From "History of Sangamon County" page 914 published 1881

"The village of Sangamo at one time was a very flourishing little place, and narrowly escaped being the county seat when the commissioners were appointed to permanently locate it, in 1825.

The location of the village was on the northwest quarter section two, township sixteen, range, six, in the present township of Gardner. Moses Broadwell was the proprietor A steam mill was erected in the village by Mr. Broadwell, one or two stores were opened, a blacksmith shop was placed in operation, and the foundation of a flourishing village was laid.

But 'the best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft aglee.' Today there is no evidence that such a village ever existed, a fine farm taking its place."

"Sangamo Town A Dim Memory"
From the Illinois State Journal 9 Feb 1960, page 2.

"There were 101 lots platted for the town-to-be of Sangamo and 61 were sold in short order. This map reveals the southern and main portion of the town. Black squares show the known homes according to Hames Hickey, Lincoln room curator, State Historical Library. No. 1 is location of Jacob Roll's store and No. 2 is the office-home of a Dr. Abbott. Bridge Street which ran north and south, extended for more than 1,800 feet according to the original survey in 1824 by a James C. Stephenson. Top of map is north." Statement of surveyor of Sangamo Town

"I, James C. Stephenson, county surveyor for the county of Sangamon and state of Illinois, do certify that the town of Sangamo was surveyed by me and that all the lots from No. one to one hundred and one are 49 1/2 feet front and 140 1/2 feet back, Main Street is 82 1/2 feet wide, Bridge Street is 66 ft., Mill Street is 66 ft. and all the streets north of Main Street are 49 1/2 feet wide. The alleys are 16 ft. in width. Given under my hand this first day of June in the year of our Lord 1824"

Sangamo Town By John Linden Roll

"The village of Sangamo was incorporated and the plat laid on June 1, 1824 and recorded on the same date. The records show that the County surveyor was James C. Stevenson and the Recorder was C.R. Matheny. Charles Boradwell owned the land where the town was located."

"When Sangamo, or Sangamo Town (as it was best known by the earlier settlers), became extinct, Sangamon County and Illinois lost to view one of its most historic spots, so J. Linden Roll, 825 Henrietta Street, Springfield, Illinois will undertake to restore it to its proper place and dignity. This ancient village was located seven miles northwest of Springfield, on the banks of the picturesque Sangamon River. From the fact that it is one of the bright spots in the early life of our most illustrious citizen 'Abe Lincoln' (as he was familiarly known by his associates of those days) I have collected the following facts.

"'Upon his (Abe Lincoln) arrival in the village he made it known that he came from New Salem to build a flat boat for Offutt and Green, for which he was to receive $15.00 per month for his services. Sangamo was selected as the place for the construction of the boat because of the saw mill at that point, and timber in abundance. He had to have help in building the boat and as I was then in my seventeenth year and could do practically a man's work, he set me to work making the pins for the boat. While the flatboat was being built it was a common thing for the men of the village to get together at noon and night and take their seat on a sleek, barkless log which had been fixed for that purpose. Lincoln invariably had a seat with the boys on this log and it was here that he acquired the reputation as a joker and story teller. For years after, the log was known as 'Abe's log'".

"Those assisting in the building of the flatboat were John Johnston (Lincoln's stepbrother), Walter Carman*, (a son of Jacob Carman), John Seaman and a man by the name of Cabanis. Mr. Roll says when it was completed it was shoved into the river. 'It was an event that created something of a stir in the town and a crowd of us got onto the boat, with Mr. Lincoln and rode down the river as far as Lemon's Bend, about two and a half miles below Sangamo. At that point we landed and Lincoln and his companions proceeded on their way.'"

*This should be Waters Carman, not Walter Carman.

"They Called It Sangamon Town by Carrol Carman Hall"

"Editors note: The last issue of Real Estate Imagineer carried a story of "Sangamo Town" written by John Linden Roll sometime around 1892. The article generated a great deal of interest among the community and brought to light an updated account of the town as researched by Carrol C. Hall, a direct descendent of the Carman family, who were early settlers in the village. Mr. Hall has spent many years in the preparation of this material, and we are happy to share it with you."

