Springfield is a city in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Clark County.
The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the
Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, approximately west of
Columbus and northeast of
Dayton
Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...
. Springfield is home to
Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio. It has 1,326 full-time students representing 33 states and 9 foreign countries. Wittenberg University is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ...
, a liberal arts college.
As of the
2020 census, the city had a total population of 58,662, while the
Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 136,001 residents. The
Little Miami Scenic Trail
The Little Miami Scenic Trail is the fourth longest paved trail in the United States, running through five southwestern counties in the state of Ohio. The multi-use rail trail sees heavy recreational use by hikers and bicyclists, as well as the ...
, a paved
rail-trail that is nearly 80 miles long, extends from the
Buck Creek Scenic Trail head in Springfield south to
Newtown, Ohio
Newtown is a village in southeastern Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, near Cincinnati. The population was 2,702 at the 2020 census. Newtown was settled in 1792 and incorporated as a village in 1901.
History
Multiple Native American mounds ...
(near
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
). It has become popular with hikers and cyclists.
In 1983, ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...
'' magazine featured Springfield in its 50th-anniversary issue, entitled, "The American Dream." It chronicled the effects of changes of the previous 50 years on five local families. In 2004, Springfield was chosen as an "
All-America City
The All-America City Award is a community recognition program in the United States given by the National Civic League. The award recognizes the work of communities in using inclusive civic engagement to address critical issues and create stronge ...
." In the 2010s, Springfield ranked low among cities in the state and nation for indicators such as health, happiness, and well-being.
History
Shawnee Native Americans
The historic
Shawnee
The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...
occupied this area before and during European exploration and settlement. They had the villages of ''Peckuwe'' and ''Piqua'' at 39° 54.5′ N, 83° 54.68′ W, and 39° 54.501′ N, 83° 54.682′ W, respectively. These were the settlements of the
Peckuwe and
Kispoko Kispoko (also spelled Kiscopocoke, Kispokotha, Spitotha) is the name of one of the five divisions (or septs) of the Shawnee, a Native American people. The Kispoko were the smallest of the five septs or divisions during the 18th century. They lived ...
divisions of the
Shawnee Tribe
The Shawnee Tribe is a federally recognized Native American tribe in Oklahoma. Formerly known as the Loyal Shawnee, they are one of three federally recognized Shawnee tribes. The others are the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma and t ...
.
During the American Revolution and associated frontier wars, European Americans destroyed these villages in the
Battle of Piqua, August 8, 1780.
Logan's raid
Logan's raid was a military expedition in October, 1786 by a Kentucky militia force under General Benjamin Logan against several Shawnee settlements along the Little Miami and Mad Rivers in the Ohio Country. The villages were occupied primarily ...
occurred near Springfield October 1786. European Americans later developed the city of Springfield, Ohio near here.
In the early 21st century, the Piqua Sept of the Ohio Shawnee Tribe placed a traditional sacred cedar pole in commemoration of the Peckuwe village site and their tribe. It is registered as a state historical marker. Today that site is within Springfield, located "on the southern edge of the
George Rogers Clark Historical Park, in the lowlands in front of the park's 'Hertzler House'."
Early settlement
Springfield was founded in 1801 by European-American James Demint, a former teamster from
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
. It was named for historic
Springfield, Massachusetts. When
Clark County was created in 1818 from parts of
Champaign
Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metropo ...
,
Madison, and
Greene
Greene may refer to:
Places United States
*Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community
*Greene, Iowa, a city
*Greene, Maine, a town
** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene
*Greene (town), New York
** Greene (village), New York, in the town ...
counties, Springfield was chosen by the legislature over the village of New Boston (another village named after a New England predecessor) as the county seat, winning by two votes.
Early growth in Springfield was stimulated by federal construction of the
National Road
The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...
into Ohio. Springfield was the terminus for approximately 10 years as politicians wrangled over its future path.
