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Springfield is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. Located in the Southern Willamette Valley, it is within the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Separated from Eugene to the west, mainly by
Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Californ ...
, Springfield is the second-most populous city in the metropolitan area after Eugene. As of the 2010 census, the city has a total population of 59,403. The Briggs family first settled the Springfield area, arriving in 1848. The community was incorporated as a city in 1885. The city was named after a natural spring located in a field or
prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
within the current city boundaries. For the majority of the 20th century the economy of Springfield was largely dependent on the Oregon timber industry, but since the 1990s the economy has diversified with
PeaceHealth PeaceHealth is a not-for-profit health care system that owns and operates ten hospitals, and numerous clinics, in the Western United States. Headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, the organization has operations in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington ...
now the largest employer in the city. Public education in the city is provided by the Springfield School District.


History

The first inhabitants to the area were the
Kalapuya The Kalapuya are a Native American people, which had eight independent groups speaking three mutually intelligible dialects. The Kalapuya tribes' traditional homelands were the Willamette Valley of present-day western Oregon in the United Sta ...
people. Also sometimes written as Calapooia or Calapooya, the people maintained the valley and their main food sources by controlled burning. Springfield was settled when Elias and Mary Briggs and their family arrived in 1848. They were among the first party to travel to the region via the "Southern Route" by Klamath Lake, over the Cascades, into the Rogue Valley, then north to the Willamette Valley. Elias Briggs along with William Stevens ran a ferry on the nearby Willamette River. According to donation land claim records, Stevens was the first settler to stake a claim in the Springfield locale, arriving in October 1847. He commenced building a house with his three oldest sons, and when the house was completed in December, the rest of his family joined him on Christmas Day that year. Another early arrival in the Springfield vicinity was Captain Felix Scott, Sr. who settled between the McKenzie and Willamette rivers in 1847. In 1854 Springfield School District No. 19 was formed. A small schoolhouse was built near the corner of south 7th and B streets; it served the community until the 1880s. Miss Agnes Stewart, a young woman from Pennsylvania, was the first teacher. She had arrived in Springfield via the Lost Wagon Train of 1853. In May 1992 the municipality became the first in the United States to include
anti-gay The following outline offers an overview and guide to LGBT topics. Sexuality * Human sexuality ** Sexual diversity ** Gendered sexuality *** Human male sexuality *** Human female sexuality *** Transgender sexuality * Sexual attraction ** An ...
legislation in its city charter after a campaign by the
Oregon Citizens Alliance The Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA) was a conservative Christian political activist organization, founded by Lon Mabon in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was founded in 1986 as a vehicle to challenge then– U.S. Senator Bob Packwood in the Republican ...
. However, the state legislature later passed a law that prevented anti-gay ordinances from being enforced.


Economy

For years, the economy of Springfield hinged on the timber industry, with the largest employer being Weyerhaeuser Company. Weyerhaeuser opened its Springfield complex in 1949, and after years of aggressive logging was forced to downsize as old growth lumber became less available. In the 1990s, the Weyerhaeuser sawmill and veneer (plywood) plants closed, and the paper plant was downsized. Springfield has now developed a more diversified economy.
Ken Kesey Ken Elton Kesey (September 17, 1935 – November 10, 2001) was an American novelist, essayist and countercultural figure. He considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. Kesey was born in ...
's brother Chuck, and Chuck's wife Sue, started the Springfield Creamery in 1960. The business survives today based partly on sales of their flagship product, Nancy's Yogurt, developed from recipes of Nancy Hamren. In the 1970s, the creamery avoided bankruptcy with the help of the rock band
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, a ...
, who over time held a series of 10 benefit concerts on behalf of the creamery. The documentary film '' Sunshine Daydream'' was shot at the first performance August 27, 1972. The city of Springfield is surrounded by filbert ( hazelnut) orchards. The production has declined over time as fields have been developed into housing. The city used to be sponsor an annual Filbert Festival in early August as a general summer celebration, featuring music, food, and family fun; it was canceled in 2007 due to withdrawal of a key sponsor, and the future for the festival is uncertain. Filbert harvesting occurs in October. 98% of American filbert production is harvested in the Willamette Valley.


Healthcare

Springfield is home to two hospitals, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center and PeaceHealth's Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend.


