Category Archives: Springfield

Good Will Girls (1920s)

Posted on July 19, 2020 by editor

The Good Will Girls were the brainchild of a convicted con man, but they became the stars of a Springfield Chamber of Commerce bid to attract out-of-town shoppers in the 1920s. The chamber periodically sponsored car caravans to outlying communities … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Springfield, Women | Leave a comment

Springfield in 1939, according to the Federal Writers Project

Posted on June 10, 2019 by editor

Editor: This entry, originally published in 2014, has been revised and expanded. Illinois: A Descriptive and Historical Guide was part of the American Guide series, which profiled each of the then-existing 48 states during the 1930s. The American Guides were … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Communities, Depression, Historic Sites, Histories, Illinois capital, Lincoln, Abraham, Maps, Markers, Springfield, Transportation | 2 Comments

Daniel Pope Cook (Congressman, land owner)

Posted on November 29, 2018 by editor

The young lawyer for whom Cook County was named was a landowner in early Springfield and the man who prodded the Illinois territorial legislature to apply for statehood. Daniel Pope Cook was born in Kentucky in 1794 and moved to … Continue reading →

Posted in Prominent figures, Springfield, State government | 1 Comment

First electrified home

Posted on December 3, 2017 by editor

The first Springfield home to be equipped with electric lights reputedly was the palatial residence of Frank and Sarah Jones Tracy. It’s not clear when Frank W. Tracy, a banker and civic leader, had the lights installed. The date probably … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Industry, Local government, Prominent figures, Social life, Springfield | 6 Comments

Springfield traffic rules, 1903

Posted on June 1, 2017 by editor

Springfield officials enacted the city’s first ordinance regulating automobiles in 1903, only three years after motorcars were introduced to the city. The rules went into effect on Dec. 3, 1903. The ordinance set a speed limit of 12 miles per … Continue reading →

Posted in Children, Springfield, Transportation | Leave a comment

Women’s vote history, Sangamon County

Posted on April 24, 2017 by editor

Following the Civil War, Illinoisans decided their state constitution needed updating. Delegates met in Springfield from December 1869 until May 1870, and one of the issues they debated was whether to allow universal suffrage. The 15th amendment to the U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Local government, Politics, Prominent figures, Sangamon County, Schools and school districts, Springfield, Women | Leave a comment

Springfield street name changes

Posted on October 1, 2016 by editor

One might think that names chosen for streets would remain the same indefinitely unless the name causes confusion or the street was physically removed.  Both circumstances have occurred over the years in Springfield. While the city of Springfield generally discouraged … Continue reading →

Posted in Local government, Springfield, Transportation | 13 Comments

Ridgely village

Posted on May 29, 2015 by editor

The village of Ridgely, which ran from about Fifth Street to 15th Street between Ridgely and Sangamon avenues, was among suburbs that sprang up as residential developments expanded beyond the “Grand avenues,” the traditional city limits of Springfield. Ridgely, incorporated … Continue reading →

Posted in Communities, Local government, Prominent figures, Springfield | 3 Comments

Springfield city charter election, 1840

Posted on April 6, 2015 by editor

Springfield officially became a city on April 6, 1840. Springfield already had been incorporated as a town in 1832. As the community grew, however, city officials – including Abraham Lincoln, who became a town board member in 1839 — asked … Continue reading →

Posted in Local government, Politics, Springfield | 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