Category Archives: Buildings

New Deal projects, 1930s

Posted on January 23, 2019 by editor

Thousands of people clogged downtown Springfield on June 30, 1939, celebrating the fact that streetcar tracks no longer crisscrossed Monroe Street. The giant festival, which included three bands, a jitterbug contest and appearances by city officials, was the climax of … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and letters, Buildings, Celebrations, Depression, Local government, Social services, Transportation | 2 Comments

Paul M. Angle, historian

Posted on January 12, 2019 by editor

Of the 35 eminent Illinois writers whose last names are engraved on the frieze that decorates the  Illinois State Library, only three had significant connections to Sangamon County. Two are predictable – Abraham Lincoln and Vachel Lindsay. The third is … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Arts and letters, Buildings, Histories, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures | 3 Comments

Slovenians in Sangamon County

Posted on December 17, 2018 by editor

In 1909, Slovenian immigrants Josef Grobelnik and Bartol Ramschak operated a popular tavern on South 15th Street. At the time, southeast Springfield was filled with young Eastern European families—most of them new arrivals to the U.S. While Grobelnik and Ramschak … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Business, Churches, Crime and vice, Ethnic groups, Hotels & taverns, Social life | 4 Comments

The Elks Club Group (1952)

Posted on December 11, 2018 by editor

Adlai Stevenson II’s 1952 presidential campaign attracted the most talented, eloquent political team ever assembled in Springfield (well, except for Abraham Lincoln working by himself). Stevenson’s team of speechwriters and idea men (there apparently were no women) was known as … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Hotels & taverns, Presidential candidates, Prominent figures, Social life | Leave a comment

Hotel Abraham Lincoln opens (1925)

Posted on October 29, 2018 by editor

The Hotel Abraham Lincoln opened in 1925 with 300 rooms, a five-piece house band, its own radio station, and lavish décor. And, it turned out, with lousy timing. “The Abe,” which was on the southwest corner of Fifth Street and … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Business, Hotels & taverns, Prominent figures, Social life | 2 Comments

The Lincoln Home after the Lincolns (1861-1953)

Posted on July 30, 2018 by editor

For nearly a century after Abraham and Mary Lincoln left it, other people lived in and managed their former home at Eighth and Jackson streets. Among the eclectic group were a railroad executive, a couple of politicians, a physician, an … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Historic Sites, John T. Stuart, Lincoln Home, Museums, Prominent figures, State government | 7 Comments

John Schnepp, mayor & embezzler

Posted on June 5, 2018 by editor

John S. Schnepp (1866-1954) was a lawyer, real estate developer and two-time mayor of Springfield. He also was an embezzler and philanderer. With his thefts on the verge of exposure in January 1932, Schnepp disappeared. Discovered three years later selling … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Business, Crime and vice, Local government, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Springfield fire protection, 1850s-’70s

Posted on May 22, 2018 by editor

Fires that demolished swaths of the downtown square in the 1850s led – eventually – to Springfield creating a full-time fire department. But city fathers first had to remedy another problem that plagued local firefighting efforts: a water shortage. An “incendiary” – … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Disasters, Local government, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Fallout shelters in Sangamon County

Posted on May 16, 2018 by editor

On April 5, 1964, about 150 people moved into the sleek, white-tiled tunnels below the State Office Building. They were to remain there for 25 hours, drinking purified water and munching biscuits, while loudspeakers blared warnings and audio recordings simulated … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Communications, Illinois capital, Local government, Maps, Public health | 9 Comments

Twelve Mile House

Posted on March 22, 2018 by editor

Twelve Mile House was an inn, stagecoach stop and post office in the early 19th century. It later became one of the landmarks used when Illinois officials designed the highway that became Route 66 and then Interstate 55. Where, exactly, … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Early residents, Historic Sites, Hotels & taverns, Maps, Transportation | 3 Comments