Springfield

I lived in Illinois's  state capital for the first 40 years of my life, and commented on it in print for more than a half-century.  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 Focus, Atlantis, The Phoenix, Illinois Times, and The Reader of Chicago.

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There are of course two Springfields, as there are two Albanys or two Sacramentos. Because it is the state capital, "Springfield" to Illinoisans at large means state government. The other Springfield is the mid-sized Midwestern backwater that hosts state government, a town 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.

Posting every Springfield title in my archives on a single page would make it unwieldy, so links have been grouped by topic, which lists appear on their own pages. All other Springfield pieces are listed individually below, in no particular order. 

Articles about the city-within-the-city that is the State of Illinois establishment appear here;  articles whose principal focus is the man who made Springfield famous appear here. See also Springfield boy for articles about Springfield as it was experienced by this Springfieldian.

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Missing is a chapter I co-wrote in 1980 with Cullom Davis titled "Springfield: An Evolving Capital," which appeared in The Middle-size Cities of Illinois: Their People, Politics, and Quality of Life, edited by Daniel Milo Johnson and Rebecca Monroe Veach and published by Sangamon State University. I remember almost nothing about it, and doubt that it is something that the serious student of Springfield needs to read.

Click on the title for the full article.

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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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