‘Gamblers’ Row’ aka Champaign’s North Market Street

During the spring of 1937, one intrepid Courier reporter took the citizens of Champaign-Urbana on a 6 part series tour of Champaign’s gambling dens.  For this week’s #TBT we bring you pictures from North Market Street aka ‘Gamblers’ Row.’ 

“It’s a dull job Patrolman Charles Cole of the Champaign police force has been assigned to by Chief Roy Argo. His beat is confirmed to “Gamblers’ Row,” North Market Street. When this picture was taken it appears that Patrolman Cole was watching the entrances to 103 and 105 North Market street out of the corner of his eye.”

Happy and safe Memorial Day everyone.

#TBT "Dick Stillwell, 58, of American Legion Post 24 in Champaign, has been helping decorate graves of veterans with American flags since he was a junior in high school helping his father, who was a veteran of World War I and II."

Here he is decorating graves in Mount Hope Cemetery, Champaign, IL for Memorial Day in 1993.  News-Gazette, 30 May 1993 page D-1, photographer Curt Beamer.   

The Benefits of Fresh Air in Education

The open air school movement was based on the concept that fresh air, proper ventilation, and exposure to the outside contributed to good health. Originating in Europe, the United States model was quickly adopted as a way to provide care and education for children who were anemic, malnourished, or who had been exposed to tuberculosis. The first open air school in the United States was located in Providence, Rhode Island (1908).

While in Europe, the schools were usually conducted in forests or rural compounds, the open air schools in the United States were often placed in unused school buildings, ferryboats, roofs, porches, or tents [1]. The Chicago Tuberculosis Institute conducted the first open air school in Chicago in cooperation with the school board during the summer of 1909. It was so successful that a year-round school was opened on the Mary Crane Nursery roof in Chicago’s city center [2]. In addition to the benefits of fresh air, hygiene and nutrition were also emphasized. Students were fed a morning snack, a hot dinner, and a glass of milk if possible [3].

Open Air School #1 and #2 - On roof of Mary Crane Nursery, Courtesy of The Library of Congress

 

Mothers, Sisters, Aunts, and other Feisty Female Ancestors

Anyone who has conducted genealogical research knows that sometimes finding female ancestors can be a tricky business.

 

 

Sometimes women can be found by searching a husband's name. For example, this photograph of the Springer family is located in the "Springer, William L." Photographs envelope at the Champaign County Historical Archives. 

 

 

Make way for the Hose Company!

Below, the Tolono Fire Department's hose company poses before the Tolono Fire Station with their firefighting equipment in 1901. 

Baseball---Champaign's Pastime

Spring is in the air and professional baseball teams are having their season openers all across the country. Here is a peek at Champaign County baseball teams from years past.            

  

Tolono, IL Baseball Club, 1925

Urbana Bicycle Shops

Spring has finally sprung in Champaign County.  With this warmer weather I'm itching to hit the trails and put some rubber to the road. So for this #TBT here are some Urbana bicycle shops from the early 1900s.

Kuhl & Loehr Bicycles and Repair, located at 105 W Elm St. (Urbana), 1911. Albert "Red" Saltsgaver was the manager circa 1914. 

Champaign-Urbana Soap Box Derby

The New-Gazette would have you believe that all the boys in Champaign-Urbana had visions of race cars in their heads during the heyday of the All-American Soap Box Derby.  The city race ran for 5 years, 1939-1941, 1946-1947, and served as the qualifier for the national finals held in Akron, Ohio.

  

Penny Grocery Co.

March 26, 1915 advertisement from Penny Grocery Co. #tbt

 

- Marnie H., Archives Assistant 

LPs in the Archives, Why Yes Indeed.

Did you know that the Champaign County Historical Archives has LPs in our collection? Among our treasures is this 1969 recording from the Red Herring Coffee House, which includes a track by Illinois native Dan Fogelberg. 

Town and Gown Speakers Series Presents: Divest Now! Student and Community Divestment Protests in the 1980s

The Town and Gown Speaker Series is sponsored by the Student Life and Culture Archives at the University of the Illinois and the Champaign County Historical Archives. Each event in the series  highlights a topic of historical significance to the campus and the community.

Join us throughout the year as we share stories of Champaign County. Our next event is: 

 

Divest Now!: Student and Community Divestment Protests in the 1980s

Date: Thursday, April 16, 2015 at 7:00 pm

Location: University YMCA, 1001 S. Wright St., Champaign, IL 61820

 

At the University of Illinois, and at campuses across the country, protesters called for an end to investments in companies with ties to South Africa. The Divest Now Coalition and the Champaign-Urbana Coalition Against Apartheid organized protests and boycotts in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, eventually forcing the University to divest funds. Join a panel of former students and administrators involved in the movement for a discussion of the protests and student activism.

Panel Members:Lisa Dixon and Jeff Machota, student leaders of the divestment movement; Rhonda Kirts, student body president during the divestment movement; Lex Tate, former reporter for The News-Gazette and Associate Director of University Office of Public Affairs;Bryan Savage, legal counsel for the divestment movement

Moderator: Jack Brighton, Director of New Media and Innovation, Illinois Public Media.

Interested in learning more before the event? Click HERE to view the Champaign County Historical Archives  Flickr page! You can see photographs taken during the Divestment protests and many more digital collections on Champaign County history. 

 

Ever wonder about the history of your home?

The Champaign County Historical Archives recently published a new digital collection, Champaign County Homes, 1838-1920, which contains photographs of homes that were constructed during the 1838-1920 time period. Whether your house was constructed during this time period or later, the Archives has many helpful resources to get you started researching the history of a property.

                      

                                     (Scroll mouse over pictures to see captions)                                                               

Climbing the Statues

Many local people have fond childhood memories of playing on the bear, "Jolly" the whale, and horse statues in Lincon Square.