Largest employers

According to the City's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:


Government

Springfield has a council–manager form of government. The current mayor of Springfield is Sean VanGordon, and the city manager is Nancy Newton. The city council comprises members from 6 wards. The current council members are: *Ward 1: Damien Pitts *Ward 2: Steve Moe *Ward 3: Kori Rodley *Ward 4: Leonard Stoehr *Ward 5: Marilee Woodrow *Ward 6: Joe Pishioneri (Council President)


Public safety

The Springfield Police Department and Eugene Springfield Fire are the city's public safety agencies. The Springfield police department is currently under investigation due to allegations of sexual misconduct by a female former officer.


Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. The McKenzie River forms the northern city limits.


Neighborhoods

Springfield does not have any official neighborhood designations. Unofficial neighborhood areas include: * Gateway * Glenwood * North Springfield * Thurston * Washburne Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places * Meadow Park * Kelly Butte * West Kelly Butte


Demographics


2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 59,403 people, 23,665 households, and 14,737 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 24,809 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.9% White, 1.1%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...
, 1.4% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.3%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oce ...
, 5.2% from other races, and 4.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.1% of the population. There were 23,665 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.7% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 34.5 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29% were from 25 to 44; 25% were from 45 to 64; and 11.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.


Arts and culture

Author
Ken Kesey Ken Elton Kesey (September 17, 1935 – November 10, 2001) was an American novelist, essayist and countercultural figure. He considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. Kesey was born in ...
moved to Springfield when he was young and graduated from Springfield High School before moving on to the nearby University of Oregon. After some years of wandering (described in ''
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test ''The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test'' is a 1968 nonfiction book by Tom Wolfe. The book is a popular example of the New Journalism literary style. Wolfe presents a firsthand account of the experiences of Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters, ...
'' by
Tom Wolfe Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018)Some sources say 1931; ''The New York Times'' and Reuters both initially reported 1931 in their obituaries before changing to 1930. See and was an American author and journalist widely ...
), Kesey bought a farm in nearby Pleasant Hill and remained a prominent local celebrity until his death in 2001.


Library

The Springfield Public Library is located within city hall. The city hall itself is home to a seal of the city of Springfield, created out of unusual items from the city's sewer system.Sign next to the seal, locked inside of a display case. On display in Springfield City Hall. The seal and its creator, Russell Ziolkowski, were featured on The Tonight Show and
On the Road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagonist ...
with
Charles Kuralt Charles Bishop Kuralt (September 10, 1934 – July 4, 1997) was an American television, newspaper and radio journalist and author. He is most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on '' The CBS Eveni ...
.


Cultural venues

The Richard E. Wildish Community Theater on Main Street in downtown Springfield, a complete renovation of the historic McKenzie Theater, opened in December 2006. The theater seats 284 people and is designed to host music concerts and recitals, dance, drama, festivals and small musicals. The Springfield Renaissance Development Corporation spearheaded the six-year renovation project, completed at a cost of $3.1 million.


Education

There are 15 elementary, 4 middle, and 4 high schools in the Springfield School District, making it one of the largest in the state. The largest public high schools, by enrollment, are
Thurston High School Thurston High School is a public high school located in the Thurston area of Springfield, Oregon, United States. Academics In 2008, 80% of the school's seniors received a high school diploma. Of 338 students, 271 graduated, 30 dropped out, 11 re ...
and Springfield High School.
Pioneer Pacific College Pioneer Pacific College is a private for-profit college with its main campus in Beaverton, Oregon. Founded in 1981, it primarily offers Associate degrees and certificate programs. History Pioneer Pacific College began in 1981 as an electronics ...
also has a campus in the Gateway area of Springfield.


In popular culture


''The Simpsons''

The city took third in the voting to choose one of the sixteen possible Springfields in the U.S. to host the premiere of ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. The film was directed by the show's supervising director David Silverman and stars the show's regular cast of Dan Caste ...
.''Springfields Vie For "Simpsons" Premiere
." ''
CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', '' CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 ...
.'' March 9, 2007. Retrieved on March 9, 2007.
The show's creator, Oregon resident Matt Groening, sent a plaque to the city of Springfield that stated, in part "Yo to Springfield, Oregon – the real Springfield." In April 2012, Groening confirmed to '' Smithsonian'' magazine that he named the fictional Springfield after Springfield, Oregon. He also confirmed that he intentionally left it a secret to allow people the enjoyment of assuming it was based on their own Springfield.