Dayton
Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...
and
Eaton wanted the road to veer south after Springfield, but President
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
, who took office in 1829, made the final decision to have the road continue straight west to
Richmond, Indiana.
Image:Springfield Ohio c1830.JPG, Springfield around 1830
Image:Springfield Ohio c1900.jpg, Springfield around 1900
Image:Springfield-ohio-courthouse.jpg, Clark County Courthouse in downtown Springfield
File:SpringfieldOH Old City Hall.jpg, Old City Hall, now the Clark County Heritage Center
The Clark County Heritage Center is a Romanesque architecture-style building in central Springfield, Ohio, United States. Originally built for the city's offices in 1890, it is now the location of the Clark County Historical Society (founded in ...
Industrial development
During the mid-and-late 19th century, industry began to flourish in Springfield. Industrialists included Oliver S. Kelly,
Asa S. Bushnell, James Leffel, P. P. Mast, and
Benjamin H. Warder. Bushnell also constructed the Bushnell Building, naming it after himself. Patent attorney to the
Wright Brothers,
Harry Aubrey Toulmin, Sr., wrote the 1904
patent
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...
here to cover their
invention of the airplane. In 1894,
The Kelly Springfield Tire Company
The Kelly-Springfield Tire Company was an American manufacturer of tires for motor vehicles, it was founded in Springfield, Ohio by Edwin Kelly and Arthur Grant in 1894. It was acquired in 1935 by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, who main ...
was founded in the city.
P. P. Mast started ''
Farm & Fireside
''Farm & Fireside'' was a semi-monthly national farming magazine that was established in 1877 and was published until 1939. It was based in Springfield, Ohio.
It was the original magazine for what eventually became the Crowell-Collier Publishin ...
'' magazine to promote the products of his agricultural equipment company. His publishing company, known as Mast, Crowell, and Kirkpatrick, eventually developed as the
Crowell-Collier Publishing Company
Crowell-Collier Publishing Company was an American publisher that owned the popular magazines ''Collier's'', '' Woman's Home Companion'' and '' The American Magazine''. Crowell's subsidiary, P.F. Collier and Son, published ''Collier's Encyclopedi ...
, best known for publishing ''
Collier's Weekly
''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Colli ...
.''
At the turn of the 20th century, Springfield became known as the "Home City." It was a period of high activity by fraternal organizations, and such lodges as the
Masonic Lodge
A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...
,
Knights of Pythias, and
Odd Fellows built homes for orphans and aged members of their orders. Springfield also became known as "The Champion City," a reference to the
Champion Farm Equipment brand, manufactured by the Warder, Bushnell & Glessner Company. In 1902 this company was absorbed into
International Harvester
The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated by IHC, IH, or simply International ( colloq.)) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household e ...
. The latter operates today in Springfield as
Navistar International
Navistar, Inc is an American holding company created in 1986 as the successor to International Harvester. Navistar operates as the owner of International-branded trucks and diesel engines. The company also produces buses under the IC Bus b ...
, a manufacturer of medium to large trucks.
In 1902 A.B. Graham, then the superintendent of schools for Springfield Township in Clark County, established a "Boys' and Girls' Agricultural Club." Approximately 85 children from 10 to 15 years of age attended the first meeting on January 15, 1902, in Springfield, in the basement of the Clark County Courthouse. This was the start of what would soon be called the "
4-H
4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times i ...
Club"; it expanded to become a nationwide organization, at a time when agriculture was a mainstay of the economy in many regions. (4-H stands for "Head, Heart, Hands, and Health"). The first projects included food preservation, gardening, and elementary agriculture. Today, the Courthouse still bears a large 4H symbol under the flag pole at the front of the building to commemorate its role in founding the organization. The Clark County Fair is the second-largest fair in the state (only the
Ohio State Fair
The Ohio State Fair is one of the largest state fairs in the United States, held in Columbus, Ohio during late July through early August. As estimated in a 2011 economic impact study conducted by Saperstein & Associates; the State Fair contribute ...
is larger), and the 4H has continued to be very popular in this area.
