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1887
OUR STATE CAPITOL
How It Came to be Located in Springfield
A Review of the Early History of the Illinois State House from
1866 to the Laying of the Corner Stone
Since the completion
and opening of the new capitol building many articles have appeared in
different papers descriptive of its splendors and the progress of the
work, but as the history of the building goes back twenty years, a
period beyond the memory of many of our readers, and as the articles
referred to have only dealt with the more recent part of its history, we
think the following sketch, which is clipped from the Chicago Times
of the date of September 7, 1870, will prove both interesting and
instructive to many who are too young to remember the events which
brought about the permanent location of the state capitol in this city
and the erection of our magnificent state house:
In the month of
November, 1866, Capt. J. S. Bradford, being then mayor of the city, sent
out private invitations to some forty or fifty of the most prominent men
in the place, inviting them to meet him on a certain evening in a public
hall named in the invitation. After they had assembled, Mayor Bradford
was invited to take the chair and state the object for which he had
called them together. The mayor then in a brief speech called the
attention of those present to the fact that the state of Illinois had
outgrown its public buildings so much that its records were unsafe, that
many branches of its official business had to be transacted in rented
buildings, where much of the valuable property was liable at all times
to be destroyed by fire, and that for these and other reasons that must
suggest themselves to the minds of those present, a new capitol for the
state would soon be imperatively demanded.
He further gave
it as his opinion that until a new capitol building was provided for, so
as forever to settle the location of the seat of government at
Springfield, the business interests of the city would suffer, and
suggested that for the above reasons, measures be taken to bring the
subject before the legislature for its action at the approaching
session. Upon comparing views, those present were almost unanimous in
favor of action. By subsequent meetings and consultations with the
board of supervisors of Sangamon county, and the city authorities of
Springfield, the citizens were prepared to present the subject to the
legislature with such convincing arguments in favor of immediate action,
that a law was passed and approved by Gov. R. J. Oglesby, Feb. 25, 1867,
with a supplementary act approved two days later, providing for erection
of a new capitol at Springfield, for the state of Illinois.
This law
provided, first, for the conveyance by the governor of the public
square, containing two and a half acres of land, with the state house
upon it, to Sangamon county and the city of Springfield, in
consideration of $200,000 to be paid to the state of Illinois, and that
the grantors cause to be conveyed to the state a certain piece of land
described in the bill, and containing between eight and nine acres, upon
which to erect the new state house. The bill also provided that the
state should have the use of the old state house until the new one
should be completed. The land was secured at a cost of $50,000 to the
city and conveyed to the state: the $200,000 was paid to the county, as
provided in the bill, and that amount, with $250,000 to be drawn from
the general fund, making $450,000 – was appropriated to commence the
work.
The law named
seven men who should act as commissioners to superintend the erection of
the new state house and disburse the funds appropriated for the
purpose. The commissioners were instructed to advertise for plans and
applications, for thirty days, in two daily papers sold in Springfield
and Chicago, and one each in Philadelphia and New York. After waiting
three months, they were to notify the committees on public buildings of
the senate and House of Representatives, who were instructed to meet
with the commissioners and unite with them in adopting a plan. The
commissioners were to be governed by the plan so adopted. The total
cost of the building was not to exceed $3,000,000. The commissioners
advertised March 15, 1867, a “Notice to Architects,” offering $3,000 to
the architect whose design should be adopted for the new state house and
asking for plans and specifications to be submitted for their
inspection.
A writ of quo
Warranto was issued against the commissioners from the superior court of
Chicago, May 13, 1867, on the relation of Matthew Laflin. Judgment of
ouster was entered against him in that court. The case was taken to the
Supreme Court, and the decision was reversed in the Supreme Court at
Ottawa, at its September term that year.
The
commissioners having advertised for proposals before the commencement of
this suit, they were for this reason given special permission by the
supreme court to call to their assistance the committees on public
buildings as provided by law, and select a design for the new state
house, but were debarred from transacting any other business. They
assembled in the senate chamber, July 15, 1867. A large number of
designs were submitted to their inspection. After mature deliberation,
that submitted by J. C. Cochrane, of Chicago, was adopted. The
commissioners being compelled to remain inactive until after the meeting
of the Supreme Court in September, it was too late in the season to do
anything more than prepare for active business the next year. Their
first act after the legal proceedings against them had terminated, was
on the 8th of November, when they issued an advertisement for
sealed proposals to do the excavation and to furnish certain
descriptions of stone.
Jan. 14, 1868,
the commissioners appointed John C. Cochrane as architect and
superintendent of the work and entered into contract with him for that
purpose.
