Category Archives: State government

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 →

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Barack Obama in Springfield

Posted on October 7, 2013 by editor

President Barack Obama was an Illinois state senator, representing a Chicago district in Springfield, from 1997 to 2004. As a U.S. senator from 2005 to 2009, he also visited Springfield several times. Notably, he was one of the speakers, with … Continue reading →

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Adlai Stevenson II in Springfield

Posted on October 7, 2013 by editor

As Robert Howard pointed out in his Illinois: History of the Prairie State, most biographers of Adlai Stevenson II (1900-65) “concentrate on the presidential campaigns and United Nations career,” not Stevenson’s single term as Illinois governor. Stevenson, who grew up … Continue reading →

Posted in Presidential candidates, Prominent figures, State government | 3 Comments

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Dana-Thomas House

Posted on April 26, 2013 by editor

The Dana-Thomas House, designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, was built at 301 E. Lawrence Ave. for Springfield hostess Susan Lawrence Dana. Dana gave Wright his first “open checkbook” commission, and the result, as described by the Springfield Historic Sites … Continue reading →

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Illinois State Armory

Posted on April 15, 2013 by editor

The Illinois State Armory at 107-11 E. Monroe St. in Springfield was built in 1936 to replace the State Arsenal, which previously stood on the site but had been destroyed in an arson fire. The new Armory was equipped with what was … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Historic Sites, Illinois capital, State government | Tagged | 17 Comments

Illiopolis

Posted on April 7, 2013 by editor

The founding of Illiopolis was described in the Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, Vol. 2  (1912): In 1834, when the question of the removal of the State Capital began to be agitated, a beautiful city was laid out by John Taylor, Eli … Continue reading →

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Illinois State Arsenal (1855)

Posted on March 21, 2013 by editor

In 1855, the state of Illinois built an arsenal at 424-26 N. Fifth St., on the east side of Fifth Street between Mason and Carpenter streets. The smallish rectangular brick building, built in the Greek Revival style with a pediment on … Continue reading →

Posted in Military, Presidents, State government | Tagged , | 1 Comment