Category Archives: Early residents

Island Grove United Methodist Church

Posted on January 23, 2025 by editor

Island Grove United Methodist Church, located on Old Jacksonville Road two miles west of Berlin, was founded as a church by the Island Grove Society in 1822. In its earliest days, the congregation was serviced by circuit-riding preachers. According to … Continue reading →

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Springfield city charter brawl, 1840

Posted on January 19, 2025 by editor

A brawl between two of Springfield’s leading citizens enlivened the 1840 election that converted the community from a town to a city. The fight was over who should be allowed to vote in the referendum. The combatants were Dr. Alexander … Continue reading →

Posted in Early residents, Lincoln, Abraham, Local government, Politics, Prominent figures, Springfield | Leave a comment

Springfield market house, 1832-1880

Posted on January 7, 2025 by editor

When residents of early Springfield wanted fresh meat or vegetables, the city market house was the place to go. But you had to get up early. City fathers decided in 1832 to build a market house, a central point where … Continue reading →

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Springfield cemeteries, past and present

Posted on October 18, 2024 by editor

This entry has been updated. See below. Springfield’s Old City Cemetery had been closed to new burials for more than 30 years when an Illinois State Journal writer visited in February 1890. It wasn’t a pleasant sight. A dreary and … Continue reading →

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‘Patty Reed’s doll’ (Donner Party artifact)

Posted on September 10, 2024 by editor

Like the Donner Party itself, the best-known relic of that pioneer tragedy hails from Sangamon County. The Donner Party, of course, is remembered primarily because some of the emigrants, snowbound in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains in 1846-47, reportedly resorted to … Continue reading →

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Philemon Stout’s big party (1898)

Posted on July 15, 2024 by editor

Philemon Stout knew how to throw a party. It was 1898, and Stout (1822-1910) had had a good life. He owned nearly 2,000 acres of prime farmland near Cotton Hill. He had served as school trustee, highway commissioner, and justice … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Celebrations, Early residents, Farming, Prominent figures, Social life, Spectacles | 1 Comment

First wedding (1820)

Posted on April 30, 2024 by editor

The first marriage ever performed in Sangamon County took place in a log cabin near Cantrall on Nov. 2, 1820. In a pioneer community, the event required some improvisation, including a legless piano and a fake wedding cake. The happy … Continue reading →

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Lucy Rountree and family

Posted on February 17, 2024 by editor

For the past 30 years, the story of Thomas Jefferson and his relationship with the enslaved Sally Hemmings has gained America’s attention through books, movies, and the integration of Jefferson’s descendants, both white and African-American, at family reunions. Unfortunately, Sally’s … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Early residents, Family life, Women | 1 Comment

First Rochester schools

Posted on November 3, 2023 by editor

The 1881 History of Sangamon County, Illinois, Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Townships includes two short accounts of the earliest schoolhouses and teachers near Rochester. As described, the schools were rough and improvised, and one burned down in … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Early residents, Education, Histories, Prominent figures, Schools and school districts, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Hebrew Ground, Oak Ridge Cemetery

Posted on October 10, 2023 by editor

“Hebrew Ground” at Oak Ridge Cemetery is the resting place of 342 early Jewish settlers to Springfield and Central Illinois. It is marked by a plaque, dedicated in September 2023, that sits in front of the graves of Springfield’s first … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches, Early residents, Ethnic groups, Jewish, Markers, Oak Ridge signs, Prominent figures | Leave a comment