Jan. 18, a
contract was made with N. Strott, of Springfield, to do the excavation;
and Jan. 20 with R. W. McClaughrey & Co., of Hancock county, for stone
to build the foundation. Broken stone, for concrete, was purchased,
ready delivered, of J. J. & W. H. Mitchell, of Alton. March 25, 1868,
a contract was made with Barnard & Gowan, of Chicago, to do the mason
work. The magnitude of the work may be inferred from the fact that the
parties who furnish the foundation stone gave security in the penal sum
of $550,000 for the performance of the contract, and those to do the
mason work in a penal sum of $200,000. The excavation was done early in
the spring, but, owing to the excessive rains, the ground was not in
proper condition to commence laying the stone until June 11, 1869.
The work was
prosecuted until the cold weather put a stop to it for the season. The
foundation of the east wing was first brought to a level with the
surface. The grand master of Masons of the state of Illinois had been
invited by the commissioners to assemble the craft for the purpose of
laying the corner-stone of the new state house, with the imposing
ceremonials of the order. The invitation was accepted, and Oct. 5,
1868, set apart as the day. A stone was prepared eight feet long, four
feet wide, and three feet deep, with a recess for receiving such
articles as it was thought desirable to deposit. A list of them would
fill a column of the Times. On the face fronting east, engraved
in the stone, was the names of the state officers, the new state house
commissioners, and “Laid by the Masonic Fraternity, A. D. 1868, A. L.
5868.” “Jerome R. Gorin, M. W. G. M.”
The day was
delightful, and the procession the largest that had ever been seen at
the capital of the state, except at the obsequies of President Lincoln,
in May 1865. Masons were present from all parts of the state, and of
all degrees, from the entered apprentice to the Knight Templar. After
the corner stone had been tested by the implements of the order and
pronounced well formed, true, and trusty, it was placed in its proper
position at the northeast corner of the building. An eloquent oration
was then delivered by the Hon. J. D. Caton, of Ottawa. The ceremonials
being completed, the craft and others present were called from below to
refreshment, and all repaired to the “rink” to partake of a sumptuous
collation prepared by the Lelands. Dinner being over, the multitude
dispersed to their houses, to treasure up memories of the day as one of
the most pleasant way-marks of their lives.
Illinois State Register
- February 13, 1887
CAPITALS OF ILLINOIS
An Interesting Phase of the Early
History of Our State
The Houses Where the
Legislature Met at Kaskaskia and Vandalia – Removal to Springfield – The
Old State House – Growth of Springfield
Last Sunday we published for the benefit of our readers an
extract from an article on the Capitals of Illinois, giving the whole
history of the new State House from its inception to the laying of the
cornerstone in 1870. In connection with this we publish this week from
the same source the following article, which deals with a still earlier
phase of the history of the Capitals of Illinois and contains an
explanation by the author of the reasons, which he deems led to the
founding of Springfield and the location of the State Capitol here. The
article was written in 1870, and the reader must make allowance where
the dates of events are made with reference to present time or facts do
not exactly coincide with the present state of affairs.
TERRITORIAL CAPITAL AT KASKASKIA
By act of
Congress Feb. 3, 1869, Illinois was organized under a territorial
government, with Ninian Edwards as its first Governor and Nathaniel
Pope, first Secretary. The building which was used as a territorial
capitol was a French structure, in the primitive style of the art of
building. “It was a large, rough building, in the center of a square in
the village of Kaskaskia, the ancient seat of the western empire for
more than 150 years. The body of this building was of uncut limestone,
the gables and roof of the gambriel style of unpainted boards and
shingles, with dormer windows. The lower floor, a long, cheerless room,
was fitted up for the House, whilst the Council sat in a small chamber
above.”
“This venerable
building was, during the French occupancy of the country, prior to 1765,
the headquarters of the military commandant. Thirty years ago the house
was a mass of ruins; and today probably there is not a stone left to
designate the spot where it stood.”
STATE ORGANIZATION
By another act
of Congress, April 18, 1818, the people of Illinois were authorized to
form a state government. Nathaniel Pope was delegate in Congress. The
northern line of the new state was expected to run due west from the
south end of Lake Michigan, but Mr. Pope, in reporting the bill, so
amended it as to extend it to the parallel of 42 degrees and 30 minutes
north latitude, which is the present boundary.
The first
legislature of the new state convened in the Capitol at Kaskaskia in
October 1818. That Legislature either continued in session, or there
was another renewed early in 1819. Judge Caton says: “At the session at
Kaskaskia, in 1819, there were five Commissioners appointed to select
the land appropriated by Congress for a state capital.”
