Category Archives: Social life

Italian Villa fire (1932)

Posted on October 28, 2019 by editor

The explosion that wrecked the Italian Villa nightclub on East Monroe Street in 1932, killing two, was never explained. Suspicion, fueled by testimony from passersby, the track records of the club’s owners, and a rash of explosions around central Illinois … Continue reading →

Posted in Disasters, Hotels & taverns, Italians, Prominent figures, Restaurants, Social life, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Charles Wood/Carlo Modini, operatic tenor

Posted on June 1, 2019 by editor

A torrential rainstorm beat down on Springfield the evening of Sept. 16, 1886. But the weather didn’t stop local opera aficionados from packing the Chatterton Opera House at Sixth and Jefferson streets to hear tenor virtuoso Carlo Modini. “Nearly every … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Arts and letters, Prominent figures, Social life | Leave a comment

First Prohibition bootlegger, 1919

Posted on May 19, 2019 by editor

This entry has been updated with the photos above. The 14 gallons of whiskey federal agents seized on May 30, 1919, made Servia Diaz Springfield’s first officially recognized Prohibition bootlegger. Diaz (1897-1975), an immigrant from Spain, claimed he had made … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and vice, Hotels & taverns, Law enforcement, Social life | Leave a comment

Doc Helm, photographer

Posted on February 23, 2019 by editor

Eddie Winfred “Doc” Helm, whose striking photographs documented African-American life in Springfield for 50 years, started his career as the man responsible for raising and lowering the flag over the Illinois Statehouse. Helm (1911-94), who grew up in Mount Vernon, … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Business, Media, Photos and photosets, Prominent figures, Social life, State government | 2 Comments

Slovenians in Sangamon County

Posted on December 17, 2018 by editor

In 1909, Slovenian immigrants Josef Grobelnik and Bartol Ramschak operated a popular tavern on South 15th Street. At the time, southeast Springfield was filled with young Eastern European families—most of them new arrivals to the U.S. While Grobelnik and Ramschak … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Business, Churches, Crime and vice, Ethnic groups, Hotels & taverns, Social life | 4 Comments

The Elks Club Group (1952)

Posted on December 11, 2018 by editor

Adlai Stevenson II’s 1952 presidential campaign attracted the most talented, eloquent political team ever assembled in Springfield (well, except for Abraham Lincoln working by himself). Stevenson’s team of speechwriters and idea men (there apparently were no women) was known as … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Hotels & taverns, Presidential candidates, Prominent figures, Social life | Leave a comment

Hotel Abraham Lincoln opens (1925)

Posted on October 29, 2018 by editor

The Hotel Abraham Lincoln opened in 1925 with 300 rooms, a five-piece house band, its own radio station, and lavish décor. And, it turned out, with lousy timing. “The Abe,” which was on the southwest corner of Fifth Street and … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Business, Hotels & taverns, Prominent figures, Social life | 1 Comment

Springfield wins minor-league baseball game, 33-23 (1926)

Posted on October 16, 2018 by editor

Baseball-mad Springfieldians got more than their money’s worth on July 20, 1926, both on the field and in the next day’s newspaper story. The Springfield Senators, the local entry in the Class B Three-I League, outslugged the Peoria Tractors that … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Social life, Sports and recreation | Leave a comment

Riverton Athletic Club

Posted on October 3, 2018 by editor

The mammoth home run Robin Roberts hit on Oct. 14, 1951, remains a highlight in the 80-year history of the Riverton Athletic Club. Roberts, a Springfield native who had just completed the second of his six 20-win seasons as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Parks, Social life, Sports and recreation | 1 Comment

Dan Patch sets state fair race record (1906)

Posted on September 13, 2018 by editor

An estimated 40,000 people watched Dan Patch, the world’s most famous harness horse, set a new Illinois State Fair pacing record on Oct. 2, 1906. Dan Patch covered the one-mile fairgrounds track in 1:59¼, the first time a harness horse … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Animals, Social life, Sports and recreation | Leave a comment