Category Archives: Prominent figures

Springfield Ceramics and Crafts Club

Posted on May 22, 2014 by editor

The Springfield Ceramics and Crafts Club was founded on May 21, 1924, as the Springfield Ceramics Club. The charter membership was made up of 12 women, and the first president was Mrs. Lewis Minor, who had inspired the startup at … Continue reading →

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

Orange Judd buildings, Rochester

Posted on May 22, 2014 by editor

Buildings pictured in a 1918 collection, the Orange Judd Farmer Pictorial Community Album of Rochester Township and Village, are part of a walking tour created under sponsorship of the Rochester Historical Preservation Society. The Orange Judd Publishing Co. produced a … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Architecture, Buildings, Communities, Historic Sites, Histories, National Register, Prominent figures | Tagged | Leave a comment

Under the Gas-Light: Or Lights and Shadows in the State Capital of Illinois

Posted on May 16, 2014 by editor

Under the Gas-Light: Or Lights and Shadows in the State Capital of Illinois (1879) is a collection of 31 essays originallywritten as “Rambles” in the Sangamo Monitor, a Springfield newspaper published from the 1870s into the 1890s. The writer of the … Continue reading →

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

Ansar Shrine leadership, 1914-2014

Posted on May 4, 2014 by editor

The leaders (“potentates”) of Springfield-based Ansar Shrine during its first 100 years included a Springfield mayor, a Springfield First Citizen and the last living person to have viewed the face of Abraham Lincoln. Ansar Shrine was chartered on July 13, … Continue reading →

Posted in Celebrations, First Citizens, Lincoln Tomb, Lincoln, Abraham, Local government, Prominent figures | 1 Comment

Rayburn memorial, Oak Ridge Cemetery

Posted on April 28, 2014 by editor

One of the most prominent monuments in Oak Ridge Cemetery serves as a reminder of a thoroughly unconventional religious sect that got its start in Williamsville. The monument consists of an eight-foot-tall marble sculpture of a woman atop a 40-foot … Continue reading →

Posted in Churches, Prominent figures, Women | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

James A. Stubbs masonry

Posted on April 19, 2014 by editor

James A. Stubbs (1864-1937) was a builder, brick and masonry contractor and landlord for 45 years in Springfield. His work was generally unmarked,  but many of his buildings still stand and are a distinctive part of the city’s fabric. Stubbs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Business, Prominent figures | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

U.S. Senators with Sangamon County links

Posted on March 30, 2014 by editor

Note: The following list of U.S. senators with connections to Sangamon County does not include those who lived here solely because of their involvement in state government or politics.  *Ninian Edwards (senator from 1818 to 1824): Edwards, who was territorial … Continue reading →

Posted in Early residents, Illinois capital, Politics, Presidential candidates, Prominent figures, State government | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

1850s Springfield, in four mysterious paintings

Posted on March 18, 2014 by editor

The four paintings below show all four sides of the Springfield square in the late 1840s or early 1850s. They are unusual in two ways: their perspective, presumably from the cupola of what now is the Old State Capitol; and … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and letters, Historic Sites, Histories, Hotels & taverns, Illustrations, Maps, Photos and photosets, Prominent figures, Springfield, State government | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Illinois Agricultural Works

Posted on February 14, 2014 by editor

The Illinois Agricultural Works, founded in 1882, had a farm implement plant at 10th and South streets for a few years. However, it is most notable because of its status as an early, failed business venture of the later cereal … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry, Prominent figures, Social services | 2 Comments

NAACP Webster Plaque

Posted on January 8, 2014 by editor

The Springfield Branch of the NAACP annually awards its Webster Plaque to “a Black citizen of Springfield, who has contributed toward the uplifting of the Black race in any field of honest endeavor. …” The plaque recognizes Dr. D.E. Webster (1897-1973) and … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Prominent figures | 2 Comments