'' The State Journal-Register '' is the only local daily newspaper for Springfield , Illinois , and its surrounding area . It was founded in 1831 as the '' Sangamo Journal '' by William Bailhache and Edward Baker , and describes itself as " the oldest newspaper in Illinois " . As such , it and its editor , Edward L. Baker , supported the political career of the Springfield-based Abraham Lincoln in the years before the American Civil War ; in fact , it was in the '' Journal '' s office that Lincoln and his friends waited for the telegraphic news from Chicago to find out who would be the Republican presidential nominee in 1860 . Later in publication , the name was changed to '' Illinois State Journal '' . The cover-price is $ 2 daily , $ 4.50 on Sunday
Republican presidential nominee in 1860
1860 Republican National Convention
The State Journal-Register