Category Archives: Public health

Charles H. Spaulding

Posted on October 7, 2013 by editor

Charles Herbert Spaulding (1888-1968), described at his death as “the nation’s foremost water technologist,” provided the technical innovations that enabled his brother, Willis J. Spaulding, to carry out his vision of a publicly owned Springfield water system. Charles Spaulding designed … Continue reading →

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1925 Springfield City Plan (The West Plan)

Posted on October 7, 2013 by editor

The 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago inspired the so-called City Beautiful movement that dominated urban planning in the U.S. and abroad until well into the 1920s. One of the more successful City Beautiful planners in the Midwest was Myron … Continue reading →

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Springfield Hospital and Training School

Posted on October 7, 2013 by editor

A home on the northwest corner of Fifth Street and North Grand Avenue in Springfield was the genesis of today’s Memorial Medical Center. The house was built by T.S. Little, described in 1874 as a “clothier and merchant tailor” with a shop … Continue reading →

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St. Joseph’s Home

Posted on October 6, 2013 by editor

St. Joseph’s Home, a nursing home for the elderly at 3303 S. Sixth Street Road, opened in 1903. Officials announced in the fall of 2021 it would close that December. The home was operated by a Catholic order of nuns, … Continue reading →

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Wabash Railroad Employees Hospital

Posted on October 5, 2013 by editor

Wabash Railroad employees injured on the job were brought to Springfield for treatment from 1884 to 1902 at a hospital dedicated to them. The infirmary was established in the former James Conkling mansion at Sixth Street and Lawrence Avenue.  The … Continue reading →

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Springfield Survey, 1914

Posted on October 4, 2013 by editor

The Springfield Survey was a massive study of local schools, prisons, and other institutions undertaken in 1914 by the Russell Sage Foundation with the help of hundreds of local volunteers. The survey was initiated by a group of Springfield citizens who were … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Children, Education, Law enforcement, Local government, Medicine, Parks, Photos and photosets, Public health, Resources, Schools and school districts, Social services, Springfield, Springfield Survey | Tagged | 4 Comments

‘Well and privy menace,’ 1914 (Springfield Survey photo)

Posted on October 4, 2013 by editor

This photo is taken from a report done for the Springfield Survey, which was a massive study of local schools, prisons, and other institutions undertaken in 1914 by the Russell Sage Foundation with the help of hundreds of local volunteers. … Continue reading →

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