CAPITAL AT VANDALIA
They made their
selection where there was an exceedingly heavy growth of timber, further
up the Kaskaskia River, and called it Vandalia. There has been a great
deal of amusement made out of this name, but it would be easy to find
vandals enough now to name every town in the State without seeking lose
tribes. As soon as the town was laid out, a public square was selected,
the timber cut away, and a two story frame building erected. It was of
very rude workmanship, and was placed in the centre of the square, on a
rough stone foundation. The lower floor was for the House of
Representatives, and the upper floor was divided into two rooms, the
larger one for the Senate, and the smaller for the office of Secretary
of State. The Auditor and Treasurer occupied detached buildings. The
Archives of the State were removed from Kaskaskia to Vandalia in
December 1820. This wooden State House was burned, and a much larger
one, of brick, built on the same ground. I have not learned the date of
the fire, not the fate of the State records. The brick building is now
used as a courthouse by Fayette County, Vandalia being the county seat.
The grant of
land by Congress for the state capital appears from some cause to have
been only a temporary affair, from another passage in Judge Caton’s
oration. He says, “As the 20 years during which the seat of government
was to remain on land granted by Congress, was about to expire, measures
were set on foot to change the location – to put the State House on
wheels.”
REMOVAL OF THE CAPITAL TO
SPRINGFIELD
The movement originated in Alton, to remove the State Capital from
Vandalia, with the hope of taking it to that city, but how did it come
that Springfield was selected as the place? The truth is, towns and
cities are born, live, and die, subject to the contingencies of birth,
life, and death, analogous to that of human beings. We cannot on any
other principle account for the fact that, of all the wide domain from
which to choose, this was the spot selected by the great State of
Illinois for her future seat of government. It is not on a navigable
watercourse. It is no nearer the geographical centre of the state than
some other towns of importance. It occupies a low and originally wet
trace of land. Then why was it selected as the seat of government?
I will endeavor to relate the facts, and I think the reader will agree
with me that it was accident, or the occurrence of events without
previous calculation, that first directed attention to this point, until
the interests of men were centered here who were good to originate a
plot and then carry it out. We find two ravines, a couple of miles
apart, running in a northwesterly direction, and emptying into Spring
Creek, which is tributary to the Sangamon River. One of these ravines,
which is called the Town Branch, runs a little north of the Governor’s
Mansion, passes between the old and the new State Houses, and empties
into the stream previously named. Within the city limits, it is all
arched over and filled in above it, making it one of the main sewers.
The deer with
which this country abounded, before the advent of civilization, made
their homes in the timber along the watercourses. In the morning, they
would leave the heavy timber, follow up the ravines, along which the
trees became smaller and finally ran out, into the open prairie. They
would pass the day amid the luxuriant grass, roaming about and grazing
at pleasure, and as nightfall approached, return down the ravines to the
heavy timber, each one to seek its lair for repose. An old bachelor
from North Carolina by the name of Kelly emigrated to the State about
the year 1818. He was exceedingly fond of the chase, and in prospecting
for good hunting grounds, wandered in between these ravines, and found
the place to his liking. The deer in passing up and down the ravines,
gave him opportunity to fully gratify his ambition for game. In fact,
it seemed so much like a hunter’s paradise to him, that he returned to
his old house and induced two older brothers, with their families, and
one or more other families among his relatives, to emigrate with him.
More families continued to move into the country, and generally settled
at long distances from each other. Sangamon was not one of the original
counties of the State, but about the year 1820 it was formed by taking
some territory from two or more other counties. Commissioners were
appointed to temporarily locate the seat of justice. The Kellys and
their relatives had all made themselves homes within less than a mile of
where the old State House now stands, and when the Commissioners came to
discharge the duties assigned them, it was found that there was no place
in the new county where the necessary jurors and other members of the
court could find enough families living near each other to accommodate
them with board, except among the Kellys, consequently the place was
made the temporary county seat, April 3, 1821. There was so small a
number of houses that none could be designated in which to hold court,
and a stake was driven in the ground in the open prairie, and a record
made describing the place, stating that they had established it as the
temporary seat of justice for the county, and that they called it
“Springfield.” March 18, 1823, it was declared by Commissioners to be
the permanent county seat.
