Category Archives: Prominent figures

Gambling rivalry, 1931

Posted on August 3, 2016 by editor

Threats to bomb one of Springfield’s most visible mansions illuminated the murky connections between city fathers and the local underworld in 1931. Machine-gun toting police officers took up guard posts at 1303 Wiggins Ave. in May 1931, in the midst … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Law enforcement, Local government, Politics, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Chesapeake Seafood House

Posted on July 19, 2016 by editor

NOTE: This entry has been edited. See below. The home that makes up the core of the Chesapeake Seafood House, 3045 Clear Lake Ave., was built sometime after 1857 by John McGredy, a 19th-century Scottish immigrant turned nurseryman. McGredy apparently … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Early residents, Prominent figures, Restaurants | Leave a comment

The Lake Club

Posted on July 14, 2016 by editor

NOTE: This entry has been edited. See below. The Lake Club, 2840 Fox Road, brought top national performers – Mickey Rooney, the Mills Brothers, Guy Lombardo, Pearl Bailey, Lawrence Welk and many more – to Springfield in the 1940s, ‘50s … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Buildings, Business, Crime and vice, Hotels & taverns, Law enforcement, Prominent figures, Social life | 22 Comments

Dudley Hotel

Posted on July 11, 2016 by editor

The Negro Motorist Green Book, a nationwide guide for the African-American traveler, for 20 years listed only one hotel in Springfield as open to blacks: the Dudley Hotel, 130 S. 11th St. The Dudley and its predecessors at the same … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Buildings, Business, Hotels & taverns, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Leland Hotel

Posted on July 8, 2016 by editor

The Leland Hotel, on the northwest corner of Sixth Street and Capitol Avenue, played host to travelers, party-goers, celebrities and politicians for 103 years in Springfield. The hotel probably got its most extensive public notice when it served as national … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Buildings, Hotels & taverns, Prominent figures | 5 Comments

Riddle Hill

Posted on June 20, 2016 by editor

Riddle Hill got its name in 1899, when farmers and other residents west of Springfield expected a proposed Springfield-to-Jacksonville electric railway to boost land prices in the area. The Illinois State Journal announced the creation of a new Riddle Hill … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Prominent figures, Transportation | 9 Comments

Oriental Cafe

Posted on June 1, 2016 by editor

The Oriental Café was Springfield’s most popular Chinese restaurant for more than 40 years – and, when it closed in 1955, the only one. The café, on the second floor of the buildings at 424 and 426 E. Monroe St., … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Prominent figures, Restaurants, Social life | 1 Comment

Old Capitol Art Fair beginnings

Posted on May 17, 2016 by editor

Springfield’s first Old Capitol Art Fair was a one-day affair in 1962 that featured 174 artists from around the Midwest. The event, held Saturday, May 26, 1962 (see note below), was one of the earliest events created by the Springfield … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Arts and letters, Celebrations, Prominent figures, Spectacles | Leave a comment

Springfield Brewing Co.

Posted on May 10, 2016 by editor

The Springfield Brewing Co. operated at 11th and Madison streets from 1933 until late 1946, when it closed in the wake of wartime grain shortages, a federal tax lawsuit, and an embezzling scandal. The grain shortage was unavoidable. The United … Continue reading →

Posted in Breweries, Business, Crime and vice, Prominent figures | 5 Comments

Johnny Connors (boxer, saloon-keeper)

Posted on April 23, 2016 by editor

Johnny Connors – boxer, saloon-keeper and sportsman – was small in stature, but he played an outsize role in Springfield for nearly 80 years. Connors (1867-1966) was born John O’Connor in Ireland, but boxed as Johnny Connors. He never legally changed … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Crime and vice, Hotels & taverns, Prominent figures, Restaurants, Sports and recreation, Theaters | 10 Comments