Springfield, Missouri Springfield, Missouri City of Springfield Park Central Square in Downtown Springfield Park Central Square in Downtown Springfield Springfield is the third-largest town/city in the state of Missouri and the governmental center of county of Greene County. As of the 2010 census, its populace was 159,498.
It is one of the two principal metros/cities of the Springfield-Branson Metropolitan Area, which has a populace of 541,991 and includes the counties of Christian, Dallas, Greene, Polk, Webster, Stone and Taney.
Springfield's nickname is "Queen City of the Ozarks" and it is known as the "Birthplace of Route 66".
It is also home to a several universities, including Missouri State University, Drury University, and Evangel University.
Soon after, the Delaware Native Americans received treaty territory where Springfield's Sequiota Park and the antique stores of its Galloway Village stand today.
The county was titled in honor of American Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene, largely through a campaign, started in 1829, by Springfield's founder, John Polk Campbell, a Tennessee homesteader.
Springfield was officially established in 1830, and was incorporated in 1838. The origin of the city's name is unclear, but the most common view is that it was titled for Springfield, Massachusetts.
One account holds that James Wilson, who lived in the then unnamed city, offered no-charge whiskey to anyone who would vote for the name Springfield, after his hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts. But in 1883 the historian R.
He further stated that, "This version of the origin of the name is disputed by the editor of the Springfield Express, Mr.
Newbill, who, in the copy of his paper, November 11, 1881, says, 'It has been stated that this town/city got its name from the fact of a spring and field being near by just west of town.
When the authorized persons met and adopted the title of the "Future Great" of the then Southwest, a several of the earliest pioneer had handed in their favorite names, among whom was Kindred Rose, who presented the winning name, "Springfield," with respect to his former home town, Springfield, Robertson County, Tennessee.'" Springfield was incorporated in 1838.
The Trail of Tears passed through the Springfield region via what is known today as the Old Wire Road.
The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail auto tour route is along Interstate 44 westward to US 160 (West Bypass in Springfield) and westward along US 60.
The Old Wire Road, then known as the Military Road, served until the mid-1840s as a connection between Springfield and the garrison at Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Subsequent defaults led to the line toward Springfield being known as the South Pacific Railroad and the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, before finally operating under the name St.
Commercial and industrialized diversification came with the barns s, and strengthened the City of Springfield and North Springfield when the two suburbs consolidated 17 years later in 1887.
As barns assembly progressed, Springfield became the crossroads of the Frisco's St.
Louis to Tulsa line and the Kansas City to Memphis line, and eventually the Frisco Railroad established its command posts in Springfield.
With the American Civil War imminent and Missouri a border state, Springfield was divided in its sentiments.
On August 10, 1861, opposing forces clashed a several miles southwest of Springfield in the Battle of Wilson's Creek, the site of the first primary conflict west of the Mississippi River, involving about 5,400 Union troops and 12,000 Confederates.
When they returned to Springfield, the Confederates had withdrawn.
The First Battle of Springfield, or Zagonyi's Charge, occurred on October 25, 1861.
Marmaduke advanced toward the town square and the Second Battle of Springfield ensued.
Two years after the war ended, Springfield National Cemetery was created.
On July 21, 1865, Springfield helped give birth to the Wild West era when the town square was the site of the Wild Bill Hickok Davis Tutt shootout, a "quick-draw" duel between Wild Bill Hickok and Davis Tutt.
The lynching sparked a mass exodus of African-Americans, who remain a small minority in Springfield.
The notorious mobster John Gotti died in Springfield on June 10, 2002, after being transferred from a prison in Marion, Illinois for community reasons. It was in Springfield on April 30, 1926, that officials first proposed the name of the new Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway, dominant to its conventional recognition as the "Birthplace of US Route 66".
Woodruff of Springfield was propel as the first president of the U.S.
A placard in Park Central Square was dedicated to the town/city by the Route 66 Association of Missouri, and traces of the Mother Road are still visible in downtown Springfield along Kearney Street, Glenstone Avenue, College and St.
Satellite view of Springfield Springfield is at 37 11 42 N 93 17 10 W (37.195098, 93.286213), on the Springfield Plateau of the Ozarks.
