Photo by Seth GainesDecember, 1957. Cheerleaders in red and black. SHS band blaring away. Shelby Harbison of WTAX, calling play-by-play: "Willis flicks the ball to Proctor, Proctor to Hails in the corner. He sets, shoots....swish!" Pandemonium in the upper-floor seats. Cheerleaders whip the crowd into a roaring chant: S-U-C-C-E-S-S....
I bet we all have fond memories of the Illinois State Armory, on Second between Monroe and Adams. Not just high school basketball, but the Shrine Circus and Chicago Symphony graced the building. It stood next to the state capitol and gave its spectators a high up, birds-eye view of events far below.
Well, hang on to those thoughts, because the SJR has a story today suggesting that the Armory may soon face the wrecking ball. Preservationists want to save the building, but others say it's falling apart and obsolete. If they tear down that lovely Art Moderne edifice, you can bet that an ugly high-rise will soon take its place. Thoughts/memories? Please comment.
I bet we all have fond memories of the Illinois State Armory, on Second between Monroe and Adams. Not just high school basketball, but the Shrine Circus and Chicago Symphony graced the building. It stood next to the state capitol and gave its spectators a high up, birds-eye view of events far below.
Well, hang on to those thoughts, because the SJR has a story today suggesting that the Armory may soon face the wrecking ball. Preservationists want to save the building, but others say it's falling apart and obsolete. If they tear down that lovely Art Moderne edifice, you can bet that an ugly high-rise will soon take its place. Thoughts/memories? Please comment.
10 comments:
Too many buildings in Springfield, that had historic value have met their demise by the wrecking ball. I hope that the Armory doesn't become a pile of rubble, before someone realizes that it would be better put to use than to become another parking lot.
Libbie Britton
My first job after high school was in the Armory, in the offices of the Illinois State Highway Police. I was a secretary to the officer who headed personnel: Lt. Garrett. Did you know that the State Police had their main headquarters there?
I forgot to sign my comment about working for ISHP --
Janet Frederick
Hi Janet, and thanks for your comment. The story in the SJR mentioned the State Police without explaining their occupancy. So now you've supplied the missing link.
I remember that we all sat upstairs for the games, but where did we go for snacks? Was their a mezzanine or a middle floor? --Will
Good grief. I meant to write "was there," not "was their" -- 8-(
Oh my god, the memories - beginning with Gov. Green's Christmas party for children. I still have the letter I got after I sent him a thank-you note. I was nothing if not polite :)
I also remember seeing Roy Rogers there. We were right beside the stage but I can't remember who I was with. Probably Phyllis Rising.
And of course basketball . . . They just can't destroy it!
Barbara Mitchell
Will -
Reading the comments about the Armory and your questions about where we got food.
I don't remember sitting upstairs during high school, most of us sat in the bleachers on the main floor. We could go out and get food, etc. in the entrance hall at the south side (Monroe Street entrance side) hallway. If you sat upstairs you could also go down to a mezzanine and there were two or three concession stands there.
I saw Roy Rogers there, and Liberace, when he had a tv show sponsored by Bisch's.
My dad was in charge of ushers at the Shrine Circus for many years and Rainbow and Demolay were the ushers. Then we could stay and watch the show free. Mom said she figured I would run away and join the circus, as I spent so much time at the Armory during that time.
Carolyn
The Armory now may be demolished? I remember playing there, at the All-City Music Festival, in 8th Grade (that was the year before I started SHS... see below). I was at a recent meeting of the Sangamon County Historic Preservation Commission (for another reason), but they do not have any jurisdiction whatsoever over any areas in the City of Springfield, since our city has its own Commission, for this purpose.
I hope that this is an appropriate place to put this note, which is pertinent now.
Dear Professor Howarth,
On Tue, 10 Jan 2006 20:11:43 -0800 (PST) I posted a comment at this weblog, but soon after, saw that I had accidentally posted it at an obituary entry (it must have been the top-most entry on your home page at the time...). You responded by e-mail, saying that I could re-post it at any other entry. I did not do so, but was remembering this just yesterday, due to my recent web work.
