The historic Southern Pacific depot in Springfield
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, Springfield is the second-most populous city in the metropolitan area after Eugene. As of the 2020 census, the city has a total population of 61,851, making it the ninth-most populous city in Oregon.
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 within the current city boundaries.[8] For the majority of the 20th century, the economy of Springfield was largely dependent on the Oregon timber industry; since the 1990s, however, the economy has diversified, with PeaceHealth 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 people. Also sometimes written as Calapooia or Calapooya, the people maintained the valley and their main food sources by controlled burning.[9]
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.[10] 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 legislation in its city charter after a campaign by the Oregon Citizens Alliance.[11] However, the state legislature later passed a law that prevented anti-gay ordinances from being enforced.[12]
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'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, 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.[13][14]
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.[15]
Springfield has a council–manager form of government. The current mayor of Springfield is Sean VanGordon,[1] and the city manager is Nancy Newton.[17] The city council comprises members from six wards. The current council members are:[18]
The Springfield Police Department and Eugene Springfield Fire are the city's public safety agencies.[20][21] The Springfield police department is currently under investigation due to allegations of sexual misconduct made by a female former officer.[22][23][24]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.75 sq mi (40.79 km2), of which, 15.74 sq mi (40.77 km2) is land and 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) is water.[25]
As of the census[30] of 2010, there were 59,403 people, 23,665 households, and 14,737 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,774.0/sq mi (1,457.1/km2). There were 24,809 housing units at an average density of 1,576.2/sq mi (608.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 85.9% White, 1.1% African American, 1.4% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 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.
The Springfield Public Library is located within city hall.[31] 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.[32][33] The seal and its creator, Russell Ziolkowski, were featured on The Tonight Show and On the Road with Charles Kuralt.[32]
Cultural venues
Richard E. Wildish Community Theater (Wildish Community Theater) on Main Street in downtown Springfield is a complete renovation of the historic McKenzie Theater and opened in December 2006.[34]
The theater seats 284 people and is designed to host music concerts and recitals, dance, drama, festivals, and small musicals.[35] The Springfield Renaissance Development Corporation spearheaded the six-year renovation project, completed for $3.1 million.[36]
Una Nation of Mixed-Bloods
On March 7, 2016, Springfield formally recognized the Una Nation of Mixed-Bloods for their service to mixed-blood Native Americans.[37]
There are 15 elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools in the Springfield School District, making it one of the largest in the state.[39][40] The largest public high schools, by enrollment, are Thurston High School and Springfield High School.
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.[43] 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."[44] 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.[45]
^"Oregon to vote on plan to allow bias against gays. Conservative group forces a referendum". The Baltimore Sun. New York Times News Service. August 16, 1992. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2011. The campaign was used successfully by Mr. Mabon's group in May, when the Oregon town of Springfield voted, by 55 percent to 45 percent, to become the nation's first municipality to include anti-gay language in its city charter.
^Neville, Paul (April 13, 1995). "Appeals court deals setback to gay rights foes". Eugene Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. p. 1. Retrieved April 10, 2011. The Oregon Court of Appeals upheld a state law Wednesday that bars cities and counties from enforcing anti-gay rights ordinances.[permanent dead link]
^Diane Dietz (September 6, 2010). "50 years in the creamery". Register-Guard. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016. We had some debts that had to get paid, so we said, "Well, what do you think? Do you think the Dead would come up and do a benefit concert for us?" My brother-in-law (and Chuck's brother) Ken Kesey said, "I don't know why not. You might as well ask them."
Velasco, Dorothy; Velasco, Mara (1999). Springfield, Between Two Rivers: An Illustrated History. Pete Malliris, Kim Sullivan (1st ed.). Montgomery, AL: Community Communications. ISBN1-58192-010-5. LCCN99-36453. OCLC41601271.
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.
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