Over an intensive three-week period in early April 2001, Phase III archaeological research was conducted at the site of the proposed Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library (North Half, Block 12, Original Town Plat, City of Springfield).  During the course of these investigations, two large blocks were stripped of their overburden to expose the underlying archaeological features.  As the Phase II research had indicated, although a large section of the four lots located in the project area had been disturbed by the construction of several later nineteenth century commercial structures with basements (such as the Chatterton Opera House), large sections of the project area remained undisturbed.  The Phase III archaeological investigations documented a wide range of early to late nineteenth century features that included numerous privy pits (associated with both residential and commercial structures), cisterns, wells, structural foundations, and distinctive middens.  The earliest features (including a well, small earthen cellar, privy pits, and midden) appear to document a small urban house site from the late 1820s and 1830s.  Potentially associated with this house was a distinctive midden representing discard from a redware pottery.  One particular redware sherd had “1831” scratched into it.  Archival evidence suggests that this pottery and kiln waste was from the John Ebey pottery.  A second, and just as distinctive, early midden (consisting of a dense concentration of blue shelledge dinner plates and marked “Adams”) was also found during these investigations.  This distinctive artifact concentration probably was associated with the early Jabez Capps occupation, as Capps was one of Springfield’s early merchants.  Additionally, remains of both Simeon Francis’ residence and his adjacent newspaper office building (including the physical remains of the press foundations) were recovered.  Francis was the founder and editor of the Sangamo Journal—one of Springfield’s early newspapers.  The artifact analysis and report preparation phase of this project was only recently funded, and a final report on the results of this research is not anticipated until 2007.