"Clayville, as we know it, was the home of the Broadwell family and it was Moses Broadwell that founded Sangamon Town and later it was his son Charles who promoted it. Sangamon Town was located just a short distance from this spot. Because of the proximity to Richland Creek which empties into the Sangamon River to the north of us, the general area was known as Richland in pioneer times."

"First, let us locate the now vanished Sangamon Town for you. As you drive out to Clayville, you will likely come from Springfield on what is commonly called the 'Beardstown Road'; actually State Highway No. 125. Without slowing, you passed through Bradfordton which is at the intersection of the highway and the old B&O Southwestern Railroad."

"If you were to draw a straight line north from Bradfordton until it touched the Sangamon River, a distance of about three miles, that would be the approximate location of the pioneer village. Today, there is no public access to the site. At the village site the river runs North and the stream is crossed from West to East if we approach it from the South. The course of the river is not exactly the same as it was when the town was founded, although the town site is about the same as it was one hundred and fifty years ago."

"As you drive out, you have a paved road with no streams to ford. The Spring Creek valley has been tamed as have the numerous tributaries to Richland Creek. In 1820, had you been a settler pushing your way into this area the dimly marked trails, the unfenced open areas and the heavy timer along the streams would have made travel difficult. Had you been going on farther North, you had to cross what was then a formidable obstacle, the Sangamon River. Today, we cross the river and its tributaries, again and again as we travel the area, scarcely noticing the waters below."

"Sangamon Town was located at a place where it was relatively easy to cross the river. The town was located at Roll's Ford, which in times of normal or low water could be easily crossed by man and beast."

"It was a well known spot. Writing in 1819 about the Illinois country, Ferdinand Ernst, whose book was widely read back East and later translated into German, said this: 'The beautiful land of the Sangamon; the area between Spring and Richland Creek, where maize, wheat, turnips and melons can be raised. It is a healthy region located near the mouth of the Sangamon'.

"Describing his experiences, he continued: 'the Sangamon was full of fish and clear. The bank at which he crossed to go on North was 50 feet high -- a broad place -- favorable for a city -- clay for pottery and tile and plenty of timer.'

"Ernst was describing the site that became Sangamon Town. At that point in time it had everything for a city. A high bank to take advantage of the summer breezes and to keep down the mosquitoes. Adjacent to it was fertile land yet to be developed, nearby were the 'government' lands -- lands as yet unclaimed by settlers filled with timber that was to be had for the cutting. The river could be a source of food, water, power development and possibly transportation."

"Since the river could be crossed here by the streams of settlers who were pouring into Illinois and migrating upstate, it was an ideal place: suitable for the primitive industries badly needed by the pioneers and also a good spot for home of the tradesmen, mechanics and craftsmen who would be attracted to the area."

"If it hadn't been the Broadwells, it would have been other pioneer entrepreneurs to create Sangamon Town -- the town on the Sangamon River. But the Broadwells were nearby, at Clayville, where they located in 1820."

"Using the county legal records, let's trace the steps taken to create Sangamon Town."

"On the eighth of November, 1823 Moses Broadwell entered from the government the site of the town. At about the same time he obtained other land in the area, but we will confine our study to the area of Sangamon Town."

On June 1, 1924, James C. Stephenson, Sangamon county surveyor, laid out 101 lots, most of them 49 1/2 ft. frontages and 104 1/2 ft. in depth. Two streets were provided: Main Street, running east and west, was 82 1/2 feet wide; Bridge Street that led to no bridge, running north and south was 66 feet wide. The alleys were 16 feet wide.:

"A generous public square was provided facing the river. A fence kept grazing off the public square. The town was named 'Town of Sangamo' -- but nearly all references to it are 'Sangamon Town' or the 'Town of Sangamon' -- the use of the expression Sangamo became popular at a later date."

"The survey was made for Moses Broadwell; therefore he can be called the Founder of Sangamon Town. The town immediately became a candidate for the seat of Sangamon County, and in the Fall of 1824 a spirited election was held in which the Sangamon Town proponents put forward William S. Hamilton, son of Alexander Hamilton, as their candidate against a man from Springfield as representative to the State Legislature. Hamilton won, but the town never gained the county seat -- a bad blow, as those who had purchased town lots were gambling on their rapid increase in value."

