Author Archives: editor

Pekin Theatre

Posted on February 12, 2021 by editor

In segregated Springfield, the Pekin Theatre was the only movie house that not only catered specifically to African-Americans, but was managed by African-Americans as well. The Pekin was at 811-15 E. Washington St. The block, the site of both Black- … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Amusements, Social life, Theaters | Leave a comment

Roxy theater

Posted on February 7, 2021 by editor

“One of the city’s oldest, largest and most reliable babysitters, the Roxy Theater, will fall to the state of Illinois headache ball.” So wrote State-Journal Register critic Paul Povse in September 1978. Indeed, the demise of the Roxy was a … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Architecture, Social life, Theaters | 3 Comments

Jake Wexler murder, 1935

Posted on February 4, 2021 by editor

Jake Wexler was a jeweler in downtown Springfield for 15 years. But when he was gunned down gangland-style in 1935, newspaper stories revealed he had a sideline: slot machines. And, unwisely, he apparently refused to sell his devices and get … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice | 5 Comments

Three killed in saloon shootout, 1905

Posted on January 19, 2021 by editor

A drunken shootout in a Springfield saloon in 1905 left three men dead and two brothers charged with murder. The cause was a previous fistfight, followed by a series of telephoned challenges, newspaper articles reported. Those killed were all from … Continue reading →

Posted in Communications, Crime and vice, Hotels & taverns, Journalism, Law enforcement | 5 Comments

The “divine healer” sensation, 1896

Posted on January 15, 2021 by editor

August Schrader, “the divine healer,” set up shop in Springfield for 10 days in 1896. Thousands of people, complaining of maladies ranging from arthritis to kidney disease to blindness, sought treatment. Crowds blocked downtown streets, and trains brought people to … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Journalism, Medicine, Spectacles | 2 Comments

First Civil War combat death

Posted on January 7, 2021 by editor

Updated: See “The case for Elmer Ellsworth,” below. The first Sangamon County resident to die as a result of combat in the Civil War was a carpenter from Springfield. Heaton Hill, about 28, was shot during the siege of Lexington, … Continue reading →

Posted in Military | 2 Comments

Edward Maisel

Posted on January 3, 2021 by editor

Edward H. Maisel, whose home was bombed in 1932 in what police believed was an outgrowth of labor troubles at local movie houses, had a well-earned reputation for defending himself. See Theater bombings, 1931-32.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Theater bombings, 1931-32

Posted on January 3, 2021 by editor

Unhappy theater workers were the immediate suspects in 1931, when bombs – both explosives and stink bombs – went off in three local cinemas. A few months later, another bomb wrecked the home of a theater manager. Members of Springfield … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Business, Crime and vice, Depression, Labor unions, Law enforcement, Theaters | Leave a comment

New Year’s 1921

Posted on December 29, 2020 by editor

What was on the minds of Sangamon County residents for New Year’s 1921? Potholes. For its special New Year’s coverage on Sunday, Jan. 2, 1921, the Illinois State Journal asked 47 “prominent citizens” (not surprisingly for the time, all were … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Business, Celebrations, Journalism, Law enforcement, Local government, Prominent figures, Social life, Transportation | Leave a comment

‘Horner Highway’ and highway beautification, 1934

Posted on December 26, 2020 by editor

The Horner Highway north of Springfield was one of the first examples of natural highway beautification in the nation. Horner Highway, named after Gov. Henry Horner, ran along today’s Illinois 29 from Springfield to the junction with today’s Illinois 123 … Continue reading →

Posted in Lincoln, Abraham, Markers, State government, Transportation, Uncategorized, Women | 3 Comments