Notable people

*
Sheila Bleck Sheila R. Bleck (born October 14, 1974) is an American retired professional female bodybuilder. Early life and education Bleck was born in Coos Bay, Oregon, along with her identical twin sister, Sherry. Their mother, Rebecca, was young and unm ...
, IFBB professional bodybuilder * John Charles Bolsinger, serial killer *
Colby Covington Colby Ray Covington (born February 22, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Welterweight Champ ...
, Mixed Martial Arts Fighter *
Peter DeFazio Peter Anthony DeFazio (; born May 27, 1947) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 1987. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Eugene, Springfield, Corvallis, Roseburg, Coos Ba ...
, U.S. Representative for
Oregon's 4th congressional district Oregon's 4th congressional district represents the southern half of Oregon's coastal counties, including Coos, Curry, Douglas, Lane, and Benton counties and most of Linn and Josephine counties. It is centered around the state's two colleg ...
*
Bill Dellinger William "Bill" Solon Dellinger (born March 23, 1934) is a retired American middle-distance runner. He competed in the 5,000 m at the 1956, 1960 and 1964 Olympics and won a bronze medal in 1964, setting his personal record.Diane Downs Diane Elizabeth Downs ( Frederickson; born August 7, 1955) is an American criminal who murdered her daughter and attempted to murder her other two children near Springfield, Oregon, in May 1983. Following the crimes, she made claims to police t ...
, child murderer arrested and jailed in Springfield *
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Dolla ...
, actor, log bronc operator for Weyerhaeuser in Springfield *
Ken Kesey Ken Elton Kesey (September 17, 1935 – November 10, 2001) was an American novelist, essayist and countercultural figure. He considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. Kesey was born in ...
, author * Matt Groening, Creator of The Simpsons *Kip Kinkel, perpetrator of the
Thurston High School shooting The Thurston High School shooting occurred on May 21, 1998, at Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon. 15-year-old freshman student Kipland Kinkel, who had been scheduled to appear at an expulsion hearing the day prior, murdered his paren ...
*
Eric Millegan Eric Millegan (born August 25, 1974) is an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Zack Addy on the Fox series ''Bones''. Early life Millegan was born in Hackettstown, New Jersey, and raised in Springfield, Oregon. He attended Springfie ...
, Broadway and television actor *
Mickey Newbury Milton Sims "Mickey" Newbury Jr. (May 19, 1940 – September 29, 2002) was an American songwriter, recording artist, and a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Early life and career Newbury was born in Houston, Texas, on May 19, ...
, American songwriter, recording artist, member Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame * Steve Reeves, Actor and body builder * Travis Smith, major league baseball player *
Dan Straily Daniel Steven Straily (born December 1, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). The Oakland Athletics selected Straily in the 24th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball ...
(born 1988), starting pitcher in the Philadelphia Phillies organization * Robert W. Straub, Oregon governor * Theodore Sturgeon, science fiction author * Shoshana R. Ungerleider, physician and film producer *
Mercedes Russell Mercedes Brianna Russell (born July 27, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted 22nd overall by the New York Liberty in the 2018 WNBA draft. ...
, Professional Basketball Player WNBA * Dave Wolverton, novelist and writer


Climate

This region experiences hot and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Springfield has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Springfield, Oregon
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See also

* Hayden Bridge (Springfield, Oregon)—a historic bridge in the city.


References


Further reading

* Anderson, Wendell (2002). ''Eugene-Springfield: a contemporary portrait''. (1st ed.). Montgomery, AL: Community Communications. . . *Dennis, Michelle L. (1999).
Springfield, Oregon, 1848-1955: historic context statement
.'' (Rev. ed.). Springfield Development Services Dept. * *Clarke, David W (1983). ''The Springfield Millrace and early mills''. Springfield Historical Commission. *Williams, Jerold (1983). ''Springfield: a history''. Springfield, OR: Springfield Public Schools, District 19 Communications Dept.


External links


City of Springfield official websiteSpringfield Chamber of CommerceEntry for Springfield
in the ''
Oregon Blue Book The ''Oregon Blue Book'' is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon prepared by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division. The ''Blue Book'' comes in both print and o ...
''
Springfield Celebrates 125 Years

Springfield HISTORIC CONTEXT STATEMENT

Springfield Mill Race Oral History Project

Springfield Museum Timeline
{{Authority control Cities in Oregon Populated places established in 1848 Cities in Lane County, Oregon 1848 establishments in Oregon Territory Populated places on the Willamette River The Simpsons