Even before he ascended to the White House, Abraham Lincoln was often referred to as “old.” It wasn’t an insult but a compliment. Michael Burlingame “He radiated the qualities of wisdom and nurturing,” said Dr. Michael Burlingame, a noted Lincoln author and professor of history at the University of Illinois Springfield. “He had several positive […]
History
Posted inArts & Culture
The first big Springfield funeral
Governor William H. Bissell’s funeral on March 21, 1860 was the largest and most elaborate to ever have been staged in Springfield until it was eclipsed five years later by Lincoln’s. Blasts of cannon woke the citizens of Springfield at dawn on the day of the melancholy event. They fired every half hour until 11 […]
Posted inOpinion
Back on the roads again
PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER W. HOLMES – INSTAGRAM @CHIGUY79 It is unclear exactly where Illinois’ new CEO wants to take this state, but we have indications in his proposed budget how he would like us to get there. If approved, his budget would spend slightly more of the public’s money on motorcycle safety and on new […]
Posted inOpinion
An overdue policy on the library
Is the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum a museum with a library attached? Or is it a library with a museum attached? The two institutions are like conjoined twins, one of whom has a wonky heart; the best chance for each might be to separate them, in spite of the risks that surgery poses. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
A program about progress
PHOTO BY KERRI WESTENBERG/TNS On Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m., join the Sangamon County Historical Society and Oak Ridge Cemetery executive director Michael Lelys for a program focusing one of the nation’s leading historical sites. Oak Ridge Cemetery, established in 1865, now encompasses 365 acres and is the largest municipal cemetery in Illinois. The […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Lincoln’s scandalous nephew
The Sangamon County Courthouse, where Abraham Lincoln’s nephew killed the Union soldier who tried to rape his sister. If the Lincolns continued to take a Springfield newspaper even after they moved to Washington, D.C., no doubt they would have been shocked by the May 12, 1864, issue of the Illinois State Journal, which carried the […]
Posted inOpinion
Wrong in principle
Quick – how big a part of Illinois’ population in recent years has consisted of unauthorized immigrants. Ten percent? Fifteen? Twenty? In 2012, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, it was 3.7 percent. Not exactly a teeming horde, yet President Obama’s recent executive order to prevent the unnecessary deportation of such people – humane in […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The legend of Ann and Abraham
One of the enduring myths in American legend is Abraham Lincoln’s first love, a New Salem girl named Ann Rutledge. The subject remains hotly debated among Lincoln scholars today. The relationship – and its impact on Lincoln’s life – has been depicted as one of the great love stories of all time and made Ann […]
Posted inOpinion
Stone magic
It was August and the ripening corn stood taller than we did. The field was bounded by the old Illinois Terminal tracks, South Grand, Cook and the 66 bypass, as it then was still known, Everett Dirksen not having done anything to merit it being renamed in his honor. In that time of year, of […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Political mudslinging in Springfield
Stephen A. Douglas (left) and John T. Stuart’s (right) fight for Congress turned physical at a debate in Springfield during the summer of 1838. After enduring the barrage of political ads spewed forth during the recently concluded election campaign, one starts to wonder if the tone of the political debate could sink any lower, and […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The angel of death
Mary Welles lost three children and a nephew to scarlet fever in January of 1857. The citizens of 19th century Springfield may not have faced the threat of ebola or known what an enterovirus is, but they were no strangers to deadly outbreaks of infectious diseases. In a populous area with poor sanitation, like Springfield […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Virginia works to save its endangered landmark
Virginia Square One is raising funds to save the c. 1897 Robertson Building and rehabilitate it into a new community center. The heart of Virginia, Illinois, about 30 miles northwest of Springfield on Rt. 125, is its town square. The anchor of the square’s southwest corner is the Robertson Building, built in 1897. Once a […]
