Author Archives: editor

‘The Story of the House,’ by Alice Bunn

Posted on November 15, 2021 by editor

Alice Bunn (1867-1953) was born and died in the spacious home at 435 S. Sixth St. that was built by her father, Jacob Bunn, in the 1850s. The house was torn down for a parking lot in July 1953, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Architecture, Buildings, Children, Early residents, Family life, Histories, Prominent figures, Social life, Women | 2 Comments

First parking ramp (1963)

Posted on November 10, 2021 by editor

The space age hasn’t been kind to Springfield’s first parking ramp. The 450-car, $725,000 ramp opened to the public on March 17, 1963. The “gala open house” included free coffee, Coke or Bubble-Up and a Mel-O-Cream donut for every person … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Business, Local government, Prominent figures, Springfield, Transportation | Leave a comment

Dr. George Kreider

Posted on November 6, 2021 by editor

Dr. George N. Kreider was a leader of the medical community in Springfield and statewide in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. See Tapeworms and medical fraud, 1884.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Tapeworms and medical fraud, 1884

Posted on November 6, 2021 by editor

Dr. George Kreider “hates quacks as the devil hates holy water,” the Illinois State Register said in 1884, but he almost met his match in an 87-foot tapeworm. George N. Kreider (1856-1922) was a leader among Springfield physicians in the … Continue reading →

Posted in First Citizens, Journalism, Law enforcement, Medicine, Prominent figures, Public health, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

New Dennis Williams portrait (a detective story)

Posted on November 2, 2021 by editor

This entry has been updated. See below. Dennis Williams was a rarity in 1880s Springfield: a successful African American artist and businessman. Only a few examples of his art are known to exist today. Now there’s one more, thanks to … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Arts and letters, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Pike’s Peak Ocean to Ocean Trail

Posted on November 1, 2021 by editor

Back when Illinois highways had names, not numbers, the Pike’s Peak Trail brought tourists, and their dollars, to central Illinois. The trail (full name “Pike’s Peak Ocean to Ocean Trail,” often abbreviated PP-OO or PPOO) was cobbled together from bits … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Maps, Transportation, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Shelby M. Cullom (U.S. Senate)

Posted on October 29, 2021 by editor

Shelby M. Cullom won his first election by four votes. It was the start of a 60-year political career that would take him to the edge of the presidency. As a lawmaker, Cullom (1829-1914) “sometimes seemed to plod,” an obituary … Continue reading →

Posted in John T. Stuart, Lincoln, Abraham, Local government, Oak Ridge signs, Politics, Presidential candidates, Prominent figures, State government | Leave a comment

First burial of a Japanese

Posted on October 25, 2021 by editor

Johei “Joe” Okuhara probably was the first ethnic Japanese to be buried in Springfield, and his also may have been the first Muslim funeral. However, his friends wanted the city to know, he did not live – or die – … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Ethnic groups, Japanese, Media, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Sweet gum trees

Posted on October 18, 2021 by editor

Springfield folklore says the city’s population of sweet gum trees (and their annoying, spiky “gum ball” seed pods) dates from the great elm tree die-off of the late 1940s. And sweet gums indeed were one of the main tree species … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Prominent figures, Science | 4 Comments

Auburn Brick Road

Posted on October 11, 2021 by editor

An empty stretch of highway near Auburn might be Sangamon County’s most obscure historic site. The Auburn Brick Road, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, draws what few visitors it does because it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Historic Sites, National Register, Transportation | 1 Comment