Search Results for: calaboose

East Springfield village hall and ‘calaboose’

Invisible and almost inaccessible, tucked into the side of the 19th Street overpass, a tumbledown brick building was in 2022 the last remnant of the once-feisty village of East Springfield. When constructed in 1901, the building served as the East … Continue reading

Posted in Buildings, Communities, Local government, Railroads, Springfield | 1 Comment

Police officer killings, 1885

When Leonard Gardnier left his Springfield apartment the evening of Aug. 23, 1885, he told his wife to “dress up real nice, because he wanted her to make as pretty a corpse as possible.” An hour or so later, Gardnier, … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and vice, Law enforcement, Local government | Leave a comment

Ridgely village

The village of Ridgely, which ran from about Fifth Street to 15th Street between Ridgely and Sangamon avenues, was among suburbs that sprang up as residential developments expanded beyond the “Grand avenues,” the traditional city limits of Springfield. Ridgely, incorporated … Continue reading

Posted in Communities, Local government, Prominent figures, Springfield | 3 Comments

Police news, 1883

The following cases were all reported on Page 4 of the Oct. 7, 1883 Illinois State Journal. They give a sense of how both law enforcement and newspapers dealt with crime and court cases 130 years ago. NIGHT PROWLERS. A … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and vice, Law enforcement, Media, Uncategorized | Leave a comment