10.2Arts, Literature, Humanities and Entertainment
10.3Sports
10.4Business
10.5Criminals and Persons of Ill Repute
10.6Other
11Sister cities
12References
13Notes
14External links
Name
The origin of the name Springfield remains unclear. Writing in 1883 the historian R. I. Holcombe states, "The town took its name from the circumstance of there being a spring under the hill, on the creek, while on top of the hill, where the principal portion of the town lay, there was a field." He goes on to note, "This version of the origin of the name is disputed by the editor of the Springfield Express, Mr. J. G. Newbill, who, in the issue of his paper, November 11, 1881, says: 'It has been stated that this city got its name from the fact of a spring and field being near by just west of town. But such is not a correct version. When the authorized persons met and adopted the title of the "Future Great" of the Southwest, several of the earliest settlers had handed in their favorite names, among whom was Kindred Rose, who presented the winning name, "Springfield," in honor of his former home town, Springfield, Robertson county, Tennessee.'" [1]
The most common view is that the city was named for Springfield, Massachusetts. One story is a man from the city, James Wilson, offered everyone free whiskey who would vote for naming it after his home town of Springfield, Massachusetts.[1]
History
Timeline
1829: Future site of Springfield designated by John Polk Campbell. The first settlers (the brothers Fulbright and their families) followed in 1830.
1833: The state legislature designated most of the southern portion of Missouri a single county.
August 10, 1861: American Civil WarBattle of Wilson's Creek - Confederate forces under Brig. Gen. Benjamin McCulloch and Maj. Gen. Sterling Price march on the city. Confederate and Union forces meet 12 miles outside the city. In the bloody fighting which ensues, Gen. Lyon is killed and Col. Franz Sigel leads a Union retreat to Springfield and then Rolla. Confederate troops occupy Springfield. Lyon is the first Union General killed in the Civil War.
July 21, 1865: Wild Bill Hickok shoots Dave Tutt dead in the town square over a gambling dispute. The shootout reported nationwide is regarded as the first true western showdown.
1870: First railroad, the St. Louis-San Francisco line.
April 14, 1906: Three African-American men, Horace Duncan, Fred Coker, and Will Allen, are lynched and burned by a mob over 2,000 strong without trial in the town square. This event sparked a mass exodus of African-Americans from the area, who still remain a vast minority. A small plaque on the south-east corner of the square serves as a reminder.[3]
1910: First electric lights installed.
1919: Fourth District Normal School becomes Southwest Missouri State Teachers College [4]
1926: AASHTO settles dispute over U.S. Route 60. Cyrus Avery (head of the group), who is in Springfield at the time, accepts the number 66 for the new Chicago-Los Angeles route. Springfield gains the nickname "Birthplace of Route 66".
1927: First radio station.
1945: Southwest Missouri State Teachers College becomes Southwest Missouri State College [5]
January 2007: A severe ice storm strikes Springfield, causing widespread damage, and cutting electrical service to as much as 70% of the city. Thousands of residents are left without home heating for more than a week.
Current issues
In 2003, the city council of Springfield prohibited smoking in restaurants except for specific listed exceptions. [8]
In November 2004, voters turned down a plan to fund a new coal-fired power plant in the city. Many voters who were polled stated concerns about the pollution that a new coal power plant would cause. The power plant bond issue was again placed on the ballot for the residents within the city limits to decide in June, 2006, and was approved.
In August, 2005, Springfield announced plans to annex a large chunk of southeastern Greene County. Plans called, if necessary, to force the area into the city. The annexation was called off after an agreement was reached with Rogersville to the east which also filed to annex the same area. Annexation has become a controversial issue in recent years, causing a lawsuit with neighboring Brookline.
Racism continues to be a problem in Springfield, although many would deny it. The racial climate leaves much to be desired.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 191.1 km² (73.8 mi²). 189.5 km² (73.2 mi²) of it is land and 1.7 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (0.87%) is water.
Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 151,580 people, 64,691 households, and 35,709 families residing in the city. The population density was 800.0/km² (2,072.0/mi²). There were 69,650 housing units at an average density of 367.6/km² (952.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.69% White, 3.27% African American, 0.75% Native American, 1.36% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races, and 1.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.31% of the population.
There were 64,691 households out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.8% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 17.4% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,563, and the median income for a family was $38,114. Males had a median income of $27,778 versus $20,980 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,711. About 9.9% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
High schools in Springfield include Central High School, which was attended by civil rights figure Linda Brown and Price Is Right host Bob Barker, Kickapoo High School (which was attended by actor Brad Pitt), and Hillcrest High School (which was attended by former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft). Other public high schools in Springfield include Glendale High School and Parkview High School. Private schools include Springfield Sudbury School and Greenwood Laboratory School (which was attended by famed golfer Payne Stewart). There are several private, Christian schools in Springfield as well, including New Covenant Academy, Springfield Catholic High School, and Christian Schools of Springfield.
