Springfield, Missouri

Springfield is the third largest city in Missouri. It is the county seat of Greene County.

Geography

Springfield is located at (37.195098, -93.286213).

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.

Demographics

As of the census 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 Bob Barker and civil rights figure Linda Brown and also the president of Bolivia (Eduardo Rodriguez), Kickapoo High School, which was attended by actor Brad Pitt, and Hillcrest High School which was attended by John Ashcroft. Other high schools include Glendale High School, Parkview High School, Greenwood Laboratory School , New Covenant Academy, and Springfield Catholic High School.

Colleges and universities located in Springfield include Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Baptist Bible College, Central Bible College, Drury University, Evangel University, Forest Institute of Professional Psychology, Missouri State University (until 2005 it was known as Southwest Missouri State University, or SMS), Ozarks Technical Community College, St. John's College of Nursing and Health Sciences of Southwest Baptist University, Vatterott College, Everest College, Cox College (Nursing School), and Bryan College.

Famous Natives and Residents

Politics

John Ashcroft, former U.S. Attorney General
Matt Blunt, Governor of Missouri
Roy Blunt, U.S. House Majority Whip

Arts, Literature, Humanities and Entertainment

Bob Barker, TV game show host
Aaron Buerge, "The Bachelor" in 2002
Richard Christy, comedian and musician
Kim Crosby, Broadway performer
John Goodman, actor
Lucas Grabeel, actor
Tess Harper, actress
Don Johnson, actor
Jay Kenneth Johnson, actor
Robin Luke, musician
Brad Pitt, Actor
Jake Simpson, "Star Search" winner and Branson performer
Kathleen Turner, Actress
Robert Westenberg, Broadway performer
Donna Douglas, Ellie Mae Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies. Now resides in Springfield.

Sports

Lori Endicott, Olympic volleyball player
Jason Pyrah, Olympic runner
Payne Stewart, professional golfer. Born in Springfield and buried there.

Business

John Q. Hammons, Hammons Hotels founder
Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops founder

Criminals and Persons of Ill Repute

Ramzi Yousef, 1993 World Trade Center bomber (incarcerated at Springfield United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners)
Theodore Kaczynski, "Unabomber" (incarcerated at Springfield United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners)
Glennon Sweet, mass murderer (born in Springfield 1965), executed by the state of Missouri in 1998^*
Christopher Ryan King, child molester and serial rapist, (born in Springfield in 1974, graduated Kickapoo High School 1992, presently incarcerated California State Prison, Corcoran, California)
John Gotti, Mafioso (incarcerated at Springfield United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, died in Springfield in 1997)
Timothy Mcveigh, bomber and antigovernment conspirator (incarcerated at Springfield United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners)

Other

Janet Kavandi, astronaut
Kristi Capel, Miss Missouri USA 2006
Wild Bill Hickock, Frontiersman and Sharpshooter

History

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.
1835: Springfield becomes the county seat of Greene County, MO.
February 18, 1838: Springfield is first incorporated with a population of 300.
1838: The Trail of Tears traveled through the Springfield area via what is known as The Old Wire Road.
1858: The first westbound stagecoach, the Butterfield Overland Mail, reaches Springfield.
1861: American Civil War - Union troops under Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon take control of the city soon after war breaks out.
- August 10, 1861: American Civil War Battle 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.
- 1862: American Civil War - Confederates abandon Springfield to Union forces led by Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis.
- January 8, 1863: American Civil War Battle of Springfield - A Union garrison under Brig. Gen. Egbert Brown repels a Confederate attack led by Brig. Gen. John S. Marmaduke.
- 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.
- 1887: Springfield merges with North Springfield.
- January, 1888: First mail delivery.
- 1905: Three African-American men are lynched in the town square for allegedly raping a white woman, though guilt was never established. This event sparked a mass exodus of African-Americans from the area, who still remain a vast minority.
- 1910: First electric lights installed.
- 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.
- 1947: Red's Giant Hamburgs, world's first drive-thru restaurant, is opened.
- January, 1955: First color television broadcast in the city by KOLR-TV.
- 1963: Cashew chicken created and served for the first time at Leong's Tea House.
- 1990: First "Historic Route 66" marker on U.S. Route 66 is placed in Springfield.
- 2005: Southwest Missouri State University becomes Missouri State University.
Issues
In 2003, the city council of Springfield prohibited smoking in restaurants except for specific listed exceptions. ^*
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 measure passed in June of 2006 after a substantial promotional campaign by the city's utility company and strong support editorially in the local news paper. The vote caused some controversy due to a large number of people considered Springfield residents lacking voter eligibility by living just beyond city limits in Greene County. These residents publically voiced objections to the power plant proposal citing the inadequate planning and resource usage by the utility company in the failure and replacement of pumping equipment moving water to Springfield from Stockton lake.
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.
Attractions

The Abou Ben Adhem Shrine Mosque, located on St. Louis Street, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Assemblies of God International Headquarters is in Springfield.
Bass Pro Shops' Outdoor World, the first and largest Bass Pro in the country, is in Springfield.
Dickerson Park Zoo is famous for its Asian elephant breeding program.
Discovery Center of Springfield is an interactive hands-on science center for children.
Fantastic Caverns, the only cave in North America large enough to ride through, 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 562-foot Jefferson Avenue Footbridge, a more than 100-year-old bridge, allows pedestrians to cross 13 sets of railroad tracks. Trainwatching from the bridge is a popular activity.
Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts on the Missouri State University campus, is a state-of-the-art multi-purpose performing arts center.
The beautifully restored Baroque Renaissance/Napoleon style Landers Theatre, built in 1909, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is just east of Springfield.
The Mizumoto Stroll Garden at Nathanael Greene Park features Japanese-style landscaping, teahouse, moonbridge, moon deck and pagoda. The garden was built in commemoration of Springfield's sister-city, Isesaki (Gunma, Japan).
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 castle is certified as haunted.
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.
Springfield Cardinals AA baseball team.
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.
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, site of the Battle of Wilson's Creek, is a few miles southwest of Springfield. The Hulston Civil War Library, with one of the largest collections of softbound volumes on the Civil War in the National Park Service is located at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield. General Sweeny's Museum of Civil War History was acquired by the National Parks Service and added to Wilson's Creek National Battlefield in 2005.
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.
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.'"^*
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.Dark, Phyllis & Harris. Springfield of the Ozarks: An Illustrated History. Windsor Publications, 1981. ISBN 0897810287.
Nicknames
Springfield has the nickname of "The Queen City of the Ozarks."
It 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.
Sister cities
Tlaquepaque in Mexico Isesaki in Japan

Transportation

Springfield is served by Interstate 44 which connects it 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. Missouri State Highway 13 carries traffic north towards Kansas City.

Major streets include Glenstone Avenue, Sunshine Street, Kansas Expressway, Battlefield Road, Republic Road, West Bypass, Chestnut Expressway, and Kearney Street.

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 Arkansa Railroad also operates several miles of (former Missouri Pacific) industrial trackage within the city. 65-plus freight trains travel to, from, and through the city each day. Passenger trains have not served Springfield since 1967.

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.

References

External links