By Jim Leach
Photo courtesy Sangamon Valley Collection
It was the early days of aviation, and Springfield’s postmaster saw the potential in mail delivery by air. Postmaster William Conkling pushed for a Springfield stop in the inaugural run of a Chicago to St. Louis airmail route.
Conkling produced a special one-day-only cancellation stamp and a special airmail envelope for local residents to send distant letters. Some 39,000 were printed and sold at 10 cents apiece.
On April 15, 1926, Springfield was a stop on the first day of the new airmail route. Among the pilots who flew into Springfield that day for the introduction of airmail was Charles Lindbergh, who one year earlier had graduated at the top of his class from the Army Flying School. Within months, Lindbergh would give up airmail in order to get ready for his history-making trans-Atlantic flight in May of 1927. Months later, Lindbergh would return for the dedication of the city’s airport as Lindbergh Field.
Civil War-era bayonet unearthed in garden in Jacksonville, Illinois sj-r.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sj-r.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“Trees for a changing climate,” presented by Guy Sternberg, is one of the many nature-related programs.
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Lab Girl
book discussions at many area libraries throughout March and April – Auburn, Chatham, Girard, Rochester, Sherman, Williamsville, in addition to Lincoln Library, LLCC Library, Brookens Library at UIS and Illinois State Library.
• Nature-inspired hands-on art projects at the Springfield Art Association and other locations
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Meet Dr. Bonnie Styles, and her daughter,
Dr. Megan Styles. March 3, 10 a.m. virtual presentation. This mother and daughter duo will share their own scientific journeys and gender hurdles both past and present.
• A virtual tour of the research laboratory at the SIU School of Medicine. Join Dr. Andrea Fleming-Braundmeier, along with Ms. Rukmini Roy, on March 11, 4-5 p.m. Learn about her research and experiences as an exceptional woman in science.