According to the United States Enumeration Bureau, the town/city has a total region of 82.31 square miles (213.2 square kilometres), of which 81.72 square miles (211.7 square kilometres) is territory and 0.59 square miles (1.5 square kilometres) (0.7%) is water. The town/city of Springfield is mainly flat with rolling hills and cliffs encircling its south, east, and north sections.
Springfield is on the Springfield Plateau, which reaches from Northwest Arkansas to Central Missouri.
Springfield is near the populace center of the United States, about 80 miles (130 km) to the east.
Lightning over downtown Springfield Springfield has four distinct seasons.
Springfield lies in the northern limits of a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), as defined by the Koppen climate classification system.
According to a 2007 story in Forbes magazine's list of "America's Wildest Weather Cities" and the Weather Variety Index, Springfield is the town/city with the most varied weather in the United States.
One day in May 2013, Springfield started out humid with a high temperature in the 70s and by 3pm saw a thin layer of snow covering the ground. Climate data for Springfield Branson National Airport, Missouri (1981 2010 normals, extremes 1888 present) According to the 2000 United States Census, 151,580 citizens , 64,691 homeholds, and 35,709 families resided in the city.
Springfield's economy is based on community care, manufacturing, retail, education, and tourism. With a Gross Metropolitan Product of $13.66 billion in 2004, Springfield's economy makes up 6.7% of the Gross State Product of Missouri. Total retail revenue exceed $4.1 billion annually in Springfield and $5.8 billion in the Springfield MSA.
According to the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, an estimated 3,000,000 overnight visitors and day-trippers annually visit the city.
Hammons Hotels & Resorts, BKD, Noble & Associates, Prime, Inc., Springfield Re - Manufacturing, and O'Reilly Auto Parts have their nationwide headquarters in Springfield. In addition, two primary American Christian denominations General Council of the Assemblies of God in the United States of America (one of the biggest of the Pentecostal denominations) and Baptist Bible Fellowship International (a fundamentalist Baptist denomination established by J.
According to the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, the top 2014 employers in the metro region are: 4 Springfield Public Schools 3,206 10 City of Springfield 1,607 Springfield town/city government is based on the council-manager system.
Greg Burris, the town/city manager, appointed by the council to be the city's chief executive and administrative officer, enforces the laws as required by the town/city charter.
City Utilities of Springfield (CU) is a city-owned utility serving the Springfield region with electricity, natural gas, water, telecommunications and transit services.
The Springfield Public School District is the biggest precinct in the state of Missouri with an official fall 2011 enrollment of 24,366 students attending 50 schools. Public high schools include Central High School, Kickapoo High School, Hillcrest High School, Parkview High School, and Glendale High School.
Private high schools include Springfield Sudbury School, Summit Preparatory School, Greenwood Laboratory School, New Covenant Academy, Springfield Lutheran School, Springfield Catholic High School, Christian Schools of Springfield, and Grace Classical Academy.
View toward Missouri State University's Historic Quadrangle Springfield has a several colleges and universities.
Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, Missouri State University (MSU) is the state's second biggest university with just over 20,000 students.
Other universities in Springfield include Baptist Bible College, Evangel University and Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, and Cox College (Nursing and Allied Health).
Branch campuses in Springfield include Mercy College of Nursing and Health Sciences of Southwest Baptist University, Everest College, Columbia College, Webster University, and University of Phoenix.
There are 92 parks in Springfield, including the Botanical Center at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, 3 golf courses, a zoo, and other facilities owned or managed by the Springfield-Greene County Park Board.
A 35-mile crushed gravel trail, the Frisco Highline Trail, joins Springfield to the town of Bolivar and is especially prominent with mountain bikers.
On the outskirts of town, the Missouri Department of Conservation's Springfield Nature Center as well as Wilson's Creek National Battlefield are good places to take a short hike and appreciate nature.
Six recreational lakes are inside 100 miles (160 km) of Springfield.
Springfield plays host to college squads from Missouri State University (NCAA Division I-Football Championship Series), Drury University (NCAA Division II), Evangel University (NAIA) and several minor experienced teams (see below).
Springfield is also home to a number of amateur sporting affairs.