Fantastic Caverns is just north of Springfield. The privately owned cave is open to the public and visitors can tour the cave in a Jeep-drawn tram.
The Jordan Valley Park, a series of attractions and green spaces are being built in and near the Jordan Creek. The Discovery Center, Springfield Cardinals and downtown dining and entertainment are within walking distance from the park.
The 14 acre (57,000 m²) Springfield National Cemetery is the only cemetery in the United States where the dead on both sides of the American Civil War are buried side by side. The dead of the North and South, however, are separated by a low stone wall. Veterans of all U.S. Wars - including the Revolutionary War - are buried in the cemetery.
Pythian Castle was originally built in 1913 by the Knights of Pythias and later owned by the U.S. Military. It is now open to the public and the owners offer swing and ballroom dance lessons, dances, murder mystery nights and other activities.
The Railroad Historical Museum is located in the 1300 block of North Grant Street in Grant Beach Park. There are static displays of equipment consisting of a Frisco steam locomotive, Burlington baggage car, Chicago and North Western commuter car, and a Burlington Northern caboose. There are hundreds of artifacts from the Frisco Railroad and other railroads. There are many hands-on things for children, and a museum is located next to the swimming pool and picnic area in Grant Beach Park.
Historic U.S. Route 66 - also known as "The Mother Road" - passes through the city (nicknamed "The Birthplace of Route 66") on Kearney Street, Glenstone Avenue, St. Louis Street, College Street, and Chestnut Expressway.
Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium showcases more than 225 species of live animals, fresh and saltwater aquariums, interactive displays and educational programs. WOW opened in 2001.
Nicknames
Springfield has the nickname of "The Queen City of the Ozarks." It is also known as "The Cultural Center of the Ozarks." The area formerly known as North Springfield was once known as Moon City. Springfield is also known as "The Birthplace of Route 66," due to its early connection with the designation of U.S. Route 66. A plaque in Park Central Square was dedicated to the city by the Route 66 Association of Missouri for just that.
Transportation
Springfield is served by Interstate 44 which connects the city with St. Louis and Tulsa, Oklahoma. U.S. Route 60, U.S. Route 65, and U.S. Route 160 pass through the city, and formerly U.S. Route 66 and U.S. Route 166 also passed through the city. Portions of the historic US 66 can still be seen in portions of the city. US 166's eastern terminus was once located in the northeast section of the city, and US 60 originally ended (westbound) in downtown Springfield. US 60 now goes through town on James River Freeway. Route 13 carries traffic north towards Kansas City.
Major streets include Glenstone Avenue, Sunshine Street, National Avenue, Kansas Expressway, Battlefield Road, Republic Road, West Bypass, Chestnut Expressway, and Kearney Street.
Springfield also has reliable public transportation operated by City Utilities that serves most areas inside the city limits in its fleet of biodiesel-fueled busses.
Railroads
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway has a major hub operation in Springfield. Mainlines to and from Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis and Tulsa converge at the railroad's yard facility in the north part of the city. The Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad also operates several miles of (former Missouri Pacific) industrial trackage within the city.
Springfield was once home to the headquarters and main shops of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad (Frisco). The Frisco was absorbed by the Burlington Northern in 1980. The BN subsequently merged with the Santa Fe in 1994, creating the current Burlington Northern-Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway.
65-plus freight trains travel to, from, and through the city each day. In October 2006, BNSF anounced plans to upgrade its Tulsa and Memphis mainlines into Springfield to handle an additional four to six daily intermodal trains between the West Coast and the Southeast.
Passenger trains have not served Springfield since 1967. However, in 2006 the Missouri Department of Transportation and Amtrak began studying the possibility of restoring service to the city from St. Louis. The proposed service would utilize the current BNSF "Cuba Subdivision" mainline between the two cities via Rolla.
Airport
Springfield-Branson National Airport serves the city; nearly 700,000 passengers used the facility in 2005. Construction on a major new passenger terminal has begun.
John Gotti, Mafioso (incarcerated at Springfield United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, died in Springfield in 2002)
Timothy Mcveigh, bomber and antigovernment conspirator (incarcerated at Springfield United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, prior to his 2001 execution)
Glennon Sweet, convicted murderer (born in Florissant 1955), executed by the state of Missouri in 1998[10]
Ramzi Yousef, 1993 World Trade Center bomber (incarcerated at Springfield United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners)
Vincent "Chin" Giganti, Mafioso (incarcerated at Springfield United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, died in Springfield in 2005)
Other
Jimmie Angel, aviator, discoverer of Angel Falls, highest free-falling waterfall in the world
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