Once Upon a Time: Stories from Adams County
Every Sunday, the Herald-Whig features fascinating glimpses into Adams County's past through our "Once Upon a Time" column. HSQAC members research and share compelling narratives about the people, places, and moments that built our community. Browse our collection of articles from August 2011 to present using our searchable database by title, subject, or author.
If you are interested in submitting an article for consideration for the Once Upon a Time column, please email us or call the HSQAC Office at 217-222-1835.
Beer Garden Paved the Way for Creating South Park
The 1866 Quincy City Directory listed eight brewers in the Breweries category. With the addition of the Bluff Brewery which was overlooked by the publishers of the book, a total…
Western Brewery Was a Training Ground for Others
The Western Brewery was started by a Welshman named Richard Francis. It is not known exactly when Francis founded the brewery but it was likely sometime in the 1840’s. He…
Joe W. Fifer: From Private to Governor to the Soldiers and Sailors Home
This life size bronze statue of a civil war volunteer soldier, known fondly as “Private Joe,” has stood at the Illinois Veterans Home for well over 100 years, becoming the…
Early 20th Century Italian Immigrants Settled in Quincy
This 1925 photograph of Joseph Affre’s family shows Mr. Affre holding his daughter, Vivian, and clockwise: his wife, Antoinette, and children Peter, Pauline, Sylvester and Magdalene.…
Illinois Supreme Court Rules for John Wood
Senator from Illinois in the Congress of the United States. Young served from 1837 to 1843. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress.) Quincy has had its share of important legal…
Thomas S. Baldwin—The Luckiest Man in Quincy
THOMAS S. BALDWIN “It’s Not Luck, It’s Results!” was the motto of Thomas S. Baldwin, showman, aviator, inventor of the first collapsible parachute. His success inspired the naming of Quincy’s…