The PGA sponsored Price Cutter Charity Championship is played at Highland Springs Country Club on the southeast side of Springfield.
JQH Arena, which opened in 2009, is home to the Missouri State University Bears and Lady Bears basketball teams, and O'Reilly Family Events Center, which opened fall 2010, is now the new home to the Drury University Panthers men's and women's basketball teams.
Springfield Rugby Football Club (SRFC) was established in 1983 and is a well-known rugby club in the Midwestern United States.
Springfield Cardinals Texas League, Baseball Hammons Field 2005 1 Springfield Lasers WTT, Team tennis Cooper Sports Complex 1996 0 Springfield Synergy FC PDL, Soccer Cooper Sports Complex 2006 0 Springfield Express WSHL, Ice hockey Mediacom Ice Park 2014 0 Like many metros/cities athwart the nation, Springfield has seen a resurgence in its downtown area.
The Downtown Springfield CID (Community Improvement District) has historic theaters that have been restored to their initial state, including the Gillioz Theatre and the Landers Theatre.
It is home to the Springfield Regional Arts Council, Springfield Regional Opera, Springfield Ballet, and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and provides office and meeting space for other arts organizations which serve the community.
A March 2009 New York Times article described the history and ascendancy of cashew chicken in Springfield, where small-town variations of the prominent Chinese dish are ubiquitous.
Springfield formerly hosted a fan convention known as Visioncon around February every year.
Springfield has also seen increased interest in the small-town and organic food boss and is home to five farmer's markets, a improve garden, a several natural food stores, a fair trade chocolate factory, a winery, and three craft breweries.
During the 1950s, Springfield ranked third in the U.S.
All were carried live by ABC except for Five Star Jubilee on NBC and were produced by Springfield's Crossroads TV Productions, owned by Ralph D.
Many of the biggest names in nation music incessantly visited or lived in Springfield at the time.
Five Star Jubilee, produced from the Landers Theatre, was the first network color tv series to originate outside of New York City or Hollywood. Ironically, Springfield's NBC affiliate, KYTV-TV (which helped produce the program), was not equipped to broadcast in color and aired the show in black-and-white.
The ABC, NBC and Mutual radio networks also all carried nation music shows nationally from Springfield amid the decade, including KWTO'S Korn's-A-Krackin' (Mutual).
Country music legend Conway Twitty died suddenly in Springfield after a show in Branson.
The Springfield Chamber of Commerce once presented visiting dignitaries with an "Ozark Hillbilly Medallion" and a certificate proclaiming the honoree a "hillbilly of the Ozarks." Battle of Springfield Driving Tour Springfield Art Museum For a complete list, see National Register of Historic Places in Springfield, Missouri.
Franklin Springfield Motor Co.
Springfield Furniture Company Springfield Grocer Company Warehouse Springfield National Cemetery Springfield Public Square Historic District Springfield Seed Co.
Springfield Warehouse and Industrial Historic District Springfield is served by Interstate 44, which joins the town/city with St.
Major streets include Glenstone Avenue, Sunshine Street (Missouri Route 413), National Avenue, Division Street, Campbell Avenue, Kansas Expressway, Battlefield Road, Republic Road, West Bypass, Chestnut Expressway and Kearney Street.
Springfield is also the site of the first diverging diamond interchange inside the United States, at the intersection of I-44 and MO-13 (Kansas Expressway) (at 37.2503 N 93.3107 W).
Route 166 formerly passed through Springfield, and sections of historic US 66 can still be seen in the city.
US 166's easterly end was once in the northeast section of the city, and US 60 (westbound) originally ended in downtown Springfield.
In mid-November 2013, the town/city began discussing plans to upgrade sections of Schoolcraft Freeway (Highway 65) and James River Freeway (Highway 60) through the town/city to Interstate 244.
Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF) serves the town/city with direct flights to 10 cities.
It is the principal air gateway to the Springfield region.
Direct connections from Springfield are available to Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Ft.
Passenger trains have not served Springfield since 1967, but more than 65 freight trains travel to, from, and through the town/city each day.
Springfield was once home to the command posts and chief shops of the St.
BNSF has three switch yards (two small) in Springfield.
