This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Visiting Tour of State Penitentiaries Ends in Chester
A 46 member joint Senate and House committee toured penal and reform institutions in Illinois. They visited Chester Southern Penitentiary and Asylum for Insane Criminals, Geneva State Training School for Girls, St. Charles Home for Boys, Joliet Penitentiary, Pontiac Reformatory, and others, with the Chester visit highlighting warden J. B. Smith and improvements proposed for fire safety and dining facilities. Colonel Smith resigns in May after notable reform efforts.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
J. B. Smith
Colonel Smith
Southern Penitentiary
Chester
Walter E. Sanger
Senate
House
J. A. Henson
McCormick and Rainey
House of Representatives
H. T. Ireland
Troyer
Rose
Erby
Keeney
Sbehrens
Canaday
Clark
Finnan
Foster
Gehart
Pullman
Billings
Springfield
Illinois Central
Charles Smith
Railroad and Warehouse Commission
Mr. Ireland
Walter
C. L. Hayden
Jacksonville
Dick Steele
Thomas Gants
Venona
George A. Burt
Henry
East St. Louis
Elks’ Club
Illinois
St. Louis
Chester—Southern
Geneva
St. Charles
Joliet—State
Pontiac—State Reformatory
Menard
Father
Southern Illinois Penitentiary
Joliet
Champaign Vermilion
Douglas, Adams
Schuyler
Sanger
Randolph County
Iron Mountain and Southern Railway
Flyer
Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railway
Chicago
Chicago & Northwestern
Kane County
Fox River
Ophelia S. Amigh
C. W. Hart
Marshall County
la Prairie
Northern Illinois
M. M. Mallory
Pontiac Reformatory
St. Charles Home
Henson
Decatur