Category Archives: Mills

Elevator Milling Co. fire, 1927

Posted on August 9, 2023 by editor

As many as 5,000 people stood in pouring rain the evening of April 8, 1927, watching as a historic grain mill and elevator went up in flames across from the Third Street railroad station. The massive blaze destroyed 45,000 bushels … Continue reading →

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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 →

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Newcomer-Bell Mill

Posted on September 24, 2020 by editor

The Newcomer-Bell Mill was on Sugar Creek in Woodside Township, on a site that today is covered by Lake Springfield south of Lindsay Bridge. William Southwick (1805-83)purchased the property on Dec. 6, 1830 and formed a partnership with Armon Lathrop … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Early residents, Industry, Mills | 5 Comments

The Sangamon River

Posted on September 26, 2018 by editor

In 1831, a new Illinois county was formed from parts of Madison and Bond counties. The new county was named for the river that bisected it: the Sangamon. The headwater of the Sangamon River is a small stream emerging from … Continue reading →

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Pensacola

Posted on March 19, 2017 by editor

“Pensacola” was the name given to a tiny, unincorporated community in Cotton Hill Township, southeast of Springfield, in the 1800s. The area is designated for inundation if and when Hunter Lake is ever created as a backup water source for … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Early residents, Historic Sites, Hotels & taverns, Mills, Politics, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Wolf Creek Mill

Posted on February 25, 2017 by editor

Wolf Creek Mill, also known as Constant’s Mill, was on Wolf Creek in Williams Township, about three and a half miles southeast of Williamsville. The 1881 History of Sangamon County, Illinois states the mill was built in 1825 by Thomas … Continue reading →

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Loami

Posted on November 22, 2013 by editor

Europeans first moved into what now is Loami Township in 1819, but the village of Loami didn’t get its start until William and Ebenezer Colburn erected a steam saw and grist mill there in 1836. A settlement grew up around the … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Disasters, Mills | 8 Comments

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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Carpenter’s Mill

Posted on October 30, 2013 by editor

Carpenter’s Mill, a saw and grist mill, was built in 1845 near where modern Business Route 55 crosses the Sangamon River south of Sherman. The rock cut where the old road went through the bluff is still visible. The mill … Continue reading →

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Clark’s Mill

Posted on October 30, 2013 by editor

Clark’s Mill was on the South Fork of the Sangamon River near Rochester. The Clark brothers, Edward and Phillip, came to the United States from England with the express purpose of building a watermill. They arrived in Sangamon County in … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Industry, Mills | 3 Comments