In October 2006, BNSF announced plans to upgrade its Tulsa and Memphis mainlines into Springfield to handle an additional four to six daily intermodal freight trains between the West Coast and the Southeast.
The Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad also operates a several miles of (former Missouri Pacific) industrialized track inside the city.
Springfield is a county-wide medical center with six hospitals and more than 2,200 beds.
(Cox - Health and Mercy Health System) are in Springfield, and both are in the midst of expansion projects.
The trade employs 30,000 citizens in the Springfield metro area.
In 2008, America's Promise Alliance ranked Springfield among its "100 Best Communities for Young People" for the third year in a row, and on June 11, 2009, Next Generation Consulting ranked Springfield 17th on its "Next Cities" list. In 2008 Best Life ranked Springfield the 10th worst town/city in the country in which to raise a family, using knowledge from the U.S.
Enumeration Bureau, National Center for Education Statistics, FBI, American Alliance of Museums, National Center for Health Statistics, and American Bar Association. In 2007, The Milken Institute ranked Springfield as a "Best Performing City" for creating and sustaining jobs, and Expansion Management periodical listed Springfield among "Top 20 Mid-Sized Metros for Recruitment and Attraction." Also that year, the World Health Organization designated Springfield as a "Safe Community"; and in 2008, Worldwide ERC titled Springfield among "The Best Cities for Relocating Families." According to the Springfield News-Leader, the town/city has been ranked the second-least diverse town/city in the United States. The city's primary daily journal is the Springfield News-Leader.
Other newspapers for Springfield include Daily Events (daily), Community Free Press (bi-weekly), Springfield Business Journal (weekly), The Standard (weekly), and TAG Magazine (monthly).
Television stations broadcast in Springfield include KYTV (NBC/Weather), KGHZ (ABC), KCZ-TV (CW), KOLR (CBS), KOZK (PBS/Create/OPT), KRBK (FOX/Me - TV), KOZL (independent, My - Network - TV), KWBM (Daystar), KRFT (Mundo/TNN/RETRO TV).
The Springfield Designated Market Area (SPR-DMA) is the 75th biggest in the United States.
The airways broadcasts received in Springfield are: Main article: List of citizens from Springfield, Missouri List of tallest buildings in Springfield, Missouri The Springfield Three Official records for Springfield were kept at downtown from January 1888 to December 1939, Downtown Airport from January 1940 to July 1940, and at Springfield Branson National Airport since August 1940.
Springfield History Springfield of the Ozarks: An Illustrated History.
"Ozarks Afro-American History Museum Online | Springfield: April 14, 1906 Lynchings and Exodus".
"Historic Joplin " Blog Archive " 105th Anniversary of Springfield's 'Easter Offering'".
9: Most Variety (biggest variations in temperature, precipitation, wind), Springfield, Mo.".
United States Enumeration Bureau.
"Springfield Business Development Corporation".
"Major Employers | Springfield Regional Economic Partnership".
"Springfield now biggest Missouri school district".
Springfield News-Leader.
"First Friday Art Walk Springfield, MO |".
Dessauer, Phil "Springfield, Mo.-Radio City of Country Music" (April, 1957), Coronet, p.
"'Jubilee' Turning to Color TV" (April 30, 1961), Springfield Leader-Press Dessauer, Phil "Springfield, Mo.-Radio City of Country Music" (April, 1957), Coronet, p.
Springfield's Urban Histories: Essays on the Queen City of the Missouri Ozarks (Springfield: Moon City Press, 2012) 352 pp.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Springfield, Missouri.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Springfield (Missouri).
Wikisource has the text of an 1879 American Cyclop dia article about Springfield.
City of Springfield Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Live in Springfield, MO Historic maps of Springfield in the Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection at the University of Missouri Downtown Springfield Municipalities and communities of Greene County, Missouri, United States Mayors of metros/cities with populations exceeding 100,000 in Missouri
Categories:
Populated places established in 1830 - Springfield, Missouri - Springfield, Missouri urbane region - County seats in Missouri - Cities in Christian County, Missouri - Cities in Greene County, Missouri - Cities in Missouri - 1830 establishments in Missouri
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