Springfield grew
steadily, and among the newcomers there was an unusually large number of
men of more than ordinary ability, and when the movement was made in the
interest of Alton, in 1834, to relocate the capital, Sangamon County had
men able to contend with those from any other part of the state. In the
Legislature of 1836-37, that made a final disposition of the State House
question, she had two Senators and seven Representatives who were the
most able and persistent workers. They were the most remarkable
delegation for another reason. Each and every one of them being much
taller than the average of mankind, they were then and are yet spoken of
as the Long Nine. The names of those in the Senate were A. G. Herndon
and Job Fletcher; in the House, Abraham Lincoln, N. W. Edwards, John
Dawson, Andrew McCormick, Daniel Stone, W. F. Elkin and Robert F.
Wilson. The principal argument against Vandalia was that they fed the
members of the legislature solely on venison and prairie chickens, very
common articles of food at the time, but the lawmakers wanted something
better, although they are considered luxuries now.
Quite a number
of places competed for the capital. Peoria was a much larger town than
Springfield, and more advantageously situated, but the men who
represented her could not compete with the Sangamon delegation. All
kinds of maneuvering was resorted to for the purpose of manufacturing
public opinion, for or against any given point. Internal improvements
having taken the people captive, every wire was pulled in connection
with that question that could in any way affect the location of the
state capital. Among others, that of building a railroad from some
point beyond the eastern boundary of the state to connect with the canal
being constructed in Indiana, and running west to the different points
competing for the capital. A measure of this kind originated with the
Sangamon delegation, and wielded a powerful influence in favor of
Springfield. The route was (now the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific)
substantially that of the T. W. & W. Railroad. The result was that,
along with the internal improvement legislation of 1836-7, the necessary
laws were enacted to remove the capital from Vandalia to Springfield.
Early in 1837, a public festival was held here at Springfield in honor
of the event. After dinner, toasts and speeches followed. Among many
others, we find the following toast by Abraham Lincoln, esq.:
“All Our Friends
– They are too numerous to mention now, individually, while there is no
one of them who is not too dear to be forgotten or neglected.”
Immediately
following this was one by S. A. Douglas, esq.:
“The Last Winter’s Legislation –
May its results prove no less beneficial to the whole state than they
have to our town.”
FIRST CAPITOL BUILDING AT
SPRINGFIELD
Soon after the
adjournment of the legislature, the three commissioners named in the
bill to superintend the erection of the new State House, advertised for
plans and specifications, offering $800 for the one that should be
adopted. Nine plans were presented for their inspection, and, after due
deliberation, that of G. F. Rague, of Springfield, was adopted.
FIRST CORNERSTONE
July 4, 1837, the cornerstone
was laid, with for the time, the grandest civic and military
demonstrations. One incident in connection with this event is worthy of
notice. After the cornerstone had been lowered to its position in the
wall, it was mounted by E. D. Baker, afterward the lamented colonel of
Ball’s Bluff memory – who delivered one of the most thrilling and
eloquent speeches, for which he was so famous. This was the first
cornerstone of any building erected for the use of the state with any
public demonstration. While the question of removal was pending,
Springfield and Sangamon County pledged themselves to contribute $50,000
and a public square of 2 ½ acres for the use of the state. These
pledges were faithfully redeemed. It was estimated that the building
would cost $130,000, but $150,000 was expended before it was completed
according to the original design. Men here, who have long been
connected with the state offices, say that with renewing defective work,
additions and repairs, nearly $400,000 has been expended on it to the
present time. The material is a species of limestone, and was taken
from a quarry six miles south of the city. When built, and for a long
time after, it was looked upon with wonder and admiration by the people,
who regarded it as a model of architectural beauty. It was thought its
size was so enormous that it would answer the purposes of the state for
all time to come.
The legislature
first assembled here in the winter of 1839-40, but the new State House
not being completed, the lawmaking for that session was done in the two
principal churches in the place, and it was not until the winter of
1840-41 that the building was far enough advanced for the accommodation
of the General Assembly.
From that time
to the breaking out of the great rebellion, in 1861, the growth of
Illinois was beyond anything that its early settlers in their wildest
dreams could have conceived. Springfield has not, (1870) as the capital
of the state, improved in anything like its due proportion to the state,
but during the war its growth was more rapid. At the close of the war,
it was found that hotel accommodations of Springfield had not kept pave
with its other improvements, but there did not seem to be any parties
willing to engage in an individual enterprise of the kind. To meet this
want, a joint stock company was organized, and in 1866 the magnificent
Leland Hotel was erected and furnished at a cost of $350,000. This
hotel was opened to the public by a sumptuous entertainment at the time
of the assembling of the legislature, Jan. 1, 1867.
Illinois State Register
- February 20, 1887 |
