Category Archives: Local government

Willis J. Spaulding

Posted on October 7, 2013 by editor

“Next to Lincoln, Willis Spaulding was our greatest citizen,” then-Mayor Nelson Howarth said upon Spaulding’s death in 1965. “… His leadership in the fight for public utilities resulted in Lake Springfield, pure water, low electric rates and acres of recreational … Continue reading →

Posted in Local government, Prominent figures, Springfield, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Springfield city flag

Posted on October 7, 2013 by editor

Springfield’s city flag was adopted in 1917. Local resident S.T. Wallace won a contest to design the flag, taking a $100 prize in the process.  Poet Vachel Lindsay both proposed the contest and donated the cash award. The 20 stars … Continue reading →

Posted in Lindsay, Vachel, Local government, Springfield | 2 Comments

1925 Springfield City Plan (The West Plan)

Posted on October 7, 2013 by editor

The 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago inspired the so-called City Beautiful movement that dominated urban planning in the U.S. and abroad until well into the 1920s. One of the more successful City Beautiful planners in the Midwest was Myron … Continue reading →

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Springfield Fire Department, 1925 (photo)

Posted on October 7, 2013 by editor

Springfield Fire Department Engine Co. No. 1, circa 1925. The driver of the middle truck is identified as Patrick Hayes. (Sangamon Valley Collection)  

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Street car ‘war’ of 1890

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

Springfield’s street car “war” of 1890 actually consisted of several months’ worth of legal and political maneuvering between two local street car operators, although a brief confrontation on Spring Street did leave the president of one of the companies with … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Industry, Local government, Transportation | Tagged | 2 Comments

Township government

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

When Sangamon County was organized in 1821, it was governed under the only form of county government the state constitution then permitted. The control of county functions was in the hands of a three-person elected commission, a form of county … Continue reading →

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Springfield Survey, 1914

Posted on October 4, 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. The survey was initiated by a group of Springfield citizens who were … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Children, Education, Law enforcement, Local government, Medicine, Parks, Photos and photosets, Public health, Resources, Schools and school districts, Social services, Springfield, Springfield Survey | Tagged | 4 Comments

Education beginnings in Springfield

Posted on July 20, 2013 by editor

The first school in Springfield was created in 1821, with about 50 pupils taught by Andrew Orr, and the first schoolhouse, “of rough logs,” was built in 1828 at Second and Adams streets. In 1854, the city authorized free education … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Local government, Prominent figures, Schools and school districts | 2 Comments

Bullard & Bullard: Leading architects

Posted on April 23, 2013 by editor

The architectural Bullard family, founded by Samuel A. Bullard (1853-1926), designed many of Springfield’s most prominent late 19th-century churches, schools, and public buildings. It and the firm of Helmle & Helmle are considered the most successful and most accomplished of … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Churches, Historic Sites, Local government, Prominent figures | Tagged , | 17 Comments

Curran

Posted on April 21, 2013 by editor

Curran was founded in the 1830s and laid out in the 1850s, when a store and post office also were established. However, the community wasn’t formally incorporated until 2005, when area residents decided to seek aid to build a sewer … Continue reading →

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