Category Archives: Prominent figures

Willard Ice, ‘Mr. Revenue’

Posted on March 30, 2015 by editor

Willard Ice (1915-80) was an attorney and public servant at the Illinois Department of Revenue for more than 30 years, including a brief period as revenue director.  The Revenue Department’s headquarters in Springfield is named after Ice, commemorating his contributions … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Illinois capital, Prominent figures, State government | 7 Comments

‘The Wedding of the Rose and the Lotus’ (Vachel Lindsay)

Posted on March 22, 2015 by editor

Springfield poet Vachel Lindsay wrote The Wedding of the Rose and the Lotus in 1912 to recognize the importance of the Panama Canal, which connected the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The rose signifies the West and the lotus the East. … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and letters, Buildings, Lindsay, Vachel, Markers, Prominent figures | 1 Comment

The Political Rise of the Adamitis & Yacubasky Families

Posted on March 18, 2015 by editor

From Lithuanians in Springfield, Illinois The story goes that for decades, Republican Party leader Don “Doc” Adams (Lith. Adomaitis) of Springfield exercised significant patronage power in both the public and private sectors. When Doc died in 2011 at age 75, … Continue reading →

Posted in Coal mines and mining, Hotels & taverns, Lithuanians, Politics, Prominent figures, Restaurants, Social life | 4 Comments

Victory Loan Flying Circus, 1919

Posted on March 12, 2015 by editor

The Victory Loan Flying Circus, a barnstorming group of World War I pilots using WWI combat aircraft, put on a show for thousands of central Illinoisans in front of the Illinois State Fairgrounds Grandstand on April 15, 1919. An unbilled … Continue reading →

Posted in Air travel, Journalism, Media, Military, Prominent figures, Spectacles, Women | Leave a comment

Stephen A. Douglas’ missing finger

Posted on March 10, 2015 by editor

Before he was Abraham Lincoln’s foil in the 1858 contest for U.S. Senate in Illinois and then for the presidency in 1860, Stephen A. Douglas was a regular presence and sometime resident in Springfield. Douglas also was, briefly, Lincoln’s rival … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Early residents, Historic Sites, Illinois capital, Lincoln, Abraham, Politics, Presidential candidates, Prominent figures, State government | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Nelson Howarth (Springfield mayor)

Posted on March 7, 2015 by editor

Nelson Howarth (1911-91) was the colorful, combative mayor of Springfield for three terms between 1955 and 1971. During his administrations, Springfield was named an All American city, city boundaries were greatly expanded, and the city initiated construction of a new … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Crime and vice, Law enforcement, Lincoln Home, Local government, Politics, Prominent figures, Springfield | 6 Comments

Elizabeth Magie (‘Monopoly’ precursor)

Posted on March 3, 2015 by editor

Elizabeth Magie, who designed the heart of what later became the board game Monopoly, spent much of her youth in Springfield. Magie (1866-1948) moved with her family to Springfield in the late 1870s, after her father, formerly a newspaper editor … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Media, Politics, Prominent figures, State government | 2 Comments

‘Poor House Rules’ — the drawings of Alfred S. Harkness

Posted on February 26, 2015 by editor

Alfred S. Harkness (1866-1941) was an artist, illustrator and engraver whose specialty — at least for part of the time he lived in Springfield — was public health illustration. Harkness had been a member of the artist staff of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and letters, Illustrations, Media, Medicine, Prominent figures, Public health, Social services, Springfield Survey | Leave a comment

Buffalo’s bicycle-riding bank bandit

Posted on February 25, 2015 by editor

The sensational robbery of the Bank of Buffalo on May 14, 1896, became even more sensational when authorities learned the supposed stickup was an inside job perpetrated by two sons of one of Springfield’s most prominent German residents. The original … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Law enforcement, Prominent figures | 2 Comments

Sangamon County/Springfield timeline, 1818-1840

Posted on February 17, 2015 by editor

The following timeline is taken from a handout distributed by Melinda Garvert for a talk she presented at the Iles House on Feb. 17, 2015. Reprinted with permission. 1818 —  Illinois becomes the 21st state in the union due to … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Early residents, Illinois capital, Local government, Prominent figures, Sangamon County, Springfield, State government | 14 Comments