Category Archives: Ethnic groups

Federal court opinion on commission government (1987)

Posted on October 28, 2013 by editor

U.S. Judge Harold Baker ruled on Jan. 12, 1987, that the effect of commission government in the city of Springfield had been to “submerge” African Americans as a voting minority and had made it practically impossible for a black person … Continue reading →

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William Fleurville (Florville)

Posted on October 27, 2013 by editor

William Fleurville (1807-1868) was a Haitian-born barber and businessman whose shop on Adams Street between Fifth and Sixth streets became a regular meeting place for Springfieldians, including Abraham Lincoln. The spelling of Fleurville’s last name is inconsistent; he often used … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Business, Early residents, Ethnic groups, Prominent figures | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

David Hammons (MacArthur Fellow)

Posted on October 26, 2013 by editor

David Hammons, born in Springfield in 1943, is an acclaimed New York-based artist, performance artist and sculptor who received a MacArthur Fellowship (sometimes called a “genius grant”) in 1991. According to artnet, “Hammons’s work speaks of cultural overtones; employing provocative materials … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Arts and letters, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Ambidexter Institute

Posted on October 25, 2013 by editor

The Ambidexter Institute was a private “industrial school” that operated from 1901 until 1908 at 902 S. 12th St. (As of 2014, the building, generally known as the Judge John Taylor House, was in disrepair, but the Springfield Project, a … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Education, Historic Sites, Prominent figures | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Home and Hospital for Fallen Women

Posted on October 25, 2013 by editor

The Home and Hospital for Fallen Women opened in 1868 at 902 S. 12th St., a building known generally as the Judge John Taylor House. The purpose of the Home and Hospital was described in 1871 in a pious, and … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Buildings, Children, Education, Historic Sites | Leave a comment

Housing for African Americans, 1914 (Springfield Survey photo)

Posted on October 24, 2013 by editor

The Springfield Survey was a massive study of local schools, prisons, and other institutions undertaken in 1914 by the Russell Sage Foundation with the help of hundreds of local volunteers. Topics covered included schools, care of “mental defectives, the insane and … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Ethnic groups, Springfield Survey | Leave a comment

Lyman Hubbard Sr.

Posted on October 23, 2013 by editor

Lyman Hubbard Sr. (1927-2012) was a career U.S. Air Force pilot and the only Springfieldian to be a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, the famed all-black World War II air squadron. Hubbard, who flew B-25 bombers during World War II, … Continue reading →

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Illinois State Arsenal (1903)

Posted on October 22, 2013 by editor

President Theodore Roosevelt dedicated the new Illinois State Arsenal  at Second and Monroe streets on June 4, 1903. The structure, designed by Bullard & Bullard architects and built at a cost of $150,000 by the Culver Stone and Marble Co., … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Amusements, Buildings, Celebrations, Disasters, Lincoln, Abraham, Military, Museums, Race riot of 1908, Sports and recreation, State government | 7 Comments

‘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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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