Category Archives: Prominent figures

Leslie Nimmo

Posted on October 14, 2013 by editor

Les Nimmo (1905-2003) was a co-founder and the first chief executive officer of the Horace Mann insurance company, which is headquartered in Springfield. Nimmo, born in Waggoner, taught in the Springfield public schools for 18 years.  In 1945, he joined … Continue reading →

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Elizabeth and Ninian Edwards home (Lincoln marriage site)

Posted on October 14, 2013 by editor

Abraham and Mary Lincoln were married in the dining room of Elizabeth Todd Edwards (1816-88), Mary’s sister, and her husband, Ninian Wirt Edwards (1809-99), in the 500 block of South Second Street in Springfield on Nov. 4, 1842. Mary Lincoln … Continue reading →

Posted in Early residents, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures, Women | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Margaret Cross Norton

Posted on October 14, 2013 by editor

Margaret Cross Norton (1891-1984) was a groundbreaking archivist of public records, both as a woman and as an innovator and visionary. A graduate of the University of Chicago (bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history) and the New York Library School, … Continue reading →

Posted in Illinois capital, Prominent figures, State government, Women | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Oak Ridge Cemetery

Posted on October 14, 2013 by editor

Oak Ridge Cemetery was founded as about a 28-acre site in 1856. Dedication ceremonies were held on May 24, 1860, with the highlight being a lengthy, fulsome oration by James C. Conkling (1816-99). A sense of Conkling’s speaking style — … Continue reading →

Posted in Early residents, Historic Sites, Lincoln, Abraham, Local government, Prominent figures | Leave a comment

Dr. George T. Palmer

Posted on October 13, 2013 by editor

Dr. George T. Palmer was a lifelong advocate for better public health and social services, with a special interest in therapy for tuberculosis. Palmer (1875-1943), the grandson of Gov. John Palmer, began his medical practice in Chicago, but moved to Springfield … Continue reading →

Posted in Local government, Prominent figures, Public health, Springfield Survey | Tagged | 1 Comment

George Power Farmstead

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

The George Power Farmstead , east of Cantrall off County Road 9.5N, is Sangamon County’s best remaining example of a 19th-century farm layout — and perhaps the site where fledgling lawyer Abraham Lincoln argued his first case. Kentucky-born George “Squire” … Continue reading →

Posted in Early residents, Historic Sites, Illustrations, Lincoln, Abraham, Local government, Prominent figures | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Reisch Brewing Co.

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

The Reisch Brewing Co., which operated (with a few interruptions) from 1849 to 1966 on Springfield’s north end, remains the best-known of Springfield’s many 19th- and early 20th-century breweries. Bottles, cans, labels and other mementoes of the Reisch operation are … Continue reading →

Posted in Breweries, Business, Fever River, Industry, Prominent figures | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Octavia Roberts (Corneau)

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

Octavia Roberts (1875-1972), was a Springfield-born journalist and writer. Her best-known work today is Lincoln in Illinois, a brief (160-page) reflection on Abraham Lincoln in New Salem and Springfield that was published in 1918. Roberts was for a time the … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts and letters, Journalism, Lincoln, Abraham, Lindsay, Vachel, Prominent figures, Women | Tagged | Leave a comment

Robin Roberts

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

Springfield native Robin Roberts (1926-2010)was the best pitcher in major league baseball from 1950 to 1955, winning 20 games for the Philadelphia Phillies for six consecutive seasons. Following his active career, he played a major role in the hiring of … Continue reading →

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Julius Rosenwald

Posted on October 12, 2013 by editor

This entry has been revised in light of new efforts to recognize Julius Rosenwald’s charitable and other contributions on both the local and national levels. Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932), a Springfield native, teamed with Richard Sears to build Sears, Roebuck & … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Education, Historic Sites, Lincoln, Abraham, Prominent figures, Schools and school districts, Social services | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment