Category Archives: Early residents

Broadwell Inn

Posted on October 31, 2013 by editor

Moses Broadwell (1764-1827), a Revolutionary War veteran, moved to Sangamon County with his family in 1820 and settled along Richland Creek, a mile east of the present-day community of Pleasant Plains. There they built a home and a traveler’s inn … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Early residents, First Citizens, Historic Sites, Hotels & taverns, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

The Bunn family

Posted on October 31, 2013 by editor

Grocer Jacob Bunn Sr. (1814-97) and his younger brother John Whitfield Bunn (1831-1920) began a family whose energy and initiative have helped mold Springfield for more than 150 years.  Their business interests have ranged from the original Springfield Marine Bank … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Early residents, First Citizens, Historic Sites, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Cantrall

Posted on October 31, 2013 by editor

The community of Cantrall had its beginnings in the winter of 1818-19, when Stephen England and two of his sons-in-law, Andrew Cline and Wyatt Cantrall, traveled through Springfield to the north side of the Sangamon River.  There, each of the … Continue reading →

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Ebenezer Capps (1828 pioneers)

Posted on October 31, 2013 by editor

Ebenezer Capps (1797-1877), a native of London, England, operated a grocery on Jefferson Street west of First Street in 1828 Springfield, according to John Todd Stuart’s later recollections. (Capps’ store is listed as No. 12 on the reconstructed map of … Continue reading →

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Jabez Capps (1828 pioneers)

Posted on October 31, 2013 by editor

Jabez Capps (1796-1896), one of several energetic siblings who made their marks in both the U.S. and England, was a prominent merchant between 1819, when he arrived in Sangamon County, until 1836, when he moved away and helped found the … Continue reading →

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William and Margaret Carpenter

Posted on October 31, 2013 by editor

This entry has been edited to correct the death date of Margaret Carpenter and to correct the size of Carpenter Park. Carpenter Park and Carpenter Street are among legacies of the family of William (1787-1859) and Margaret Carpenter (1803-83), who … Continue reading →

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Philip Crowder’s Revolutionary War pension application

Posted on October 29, 2013 by editor

Philip Crowder (1759-1844), who is buried in a family plot in on the west side of Old Chatham Road across from Illini Country Club in Leland Grove, was a veteran of the American Revolution. He applied for a military pension … Continue reading →

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Darling’s Mill

Posted on October 29, 2013 by editor

Darling’s Mill was on the North Fork of the Sangamon River in Clear Lake Township, south of the modern Mechanicsburg Road crossing. One of the lesser known mills today, Darling’s Mill is actually well documented in the historical record. The … Continue reading →

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The Deep Snow

Posted on October 29, 2013 by editor

Snow began falling in central Illinois on Christmas Eve 1830 and didn’t let up for nine weeks, according to a later memoir by the Rev. John Bergen. At the same time, the temperature fell to zero and below — as … Continue reading →

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Early Springfield (Barringer map)

Posted on October 28, 2013 by editor

The map at right was created for Dr. Floyd Barringer’s 1971 booklet Tour of Historic Springfield. Fever River Research, in its  Aristocracy Hill  and Enos Park surveys, along with its archaeological survey prior to construction of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Early residents, Fever River, Historic Sites, Histories, Maps, Native Americans, Springfield, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment