homes. While none of the links apply directly to Sangamon County (and some are out of date — there’s no mention, for instance, of the invaluable NewsBank/GenealogyBank newspaper database), these tips may prompt new avenues for local property researchers. Hat tip: Barbara Lincoln, librarian with the Salt Lake City Children’s Network.
Specialty resources
Illinois African-American Resource Guide, part of the Illinois Digital Archives (below). Guide to Springfield resource material relating to or compiled by African Americans. Springfield is covered on pages 44-48. Compiled in 1999, so not all information is current. Does not include, for instance, the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum.
Directory of Sangamon County’s Colored Citizens, Springfield Directory Co., 1926-29. Apparently lists all black residents of Springfield in the mid- to late 1920s. The directory’s advertisements also help illuminate black life in the city during the period and suggest that the buying power of the local African American community was significant.
Illinois High School Glory Days, website devoted to remembrances of closed high schools statewide, including 15 former high schools in Sangamon County.
Illinois State Fair Museum Foundation; of particular interest are five slide shows (compiled by Tom Fitch) of State Fair photographs, old-time and recent.
Lithuanians in Springfield, website created by Sandy Baksys with more than 100 years of family, church and business history focused on Lithuanian immigrants in central Illinois. Includes photos, obituary info, veterans listings for World Wars I and II and news up to the present. (The full depth of material here is not immediately obvious from the home page; check sections of LithSpringfield, especially Sandy’s Blog, News and Profiles, for additional entries.)
Springfield City Directory for 1902, R.L. Polk & Co. “Containing an alphabetically arranged list of business firms and private citizens; a street and avenue guide; miscellaneous directory; city and county officers; terms of court; churches, colleges, public and private schools, buildings, banks, incorporated institutions, railroads, secret and benevolent societies, etc. And a complete classified business directory.”
Fever River Research. The firm “specializes in cultural resource management projects that are associated with historic properties that date to the recent past. We conduct a variety of projects that include historical archaeology, architectural studies, National Register of Historic Places nominations, and traditional history.” Fever River has performed several very detailed studies of Springfield neighborhoods; however, its website was hacked in 2014. As of this writing (March 2015), the website had been restored, but some of the individual studies had not been reposted. Most, if not all, remain available in the Sangamon Valley Collection.
The Springfield Survey: Groundbreaking in-depth examination of social services available in Springfield in 1914 and where they were succeeding or falling short. See the encyclopedia entry for individual reports.
The Illinois State Capitol, privately produced, but well-researched and illustrated website with information on the construction, history and artwork inside and outside the Statehouse. Also covers some related topics, including news stories about events in Springfield history.
Diocese of Springfield in Illinois Diamond Jubilee History, Joseph J. Thompson, 1928. Readable online or as downloadable PDF.
Tara McClellan McAndrew, Springfield historian and writer. Her web site includes links to local history articles and books on a variety of topics.
Wicked Springfield: Crime, Corruption & Scandal During the Lincoln Era, Erika Holst, 2010. Twenty-one brief accounts of some of Springfield’s less creditable moments between 1837 and 1861. Not available online. 
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Hi,
I live at 2300 S Park in Springfield, il. I have been told that my house was built for Vito Impastato. I’m trying to locate any pictures of his house from the 60’s. Can you help me in anyway in trying to locate these pictures.
Mr. Spears: I answered you via email too, but in case someone else has a similar question, here’s what I said in the email.
Sangamon County has a series of aerial parcel views that might be a place to start your search for photos of your home; it includes an aerial view from 1969. If you know your parcel number (the address search feature didn’t work for me), you might be able to view at least your roof and lot from above. Here’s a link: http://gismaps.co.sangamon.il.us/tpv/
Otherwise, your best bet would be to contact Curtis Mann at Lincoln Library’s Sangamon Valley Collection. The SVC might — emplasize “might” — have a photo of your house from decades past. But even if they don’t, Curt is really knowledgeable about local real estate resources. If there are other places to check, such as the recorder’s office, etc., he’ll know it.
His phone number is 753-4900, ext. 5634.
Good luck.
Mr. Spears:
This site may help as well. If your home is in Capital Township, it should show photos from various years from 1967-present. Hover over Parcel Search, then click on Search For Parcels. When your home comes up, choose Parcel Summary or Current Assessment. If your home is in Capital Township, the images will be under Parcel Details —> Capital Township. Any property that is not in Capital Township will only have a Property Record card that is in .TIF form.
https://tax.co.sangamon.il.us/SangamonCountyWeb/app/homeAction.action
Thanks, Ms. Rutherford.
The Chicago, Springfield and St. Louis Railway (a.k.a. Springfield and Southwest Railway) owned the railroad that ran west down Madison Avenue, crossed Jefferson near Lincoln Street, through what is now known as “the Griffin Woods” and Fair Hills Mall, and went southwest from there along what is now West Monroe. My question: are there any photographs of the railroad as it traversed across what is now Chatham Road and Monroe? There had to be a trestle of some sort to go across the creek that runs under that intersection.
Joe: I’m not sure, but I’ll try to check next time I visit the Sangamon Valley Collection at Lincoln Library (I’m up there a lot). If you want faster action, of course, you can give them a call directly too.
I have a Gold coin and it says Benjamin Franklin insurance company on back it says 100 million what does it mean it’s from 1842
You have very kindly included my site “History of the Great Lakes States” on your “Research Sources” page, under the heading “General Resources”. I recently changed my site name to “Century Past Free Online Library”, and changed the domain to centurypast.org. However the “History of the Great Lakes” section is still there, and has been expanded with hundreds of modern books, published up to the early 21st century. Start at this page: https://centurypast.org/great-lakes-states/
Best regards
Thanks, Mr. Lienhart. I’ve updated the listing.
Hello. I recently bought a house on N Peoria Rd that was built in 1891. Lots of weird and unexplainable things happening. My daughter covered in hives for a week. My dog acted poisoned and like she was going to die for a day. One of my cats got a random abbces, and then my completely healthy cat died. I went to bury him only to find hundreds of bones, to what looks mostly animal. All fossilized. Some do stick to a magnet. I really need some guidance for the history of my house and possibly a reference to someone who can identify some of these bones. Thank you for all and any help!
Ms. Sheets: Your best bet is the Sangamon Valley Collection at Lincoln Library (the city library, not the presidential one). City directories there can tell you who the previous owners were over the years, and they also can find deed records, etc. Good luck.
Thank you for all the work you do to preserve and expand the known history of Springfield and beyond! I am trying to dig for some information about Wolf Myers (1800-1876), granfather of Louis F Myers (1869-1935), who was my great grandfather. Ancestry has very scarce information and I would like to know more about him. Where would youbrecommend looking?
Mr. Myers: I checked newspapers from 1860 to 1876; the only reference to Wolf Myers I found was a short item reporting his death. I’ll send you that privately. There also are a couple dozen short items about his son Morris, who was a clothier; most of those report on the dissolution of a partnership he was in or are legal notices about his estate. I’ll include his obituary in my email, in case that’s any use.
Otherwise, the go-to source for local historical information is the Sangamon Valley Collection at Lincoln Library (the municipal library, not the presidential one). Call 217-753-4900 ext. 5634 (they’re closed today, Jan. 15, 2024).
Sorry I can’t be more help.
i have a sangamo electric meter lamp i have had for 40 years the cord is broken can you tell me how to take apart and replace new electric cord don’t want to break it purchased it when i worked at an electric company in 1984