"More will be said later about the county seat fight. The 'speculation' in that direction wasn't too bad. For, as late as 1830, Sangamon county had only three towns: Springfield, Sangamon Town and New Salem."

"From the land records of 1826 and 1827 involving sales by Moses Broadwell, we learn that in addition to resident cabins, there was a commercial building and a carding mill in the town."

"In April, 1827 Moses Broadwell died. This is an important date as from this time on, Charles Broadwell, his son, is the promoter of the town. So, in November, 1827 Charles begins to acquire property in his own name and his early transactions revolve around the 'carding mill.' The second promotion phase of Sangamon Town -- now that the county seat was lost -- was to become a commercial and industrial center."

"For the next fifteen years Sangamon Town appeared to be on its way. The area was filling up and many services were provided. In addition to one or more carding mills, a grist mill was operated and a steam saw mill. There was a general store, perhaps other merchandising units and, of course, the tavern."

"It was a town of log cabins, how many and how many people there cannot be determined. The various businesses changed hands many times and a correct inventory of the town is next to impossible. Always as an important factor was the Sangamon River and the hope that it would be a navigable stream."

"In 1828 when Charles Broadwell petitioned the Sangamon County Commissioners for a mill there, a special permit was needed because the Sangamon was considered a navigable stream. From the April 25, 1834 issue of the Sangamo Journal we read under the Sangamon Town Column: ' Steamboat; The steamboat Utility has been purchased by Col. John Taylor, of this town, with the express design of running her up the Sangamon River when the state of water will admit. She is expected to arrive at Stevenson's ferry in the course of a day or two. It will give the Spectator (probably the Editor of the Journal, who promoted Springfield not Sangamon Town) pleasure to learn that the 'Utility' is not 'athwart a log' somewhere in the Sangamon River bottom. P.S. the Utility has arrived at Sangamon Town 7 miles from this place, where she is now loading.'"

"Just as important were the mills of Sangamon Town. Here is one example from the files of the Journal of the Illinois Historical Society: 'The early boat of the Illinois river country was the 'pirogue' -- a large canoe hewed out of a cottonwood log, 40' long and 4' wide run by sail or oar. On this craft they shipped their hogs and goods. It was put to many uses by the early settlers. This 'pirogue' was also used by the early settlers to run down Spoon River and thence down the Illinois River to the mouth of the Sangamon Town. Where there was a 'watermill' to which they took grain to be ground into breadstuffs.'"

"This writer believes that this 'watermill' is a misstatement, but that a treadmill ground the grain at Sangamon Town."

"The best description of the early industry at Sangamon Town comes from an ad in the March 8, 1834 issue of the Sangamo Journal: 'MILL AND DISTILLERY FOR SALE For sale or rent and possession given immediately; my mill and steam distillery with from one to one thousand acres of land situated six miles northwest of Springfield in Sangamon county. The mill stands within a few rods of the Distillery and is propelled by oxen on an inclined wheel and makes as good flour as is made in the United States. The Distillery has overhead water and is capable of running 25 bushels of meal per day, and is worth the attention of persons wishing to engage in a profitable business. For terms which will be easy, apply to the subscriber on the premises. J.C. Roll.'"

"Roll was prominent in early Sangamon Town history."

"Further glimpses of early Sangamon Town industry will be given as various individuals who lived there are discussed."

"'Carding' was important for home textile manufacture as well as for producing 'wool rolls' which were marketed by the farmers. At one period in central Illinois history, the steam saw mill was likely the only source of machine sawed planks and beams. This mill lasted for many years and was the source of the laths used in the building of the stated house in Springfield."

"In addition to its industry, there was another reason for the uniqueness of Sangamon Town; it was settled mostly by Easterners, people from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and as far away as Vermont. Broadwell is thought to have advertised the town in eastern newspapers. The Broadwells originally came from the East."

"There appears to be two sets of Sangamon Town pioneers. The first group was there in 1824 when the town was founded; the second group in the early 1830's. This last group were bound together by their religion and were numerous, as many as 50 persons traveling together. They did not remain long at the town, if at all, but took land in the flat country nearby. They formed the Farmingdale community and founded the Presbyterian church there."

