The Leland Hotel was once located on the Northwest corner of Sixth Street and Capitol Avenue. The Leland Hotel opened in January of 1867, throwing a ball which the governor, Richard Oglesby, later named the "ball of the year." During its time, the Leland acted as a community center for large and elaborate functions, such as: balls, dances, political assemblies, luncheons, and other high-class social affairs.

Several men in attendance of the Springfield Assembly Ball of 1889 (SVC)
The Leland Hotel offered free boarding to the Lincoln Guard of Honor, a group which safeguarded the remains of Abraham Lincoln after a failed grave robbing from 1876 to 1901. Col. Noble Bates Wiggins, the leader of the Guard, was a local manager at the hotel.

Col. Noble Bates Wiggins

The Leland Hotel continued in its service to Springfield, until it burned down in 1908. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1911, when it began to resume its duties as a convention center of sorts. In 1927, Joe Schweska, head chef of the Leland Hotel, began serving his masterpiece. A staple of modern Springfield cuisine, the Horseshoe Sandwich. Today, the Leland Hotel has been converted into office space for the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC).

The remains of the Leland Hotel after catching fire in 1908