Northeast Corner of Square
Springfield Journal Register, date of paper which originally published the following is unknown.
SCENE ON NORTHEAST CORNER OF SQUARE ABOUT 35 YEARS AGO --
From all indications this picture goes back to somewhere in the Nineteen Tens, judging from the "new" appearance of that
first story of the remodeled Court House, the horse-drawn rigs, the transfer wagons along the Square curbing, that white drinking fountain on the corner, the long
skirted women, the old-time arc light, etc. Yes, those were the ornamental arches which stood on the four corners of the Square from about the turn of the century down to about 1920.
They were used in all decorative programs incident to special occasions in Springfield, providing brilliant electrical illuminations, with flags, bunting and festoons embellishing the
effect. They performed continuous service until they were torn down because some people object to them "on esthetic grounds". The view here is to the west and southwest. At Fifth and Washington
we see the first Myers Building, five stories in height, which was destroyed by fire in 1924. It was one of the very few large buildings on the Square in those days.
Street car lines then traversed every street around the Square except Adams. The complexities of street traffic were as yet undreamed of in Springfield.
Submitted by: Jeanie Lowe.
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