Category Archives: Histories

Oliver R. Barrett, Lincoln collector

Posted on December 18, 2024 by editor

Over a lifetime, starting at age 13, Oliver Barrett amassed an immense collection of documents, relics and source materials related to Abraham Lincoln. When Barrett died in 1950, his heirs offered his entire archive to the Illinois State Historical Library … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and letters, Histories, Lincoln Tomb, Lincoln, Abraham, Museums, Prominent figures, State government | Leave a comment

Sangamon County and Springfield in Peck’s Gazetteer, 1837

Posted on December 17, 2023 by editor

John Mason Peck (1789-1858), traveled widely in Missouri and Illinois as a Baptist missionary. He helped establish more than 900 churches and was important in efforts to eliminate slavery in Illinois. He also “wrote prolifically,” Wikipedia says, “including on agriculture, … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Farming, Histories, Illinois capital, Maps, Sangamon County, Soil, Springfield, Transportation | 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

“The Gay ’90s” in Springfield

Posted on September 13, 2023 by editor

In 1943, V.Y. Dallman, longtime editor and columnist for the Illinois State Register, published a three-part reminiscence of the “Gay ‘90s” – at least, as they were experienced by Springfield’s upper crust. The series was written by a certified member … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Celebrations, Histories, Military, Prominent figures, Social life, Sports and recreation, Women | Leave a comment

Making bread, 1819

Posted on June 11, 2022 by editor

Even the most necessary tasks were a struggle for the first European residents of Sangamon County. Take baking bread, for instance, as described in the History of the Early Settlers of Sangamon County (1876) by John Carroll Power (1819-94); the … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Early residents, Farming, Histories, Mills, Uncategorized | 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

Sangamon County and Springfield, 1847 (J.H. Buckingham)

Posted on July 27, 2021 by editor

In the summer of 1847, writer J.H. Buckingham traveled by stagecoach between Peoria and Springfield in the company of “two members of Congress from the state of Illinois, one Whig and one Locofoco.” The Whig was Abraham Lincoln. Here is … Continue reading →

Posted in Histories, Sangamon County, Springfield | 1 Comment

First European buried in Sangamon County

Posted on December 12, 2020 by editor

The first European to die in Sangamon County apparently was a U.S. Ranger enlisted to help protect early European settlers from Native Americans during the War of 1812. The man, probably named William Hewitt, was shot in an unprovoked scuffle … Continue reading →

Posted in Historic Sites, Histories, Markers, Military, Native Americans, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Springfield in 1947 (Saturday Evening Post)

Posted on November 30, 2020 by editor

When Elise Morrow critiqued Springfield for the Saturday Evening Post in 1947, local leaders reacted with wounded pride, insults and pompous denial. Among their many complaints was Morrow’s passing reference to the city’s tolerance for gambling and prostitution. “Springfield’s vice … Continue reading →

Posted in Histories, Journalism, Lincoln Tomb, Media, Springfield, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

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