Category Archives: Disasters

Race riot of 1908

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

Update: On Aug. 16, 2024, President Joe Biden designated an area along Springfield’s 10th Street railroad tracks the Springfield Race Riot National Monument. The new monument takes in the remains of five homes destroyed during the riot. The structures were … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Disasters, Fever River, Historic Sites, Law enforcement, Markers, Race riot of 1908, Resources, Springfield | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Springfield tornado of 1957

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

The storm that forever repudiated the theory that Springfield was immune to tornadoes occurred at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14, 1957. The storm — later designated as F4 in severity — swept through the south side of Springfield, killing … Continue reading →

Posted in Disasters, Weather | Tagged | 1 Comment

The ‘Sudden Change’

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

When John Carroll Power was collecting material for his 1876 history of Sangamon County’s early settlers, he was frequently asked, “Has any person told you about the sudden change?” Several old-timers recalled to him the bizarre events of Dec. 20, … Continue reading →

Posted in Disasters, Early residents | Leave a comment

Cantrall: First church, first marriage

Posted on April 22, 2013 by editor

Founded and named: The village of Cantrall was originally named Antioch, but the name was changed to honor the Cantrall family, who were among the first European settlers of the area. In unusually precise fashion, the Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches, Disasters, Early residents | Tagged | 11 Comments

Coal mining fatalities

Posted on April 21, 2013 by editor

Several hundred coal miners and mine workers lost their lives in Sangamon County mines through 1930, according to researcher Wayne Hinton.* Hinton’s former website also reported on four Sangamon County mine “disasters,” defined as any incident between 1880 and 1986 … Continue reading →

Posted in Coal mines and mining, Disasters | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jerome

Posted on April 17, 2013 by editor

Like Grandview and Southern View, the village of Jerome, which is nearly surrounded by Springfield on the city’s south and west sides, was incorporated in 1939 so the village could obtain water from the city of Springfield. Founded and named: … Continue reading →

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

Coal mining

Posted on April 10, 2013 by editor

For several years in the middle of the 20th century, Sangamon County was a leader among Illinois counties in the production of bituminous coal. Coal was discovered in Illinois as early as 1673, when French explorers Marquette and Joliet noted … Continue reading →

Posted in Coal mines and mining, Disasters, Industry | Tagged , , | 22 Comments

Illiopolis

Posted on April 7, 2013 by editor

The founding of Illiopolis was described in the Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, Vol. 2  (1912): In 1834, when the question of the removal of the State Capital began to be agitated, a beautiful city was laid out by John Taylor, Eli … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Disasters, Industry, State government | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Auburn

Posted on April 2, 2013 by editor

Auburn was founded twice. The first time was in 1835 by the Eastman family – George and Asa, along with their sister Hannah, who chose “Auburn” as the name of the fledgling community. (An 1896 Illinois State Journal article hypothesized that … Continue reading →

Posted in Coal mines and mining, Communities, Disasters, Prominent figures, Sports and recreation | Tagged | 1 Comment

New Berlin (and Berlin): Following the railroad

Posted on April 2, 2013 by editor

When Europeans arrived, three villages of Pottawatomie and Delaware Indians were in the Berlin/New Berlin area. “During the first few years after the first settlers came, the Indians were as numerous as the whites,” reports a New Berlin history in … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Disasters, Native Americans, Sports and recreation | Leave a comment