Despite having a ton of other things to be doing, I for some reason have felt compelled to be a Wikipedia encyclopedia editor... I didn't realize how addicting that is! ;-)
One area of subject matter for encyclopedia articles that I've been revising are those related to our city of Springfield. [Category page]
One Springfield-related encyclopedia article that I've contributed to is the one for our high school. In that January 2006 letter-comment, I mentioned finding your blog, after noticing it on the "Disarranging Mine" Springfield blogroll listing, and I may have mentioned that I was in the SHS Class of 1999, and was one of the people who designed "SHS Online," the award-winning website for our high school.
It was a month and a half ago that I went back to SHS, for the first time perhaps since I graduated, to see their play, "Tom Sawyer." I looked at that wall, by the Main Office (it's funny how you don't really notice those things much, when you're actually attending the school! ;-), and looked at the list of notable alumni. I was impressed to see a featured plaque, showing that the prominent U.S. Senator John P. East (R-NC) (also a writer and traditionalist political theorist was in the SHS class of 1949. I thought that the Senator may not be listed under the "Famous Alumni" section of the SHS encyclopedia article (I'm not linking to it right now intentionally... see below ;-), and upon seeing that he was not, I added him - being a famous person, he of course had an existing encyclopedia article. (I did not add him to the "People from Springfield, Illinois" category, though I should do so now.) That plaque mentioned him being on the 50th-anniversary committee (or something to that effect) in 1999, which I don't exactly understand, because of his atrocious passing 13 years earlier. (Perhaps he was on the committee posthumously, as an honorary member.)
I am mentioning all this because last night, I was looking through the list of people here, to see who else I could add, to that "Famous Alumni" section of the encyclopedia entry on SHS. I wanted to first focus on those "Hall of Fame" members famous enough to have their own encyclopedia entries (though eventually, I would like to add others there as well). I recognized the "William Howarth" name at that page (though I wasn't sure where from), and the resulting web search showed that you were one of those who have your own entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Howarth
That encyclopedia entry has been up since December 2002; it now has an "External Links" section, linking to both your faculty home page, and to this weblog.
I was recently looking at the entry listing the former mayors of this city, most of whom don't have their own entries. A Wikipedia entry was recently created for the Hon. Karen Hasara though. Aforesaid William Howarth web search also turned up this recent newspaper article... It does not mention you, but contains both names - Are you related to former Mayor Nelson O. Howarth? He seems to be famous enough to merit an entry of his own.
That web search also led me back here, and I remembered my posting, from 2 and a half years ago.. It is great that you have websites based upon your SHS alumni class, and that you still keep this weblog very current, even though you have been working in Pennsylvania. And I just saw that your 50-year reunion is coming up... Best of luck with that!!
That "Famous Alumni" section of the encyclopedia entry on SHS now includes you, and mentions your weblog, and has a footnote link to your "SHS Class of 1958" home page. Of all the alumni listed there, you have clearly done the most, in connection to being an alum... so it was wrong that you were not even listed (esp. since you were considered famous enough to have an encyclopedia entry of your own, for 5 and a half years).
Most of those listed "SHS Hall of Fame" members don't have Wikipedia entries... However, in addition to yourself, a former U.S. Postmaster General and a former Broadway actor both did, and have also been added to that listing of "Famous Alumni" of Springfield High School. NASA great James S. Martin, Jr., though he doesn't have one, should be added as well, along with several others. It's great how so many nationally renowned leaders had their roots at SHS!!
Please keep up the great work, with what you are doing, and best of luck with the 50th Anniversary Reunion!!
Hi, and thanks for your long comment. It's good to know that you've done so much to publicize Springfield in Wikipedia. I didn't know that Senator East was from IL, so yes, it's a good idea to add an entry and links on him. As for NOH, perhaps someone in my family will get around to writing an entry on him; his papers are documented on the UIS Archives site, along with many other people active in the town's public life. Thanks again, and best wishes. --WLH
Like Janet - I also worked at the Armory - Dept. of Public Works (1st of 4 Depts. that I worked for in 35 yrs with the State of IL). My mom worked for the State Police in that bldg. when I was in HS & 'til she passed in '59.
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