Category Archives: Uncategorized

De Crastos family (tamales)

Posted on September 7, 2021 by editor

The De Crastos family, beginning with patriarch Edward De Crastos, sold chili and tamales from pushcarts and bicycles in Springfield from the 1890s until the 1960s. See ‘Tamale men’ (1890s).

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Gov. William H. Bissell

Posted on August 31, 2021 by editor

When Gov. William Bissell was reburied in 1871, the crowd may have been bigger than at any Springfield funeral since that of Abraham Lincoln. Bissell was the first Republican, first college graduate and first disabled person elected governor. He also … Continue reading →

Posted in Illinois capital, Markers, Oak Ridge signs, Politics, Prominent figures, Spectacles, State government, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Rees Memorial Carillon

Posted on August 22, 2021 by editor

Before the Springfield Park Board could build a carillon in Washington Park, it had to answer two questions: how many bells would it hold, and what kind would they be? When newspaper publisher Thomas Rees died in 1933, he left … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Communications, Journalism, Local government, Parks, Prominent figures, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

First state police officer

Posted on July 24, 2021 by editor

When officers of the fledgling Illinois Highway Patrol lined up in full regalia in 1923, J. Frank Nuckolls of Auburn wore one of the patrol’s brand-new badges on his chest. He had a big job ahead of him. The highway … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Dr. Don Deal, surgeon and visionary

Posted on July 20, 2021 by editor

In the 1920s, Dr. Don Deal correctly predicted Springfield’s reinvention as a medical center. Springfield’s medical establishment “draws from a larger surrounding territory, in proportion to its population, than any other city in the United States,” Deal told fellow members … Continue reading →

Posted in Medicine, Prominent figures, Public health, Science, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Mildred Park bridge collapse, 1905 (photos)

Posted on June 14, 2021 by editor

Somehow, no one was seriously injured when a crowded suspension bridge collapsed into the pond at Mildred Park (today’s Bunn Park) on Aug. 16, 1905. The lead on the Illinois State Journal story: Without the slightest warning, the suspension bridge … Continue reading →

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

Palace Theatre

Posted on May 9, 2021 by editor

When the Palace Theatre opened at 1836 S. 15th St. in 1915, the “very pretty little house” became a venue where downtown movies were brought to Springfield’s southeast side. Despite its grand name, the theater was very small– about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Amusements, Buildings, Swabians, Theaters, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

St. Nicholas Hotel early days

Posted on April 17, 2021 by editor

J. Emil Smith, editor, publisher and columnist for the Illinois State Journal, wrote the following memory of the early St. Nicholas Hotel on Nov. 28, 1943, a few days before the McCreery family relinquished ownership. The McCreerys had operated the … Continue reading →

Posted in Buildings, Business, Historic Sites, Hotels & taverns, National Register, Prominent figures, Restaurants, Social life, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

B.H. Luers and Sons Shoe Store

Posted on March 31, 2021 by editor

Luers Group, which in 2021 specialized in children’s shoes and school uniforms, can legitimately boast that among the children who have worn the store’s shoes were the sons of Abraham and Mary Lincoln. Luers also might be, as some articles … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Prominent figures, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

St. John’s Hospital

Posted on March 11, 2021 by editor

Mary Lincoln may have been one of the earliest patients to benefit from care provided by what is now the Hospital Sisters Health System. The story was handed down by a Franciscan nun, Sister Francis Dreisvogt (1849-1933), who was among … Continue reading →

Posted in Germans, Lincoln, Abraham, Medicine, Public health, Social services, Uncategorized | 8 Comments