"Many families who refer to themselves as Sangamon Town people lived adjacent to the town, using it for business. They had the notion of a New England town which was a mile square area in which was located a village."

"The town lasted twenty-one years. The end came February 26, 1845 when the Illinois General Assembly vacated the plat. By this time Springfield, its rival just seven miles away, was a bustling count seat town and the new state capitol of Illinois. Many reasons can be advanced for its demise, some of which will be discussed later."

"The town never had a newspaper, although Simeon Francis who founded the Sangamo Journal at Springfield in 1831 gave the community full coverage. It it had a school it must have been a neighborhood subscription school and there is no record of a church. It had a post office with various postmasters including Dr. A.G. Henry, later to practice in Springfield, his 'physick and surgery' supplemented his income by handling the mail. There were no lawyers, as of today, they clustered at Springfield."

"A traveler crossing the beauty of the place, the steep hill to it from the river and added that only a couple of cabins still stood there and the sawmill. The former residents of Sangamon Town, who ere not buried in the graveyard there, had scattered to the four winds."

"The life of Charles Broadwell at Sangamon Town can be traced through the Sangamo Journal, the court records and the County Commissioners' records of Sangamon County. He was involved in many activities that ordinary citizens took part in. He was also, at various times, in the merchandising business, part owner of the carding mill and the saw mill. After his Sangamon Town days, he was in the merchandising business at Pekin, Illinois. He died January 26, 1848. He was likely in his early twenties when at Sangamon Town and died before he was 50 years of age."

"I have never seen any of his eastern ads for Sangamon Town but from the Sangamo Journal three will be quoted: Dec. 29, 1831 'STORE TO RENT A storehouse in Sangamon Town, 16 x 20 feet, shelved & countered in a neat and convenient manner, and ready for immediate use. Application must be made soon to Charles Broadwell.' Feb. 9, 1833 FARM FOR SALE 'The subscriber offers for sale a farm, situated half a mile from Sangamon Town and 7 miles from Springfield. It contains 140 acres of land 30 of which are in timber, and the remainder in Prairie. There are 40 acres under improvement -- on which are comfortable buildings. Adjacent to the farm there is an abundance of Congress Land at $1.25 per A. The place is pleasant and in a good neighborhood. The farm will be sold for cash -- apply to the subscriber at Sangamon Town. Charles Broadwell'."

"I will now read his best ad of all. From the Sangamo Journal of August 24, 1833: STEAM SAWMILL FOR SALE 3-4000 ft. per day rich area terms Steam Steam Steam The subscriber will sell an interest, or the whole of his Steam Mill, situated in Sangamon Town of the Sangamon River, 7 mi. n.w. of Springfield. The neighborhood abounds in good timber as the state affords and stone coal in abundance. The Saw Mill is now in complete operation, and is able to cut from 3-4000 ft. a day. It has been in operation better than a year, and has not cost 50 cents for repairs. The engine is sufficient to propel four pair of four feet burr stones. This situation is undoubtedly the best in the State for a Flouring Mill as it is situated in the midst of a rich and dense population of farms. The Sangamon runs in a stream that will afford steam boat navigation on for two months in the Fall and thereafter in the Spring season in its natural stated, for the transportation of flour. And in the point of health, can claim her share with any point in the State. If the purchaser prefers, liberal terms of payment will be given. For further information, apply to the subscriber living on the premise. C. Broadwell Sangamon Town, April 14, 1833'"

I give the final date to indicate that this large, expensive ad ran in every weekly issue of the Sangamo Journal for months and months."

"Here you have the salesman, Charles Broadwell, stating the merits of his sawmill, just as he likely published the advantages of living at Sangamon Town."

"His whistle was strong, for in a few short years Broadwell would be facing bankruptcy."

"From the Sangamon County Commissioners' Record Book No. 2 Monday, March 5, 1827: 'Order that Jacob Carman be authorized to keep a public house in the Town of Sangamon on his entering a bond in the clerk's office and pay as a tax six dollars and that he be allowed the following rates: Brandy Punch, per half pint, 37c; Brand Apple, half pint, 25c; Brandy Peach, half pint, 25c; Gin, Holland, half pint, 25c; Gin, Domestic, half pint, 25c; Wine, half pint, 50c; Whiskey, half pint, 12 1/2c;Breakfast, dinner supper, 25c; Horse for night, 50c; Single Feed, 25c."

