Category Archives: Family life

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 →

Posted in Celebrations, Early residents, Family life, Social life, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

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

John D. Waters and Highland Farms

Posted on March 23, 2023 by editor

John D. Waters built a livestock empire in eastern Sangamon County. He also built a mansion south of Dawson that was known for, among other things, the large meteorite that adorned the front yard. “He was one of the best … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Business, Family life, Farming, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

The Lemon Jelly Cake (Madeline Babcock Smith)

Posted on November 17, 2022 by editor

Madeline Babcock Smith earned her spot in the literary limelight. But she never got to enjoy it. Smith’s first novel, The Lemon Jelly Cake, published Aug. 4, 1952, “enjoyed an immediate and astounding success,” Dan Guillory wrote in his introduction … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and letters, Children, Communities, Crime and vice, Family life, Media, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

‘Advice to Housekeepers’ (1871)

Posted on June 30, 2022 by editor

“Advice to Housekeepers” is a general introduction to Mrs. Owen’s Illinois Cook Book, compiled and written in 1871 by, apparently, Mary Hurst Owen of Springfield. (Why “apparently”? See below.) Owen (1826-1907) wrote that her  Cook Book was aimed at “middle … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures, Women | 1 Comment

Sangamon County Detention Home, 1916

Posted on December 19, 2021 by editor

The Sangamon County Detention Home was created with two goals: to be both an alternative to jail for the county’s youngest delinquents and a refuge for neglected or abandoned children. It wasn’t a perfect solution to either problem, but it … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Crime and vice, Family life, Law enforcement, Local government, Sangamon County, Social services | Leave a comment

‘The Story of the House,’ by Alice Bunn

Posted on November 15, 2021 by editor

Alice Bunn (1867-1953) was born and died in the spacious home at 435 S. Sixth St. that was built by her father, Jacob Bunn, in the 1850s. The house was torn down for a parking lot in July 1953, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Architecture, Buildings, Children, Early residents, Family life, Histories, Prominent figures, Social life, Women | 2 Comments

‘Bird Lady’: A Lithuanian immigrant mother’s life in Springfield

Posted on August 3, 2021 by editor

On the day in 1912 when 16-year-old Mary Ann Yezdauskas arrived in Springfield from Lithuania, her brother took her to the elegant Bressmer’s Department Store to buy a new coat. Then the sister and brother posed together in their finery … Continue reading →

Posted in Coal mines and mining, Family life, Lithuanians, Lithuanians, Women | 10 Comments

Courting and marriage in early Illinois

Posted on December 9, 2020 by editor

Speaking to the 1873 meeting of the Old Settlers of Sangamon County, former Gov. John Palmer remembered the process of courting and marriage when he arrived in Illinois in the 1830s. From the 1881 History of Sangamon County; together with … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Celebrations, Early residents, Family life, Prominent figures, Social life | Leave a comment

Boyhood during the Deep Snow

Posted on November 16, 2020 by editor

Zimri Enos was nine years old when the Deep Snow hit Sangamon County on Dec. 30, 1830. Snowstorms continued almost constantly for eight weeks. At its height, average snow depth was four to five feet, and the snow was accompanied … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Disasters, Early residents, Family life, Histories, Prominent figures, Social life, Uncategorized, Weather | 2 Comments