Category Archives: Early residents

Nancy and Alexander Humphreys (1828 pioneers)

Posted on October 23, 2013 by editor

Nancy Humphreys was a charter member of both the Sangamo Presbyterian (1828) and Second Presbyterian (1835) churches in Springfield. John Todd Stuart places the residence of Nancy and Alexander Humphreys, as well as the site of Alexander’s blacksmith shop, near the … Continue reading →

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Elijah Iles (1828 pioneers)

Posted on October 23, 2013 by editor

Elijah Iles (1796-1883) was Springfield’s first merchant and perhaps its most dynamic founder. Iles built a log store near the settlement of the John Kelly family shortly after arriving in central Illinois. Iles described his move to Sangamon County and … Continue reading →

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Thomas Cox (1828 pioneers)

Posted on October 23, 2013 by editor

Thomas Cox (1787-1844) bought out the property of the John Kelley family to become one of the four original proprietors of Springfield in 1824. (The others were Elijah Iles, Pascal Enos and John Taylor.) Cox previously was a prominent resident … Continue reading →

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Indian Queen Hotel

Posted on October 22, 2013 by editor

A few Springfield and Sangamon County histories mention a once-famed hostelry, now generally forgotten — the Indian Queen Hotel. Owned and operated by Archer Herndon Sr., Sr., the Indian Queen was one of the city’s best accommodations in the early 1830s. … Continue reading →

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‘Jack,’ age 5: First Black resident

Posted on October 22, 2013 by editor

Local researcher Richard Hart discovered evidence in early county records that the Kelly family, generally considered Springfield’s earliest settlers, were accompanied by several African-American slaves. In particular, Hart found, Henry and Mary Kelly, the parents of 1818-19 settlers Elisha and … Continue reading →

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Johnson & Bradford Bookstore

Posted on October 22, 2013 by editor

Johnson & Bradford Bookstore, founded in 1837, was thought to have been the oldest bookstore in Illinois when John Carroll Power produced his 1871 History of Springfield, Illinois, Its Attractions As A Home And Advantages For Business, Manufacturing, Etc. The … Continue reading →

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July 4, 1830s-style

Posted on October 22, 2013 by editor

Sangamon County residents of the 1830s had a special closeness to the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence. Only 50 years separated them from those historic events. That is fewer years than now separate us from World War II. … Continue reading →

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Revolutionary War veterans buried in Sangamon County

Posted on October 22, 2013 by editor

This entry has been updated. A marker on the Old Capitol Plaza identifies 27 veterans of the American Revolution who are buried in Sangamon County, but that figure probably identifies only half of the patriots whose final resting places are … Continue reading →

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Springfield Brewery

Posted on October 22, 2013 by editor

The earliest recorded brewery in Springfield was started in 1840 by James Busher. Busher and his brother John emigrated from their native England and settled in Springfield in 1839. The brothers were tanners by trade, or at least worked in … Continue reading →

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The Kelley (Kelly) family

Posted on October 21, 2013 by editor

The Kelleys – Elisha, John, Henry and their relatives – are usually considered the first Europeans to live in the boundaries of what is now Springfield. (An 1817 settler, Levi Ellis, may actually deserve that designation, but the Kelley family’s cabins … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Early residents, Historic Sites, Oak Ridge signs, Prominent figures, Sangamon County, Springfield | Tagged , | 39 Comments