"Now you know what it would have cost you to stay overnight in Sangamon Town.!" - End -

"Assorted Smiles By V.Y. Dallman (Admiral)"
From the Illinois State Register 16 February 1954.

"Lost Town Which Might Have Been Springfield Theme Of Story By Virginia Eifert!"

"There, on the Sangamon's proud bank, a mystic Ghost Town lingers still, its memoirs written by weeds, rank, upon time's scroll -- a forlorn hill."

"The late Thomas Rees, publisher of the Illinois State Register from 1881 until his death in 1933, was familiar with every country road in Sangamon County. Every covered bridge was an inspiration to his imagination. Every old farm home was the subject of song and story for him."

"Years ago he and Mrs. Rees drove me to a spot on the Sangamon River. He walked to the crest of a hill overlooking the stream, and with arms lifted high over his bare head, as we stood in awe of him, he said: 'Where we stand at this moment there was once a town called 'Sangamo', which might have been Springfield -- now only a ghostly memory which lingers in but few minds as it fades into dreamland unsung and forgotten.'"

"It was a beautiful drama, sweet with sentiment."

"That episode is brought to mind by a fascinating, human-interest story which Virginia Eifert wrote into her new book, 'Three Rivers South: A Story of Young Abe Lincoln.' She repeats the story in the current 'Living Museum,' sponsored by the Board of Advisers of the Illinois State Museum. It follows:"

"'Sangamo Town sprang up with much promise in 1824. A few years later it claimed almost as many people as the young Chicago, which, in 1831, had a population of 250. Sangamo Town was bigger and neater and more industrious than little Springfield squatting in the mud of the prairie, seven miles to the southeast.'"

"'Sangamo Town was built on a hill above the Sangamon River, and therein, from two counts, lay the secret of the town's disintegration and ultimate disappearance. It was thought that the river was navigable, but this proved disappointingly untrue. Only in flood-time could flatboats slide down the racing waters, and when the steamboat 'Talisman' got stuck and with difficulty was taken back to the Illinois River, people along the Sangamon realized with reluctance that the river would not bring wealth or business to the door of any hopeful town built on its banks. Sangamo Town had been set high on the wooded hill south of the river bottom to avoid being flooded out when the river ran wild in spring, but the hill, too, was the town's undoing. On the north, it had a steep drop to the river, and land sheered away to the creek valley on the south, leaving only a narrow level area on top too small for the expansion of the village. Its approaches were difficult. Even today when thaws come, the hilly, narrow road from Springfield to the Sangamo Town site is often muddy and difficult.'"

"'Inaccessible and lacking navigable water, Sangamo Town, after a scant decade of existence, quietly disappeared from the map of Illinois. Its only claim to fame was the fact that Abraham Lincoln came here in 1831 and built a flatboat in the bottoms. From Sangamo Town his voyage to New Orleans began."'

"'Today no trace can be seen of the village, no evidence that there was a thriving settlement of human beings living there. Nothing, that is, but the dim remnant of an old wagon road which went up the hill to the village, a road which crossed the hard-bottomed ford in the Sangamon known as Roll's Ford, near which the flatboat was built.'"

"The site of Sangamo Town actually is very little changed from its wilderness of long ago. The bottomland forest remains; it fills the lowland and climbs to the top of the hill where there are several farms. The place may be reached thus: Go out of Springfield west on Route 125. Cross the Spring Creek bridge at the foot of the hill at the edge of town and continue past the first oiled road on the right. At the second oiled road, turn right and go north. At the first fork, turn left. The road passes through rolling farm land, then narrows as it descends a hill to the creek bottomland and a small bridge. At the top of the hill ahead, where the road at the crest turns sharply left, lay old Sangamo Town. Beyond here the road, staying always to the right, roughly parallels the Sangamon River in its windings and eventually emerges on Route 29 a few miles north of Springfield."