Springfield

I lived in the state capital for the first 40 years of my life, and observed it for more than a half-century in pieces written for  Focus, Atlantis, The Phoenix, Illinois Times, and The Reader of Chicago.  Here you will find many of those articles about my home town—its culture and history, its social life and government, its tourist sites and notable residents as they appeared mainly in Illinois Times. Articles whose principal focus is the state government that happens to be based in Springfield appear here.

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There are of course two Springfields, as there are two Albanies or two Sacramentos. Because it is the state capital, "Springfield" to Illinoisans means state government (and, metaphorically, the taxpayers' vexation about state government); to people in and around Springfield, that Springfield means jobs and contracts. 

The other Springfield, the mid-sized Midwestern backwater, was described by Andrew Ferguson in his 2007 book Land of Lincoln as “a clapped out old burg." Us natives protested that this was inaccurate, Springfield being not all that old. I recently found an undated manuscript in my files, probably from 1975, in which I averred, "My perspective on Springfield history can be stated as follows: the study of Springfield’s past is fueled by the same curiosity that causes a pathologist, when confronted by a corpse, to wonder how it died." Yes, imitation Mencken, but no less true for that.

Springfield is redeemed by the long-ago presence of Abraham Lincoln. Articles solely about the great man can be found here. See also Springfield boy.

I published more than a thousand columns about Springfield. Trust me, not all of them deserve to be reread. The worthy ones make up quite a pile, and my long-time Springfield readers who are looking for old favorites might have to wait a while before they can all be posted. If you have a request for a particular favorite, let me know at  CornLatitudes@outlook.com. 

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Posting every Springfield title on a single page would make it unwieldy, so links to many pieces have been grouped by topic and appear on their own pages, links to which appear here. To return to this page after visiting one of the subtopic pages, use your browser's return button. 

All other Springfield pieces appear below, in no particular order.

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Click on the title for the full article.

To leave an article and return to this page, click on your browser's back button or on "Springfield" in the Topics menu

Springfield arts & culture

Springfield buildings

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Springfield history (including Lincoln)

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Springfield schools (including

higher ed)

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Springfield nature & environment

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Springfield urban issues

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Springfield politics & government

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Springfield tourism

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Living Too High Off the Hog
Springfield’s booming health care economy can’t keep living like this
"Dyspepsiana"  Illinois Times  March 3, 2011