History of Springfield, Illinois, USA

Springfield, a flourishing post-town, capital of the State of Illinois, and seat of justice of Sangamon county, is situated 3 miles S. from Sangamon river, 9(i miles N. X. E. from St. Louis, 70 miles S. from Peoria, and 230 miles S. W. from Chicago. It is regularly planned, with wide, straight streets, having a public square in the centre, on which is situated the state house and other public buildings. The town contains a court house, 3 banks, a United States land-office, churches of various denominations, several academies, and hotels. Five or six newspapers are published hero. Since the seat of government was established here in 1840, it has become a flourishing commercial town. At this point the Chicago and Mississippi railroad intersects the Great Western Central railroad, which extends from the Mississippi river across the state to Indiana. The western division of this line, ex tending from Springfield to the Illinois river, 55 miles, has been in operation several years, under...

The Lincoln monument, at Springfield, Ill., is about half done, and will be completed and dedicated on the 4th of next July.

Chicago, Ill., Jan. 10. - The St. Nicholas Hotel, of Springfield, was damaged by fire, last night, to the extent of $80,000. The loss on furniture by fire and waster is about $6,000. The building was owned by H. S. & M. Hubbell, of Buffalo, N. Y., and the furniture by John McCreery, the proprietor of the hotel. The loss on the furniture is fully covered by insurance in the following companies: Royal, of Springfield, Ill.; Fire and Marine, and German-American, of New-York; North British, Mercantile and Franklin. The insurance on the building more than covers the loss, and is in the following companies: German-American, North British, Mercantile, Underwriters' Agency, Franklin, Orient, Hartford, and Home, of New-York.

Springfield, a city, capital of the state of Illinois, and seat of justice of Sangamon co., is situated 4 miles S. of the Sangamon River, 96 miles N.N.E. of St. Louis, Mo., 80 miles S. of Peoria, and 185 miles S.W. of Chicago. Lat. 39° 48' N.; lon. 89° 33' W. It is regularly planned, with wide, straight streets, having a public square, in the cent" of which stands the court-house, surrounded on four sides by massive blocks of business houses. The city contains the state-house, one of the finest public buildings in the Union, costing $5,000,000, a state arsenal, a handsome and substantial post-office and court-house, which cost $300,000, a fine city hall, several first-class hotels, 40 churches, 2 colleges, 2 academies, 3 convents, 2 insurance companies, and 7 banks. Five daily and 8 weekly newspapers and 2 month. lies are published here. Springfield became the seat of the state government in 1837, and in 1840 was made a city. It is on the Chicago & Alton Railroad at its intersection...

...Trains Stuck In The Snow.
Springfield, Ill., Feb. 9. - The lowest temperature was registered yesterday by the government thermometer since 1879, with the exception of January 5, 1884, when it was 22 degrees below. Railroad service is badly crippled. The Wabash is the greatest sufferer, passenger trains being several hours behind time, one train being stuck in a drift eight feet high two miles south of the city for 18 hours...

Springfield, Ill., Sept. 4. - A horrible accident occurred at the state fair grounds this afternoon.

The west tower on the great machinery hall, which is now being roofed, collapsed and fell in, burying several men beneath its ruins.
CHARLES HOBSON and JAMES PARKER, both plumbers of Lincoln, Neb., who were at work on the ground floor were killed. They were covered with several tons of brick and mortar...

Neither building nor tower was braced, but whether this caused the accident or not is not known. It is the general opinion that the hard rain last night loosened the mortar, which had no time to dry, work having been rushed on the building in order to have it completed in time for the fair, and that this caused the accident. The loss will amount to several thousand dollars.

JAMES CLANCEY, a slater, fell from the roof into a mortar bed, striking on his head, but escaped with a few bruises. All the imprisoned men had been gotten by 9 o'clock tonight. Several were...