Category Archives: Prominent figures

Gehrmann Park

Posted on June 7, 2015 by editor

The development of Gehrmann Park in 1946 caused the destruction of what then probably was Springfield’s oldest building – a log cabin built by one of the Kellys, the city’s first European settlers. The three-acre park between Third and Fourth … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Early residents, Parks, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

St. Barbara Slovenian Catholic Church

Posted on June 2, 2015 by editor

St. Barbara Church, 15th and Laurel streets, was Springfield’s Slovenian Catholic parish from 1911 until 1947. Thirty-seven Slovenian residents of the Springfield area – many of them coal miners – formed a Slovenian Church Building Association in 1909, each pledging … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Churches, Depression, Labor unions, Prominent figures, Schools and school districts | 9 Comments

Ridgely family

Posted on May 31, 2015 by editor

Nicholas Ridgely, a Maryland native who moved to Sangamon County in 1835, was the father of 13 children by two wives (both named Jane). Here is a look at several Ridgelys who played prominent roles in 19th-century Springfield. *Nicholas Ridgely … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Business, Industry, Local government, Prominent figures, Railroads | 6 Comments

Ridgely village

Posted on May 29, 2015 by editor

The village of Ridgely, which ran from about Fifth Street to 15th Street between Ridgely and Sangamon avenues, was among suburbs that sprang up as residential developments expanded beyond the “Grand avenues,” the traditional city limits of Springfield. Ridgely, incorporated … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Local government, Prominent figures, Springfield | 3 Comments

Lincoln Tomb custodians, 1874-1975

Posted on May 8, 2015 by editor

Five men served as custodians of the Lincoln Tomb in the century from 1874, when the still-incomplete tomb was dedicated, and 1975, when tomb management was reorganized. They were: *John Carroll Power (1819-94), a Kentucky native and failed farmer, was … Continue reading →

Posted in Historic Sites, Histories, Lincoln Tomb, Museums, Presidents, Prominent figures | 3 Comments

Robert Irwin (Lincoln banker & friend)

Posted on April 30, 2015 by editor

On May 18, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln wrote to Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase about an “old friend who has served me all my life, and who has never before received or asked anything in return.” The friend, Robert Irwin, … Continue reading →

Posted in Early residents, Historic Sites, Lincoln, Abraham, Politics, Presidents, Prominent figures, Social life | Leave a comment

George P. Coutrakon, prosecutor

Posted on April 15, 2015 by editor

Prosecutor George P. Coutrakon (1906-99) was a strict constructionist when it came to cleaning up vice-ridden Sangamon County following World War II – even when that meant challenging the Catholic church. Nelson Howarth, who was an assistant to Coutrakon in … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Greeks, Local government, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Hall-Hagler chapter, Disabled American Veterans

Posted on April 12, 2015 by editor

Springfield’s Hall-Hagler chapter of the Disabled American Veterans is named in honor of two World War I casualties who hailed from the city. Sgt. Joe Hall (1891-1918) died during the waning hours of the war – at 8:45 a.m. on … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and letters, Military, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Stuart Elementary School

Posted on April 5, 2015 by editor

The Sixth Ward Primary School, located between Sixth and Seventh streets and Vine Street and South Grand Avenue, was the first Springfield public school organized after the original four ward schools. Stuart was built in 1883 and closed after the … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Early residents, Education, John T. Stuart, Prominent figures, Schools and school districts, Women | 25 Comments

The potato matinee of 1925

Posted on March 30, 2015 by editor

The “potato matinee” of Christmas 1925 was the brainchild of longtime local theater manager Harry Thornton. It quickly went awry, the victim of its own success. Illinois State Journal editor/publisher J. Emil Smith, a friend of Thornton’s, heard the potato … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Business, Children, Media, Prominent figures, Social life, Theaters | Leave a comment