The first photo is from 2002. The second photo is from 2025.
1500 Holmes
Previous house number was 1400
FIRST NOTED IN CITY DIRECTORY : 1905
RESIDENTS
1905 William H. Bruce
1909 Joseph H. Myers
1911 Dr. Theodore Knudson
1918 Herman S. Bekemeyer
1921 Edward L. Keys
1933 Helen Keys
1934 vacant
1935 Elmer & Lillian Suckow
1977 Gene H. Graves
1986 Norma Graves
1988 Peter K. & Jeanne O. Woody
2006 Michael S. Parkes
The L. in Edward Keys’ name is for Lincoln. He was the great nephew of Mary Todd Lincoln. His mother was Mary’s niece. His father went to school as a child with Willie and Tad Lincoln. He even attended Lincoln’s farewell address to the city in 1861. During the time that the Edward Keys’ family, Edward worked at the Ridgely Farmers State Bank, where his father was president.
Elmer Suckow (1895-1978) came to Springfield in February 1933 after the failure of the Ridgely Bank. He worked as a receiver dealing with their accounts and how people could recover from closures. He did this during the Great Depression – through the 1930s. In 1941, he was named manager of the new John Hay Homes (1940-1997) at a time when they were coveted apartments. He was executive director for Springfield Housing Authority until his retirement, In 1964, mayor Howarth appointed him to the Urban Renewal Advisory Commission. The photo of the son, his only son, who was a prisoner of war in World War II is an experience that many families in Hawthorne Place shared during the war. He was rescued.