History never stops, and the Sangamon County Historical Society hopes this collection will always be a work in progress. We began this online encyclopedia with more than 500 entries, but we know that hundreds — probably thousands — more topics are worth coverage. We encourage anyone with an interest in our county’s past to write for SangamonLink. Here’s what you need to know.
Questions? Contact the editor, Mike Kienzler, at mkienzler@msn.com.
My great-grandmother, Elizabeth Withrow Blanchard was hit by a vehicle as she walked along the streets of Mechanicsburg in the early 1900s. I have located the newspaper article but probably need to find another copy of the article. I have pictures of both she and my great-grandfather in my genealogy files and will be willing to share them.
Ron: I responded via email. Thanks for the note.
My grandfather Elmer L Meinders worked for Sangamo Electric. Today 8/16/2015 he would have been 117 years old. He passed at the age of 78. He assisted with many inventions during his employment with the Company. I would like to see some records of his accomplishments. Thank you, Kim Doolin
Ms. Doolin: A quick check does indicate Mr. Meinders played a role in a number of Sangamo patents. I’ll have to look further into his work, which — fair warning — may take a while, but I’ll see what I can find out. If you have any more information on his life, and any particularly important patents, inventions, etc. that he contributed to, please email me at mkienzler@msn.com.
Thanks for the idea.
I recently read on an Illinois History Facebook Group about Camp Lincoln in Springfield serving as a Japanese-American interment camp. Have you heard about this?
Ms. Richards: That’s not true. There were no internment (not interment — that would be a cemetery) camps in Illinois. In fact, according to several sources, there were no internment camps anywhere east of the Mississippi River, and the vast majority were in the far west and Pacific Coast states. During WWII, Camp Lincoln was a National Guard storage and training depot, as it is now.
My mother Eleanor L. Ross Grew up in Springfield , IL She and four of her younger siblings were placed in an Orphanage when their mother died. I believe at the time the Orphanage was called: The Lincoln’s Colored Old Folks and Orphans home, 1898-1933. It was founded in 1898 by Eva Carroll Monroe. My mother was adopted at some point by a wealthy white family, who raised her until she moved to Chicago to go to College. I am trying to research and find out about the family that adopted her. I think their last name was Johnson. My mother was born, June 21, 1919 and I believe she was placed in the orphanage at the tender age of 12 years old. Any research and/or knowledge on this would be greatly appreciated.
Ms. Jackson: We have an entry on the Lincoln Colored Old Folks and Orphans Home here: https://sangamoncountyhistory.org/wp/?p=461. Unfortunately, as you know, the last name “Johnson” is very common. If you know anything more about them, it would help researchers a lot.
I suggest you contact the Sangamon Valley Collection at Lincoln Library (Springfield’s municipal library). If any place can help you, they’re the best bet. Phone 217-753-4900, ext. 5934. Good luck.
Renovations our underway on a property in Springfield Illinois that has been placed on historic preservation list
Save Springfield Illinois History no more senseless demolition
Daniel Richards
Ward 5
Springfield Illinois