On March 7, 1904, over a thousand white residents formed a
lynch mob, stormed the jail, and removed prisoner Richard Dixon, a black man accused of killing police officer Charles B. Collis. Dixon was shot to death and then hanged from a pole on the corner of Fountain and Main Street, where the mob shot his body numerous times. From there the mob rioted through the town, destroying and burning much of the black area. The events were covered by national newspapers and provoked outrage. In February 1906, another white mob formed and again burned the black section of town, known as "the levee", as it was located in the flood-prone area near the river. Sixty years later, Springfield was the first city in Ohio to elect a black mayor, Robert Henry.
![Ku Klux Klan on parade, Springfield, Ohio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Ku_Klux_Klan_on_parade%2C_Springfield%2C_Ohio.jpg)
On February 26, 1906, there was another riot, the result of an altercation between a white man and a black man. The proceeding violence burned down a significant portion of the black neighborhood in Springfield and left nearly a hundred people homeless.
The final riot took place in 1921, although relatively peaceful compared to the two prior. It was reported that there was in fact little to no rioting, and that other reports made by ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' of 14 people killed was in fact, incorrect.
From 1916 to 1926, 10
automobile
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarde ...
companies operated in Springfield. Among them were the Bramwell, Brenning, Foos, Frayer-Miller, Kelly Steam, Russell-Springfield, and Westcott. The Westcott, known as "the car built to last," was a six-cylinder four-door sedan manufactured by Burton J. Westcott of the
Westcott Motor Car Company.
Westcott and his wife Orpha are now even better known for having commissioned architect
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
in 1908 to design their home at 1340 East High Street. The
Westcott House, a sprawling two-story stucco and concrete house, has all the features of Wright's "prairie style," including horizontal lines, low-pitched roof, and broad eaves. Wright became world-renowned, and this is his only prairie-style house in the state of Ohio.
In 2000 the property was purchased by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy (based in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
.) As part of a prearranged plan, the house was sold to a newly formed local Westcott House Foundation. This foundation managed an extensive 5-year, $5.8 million restoration, completed in October 2005.
The landmark house is now open to the public for guided tours.
International Harvester
The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated by IHC, IH, or simply International ( colloq.)) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household e ...
(now
Navistar International
Navistar, Inc is an American holding company created in 1986 as the successor to International Harvester. Navistar operates as the owner of International-branded trucks and diesel engines. The company also produces buses under the IC Bus b ...
), a manufacturer of farm machinery and later trucks, became the leading local industry after 1856, when Springfield native William Whiteley invented the self-raking reaper and mower. International Harvester and
Crowell-Collier Publishing were the major employers throughout most of the next century. Crowell-Collier closed its magazines in 1957 and sold its Springfield printing plant.
Late 20th century to present
The decline in manufacturing and other
blue-collar
A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and powe ...
industries in the United States in the late 20th and early 21st centuries resulted in significant economic and population losses in Springfield. A 27% decrease in
median income between 1999 and 2014 was the largest of any
metropolitan area in the country. Peaking at more than 82,000 in the 1960 census, the city population had declined to only 58,662 in 2020.
Despite efforts by local politicians and business organizations, an economic recovery enjoyed by larger cities since the
Great Recession
The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At ...
has not included Springfield or other small cities in Ohio.
In recent years, Springfield has attempted revitalization of the downtown area with several projects to stimulate residential housing, attract heritage tourism, and benefit the local economy. In 2019, the city began development on 34 new townhomes in downtown along Center Street, which will be named Center Street Townes. The City of Springfield also voted to approve $3.3 million toward a new $7 million parking garage in downtown; it started construction in 2019. Since 2000, notable downtown improvements that have been finished include the Ohio Valley Surgical Hospital, Springfield Regional Medical Center, Mother Stewart's Brewing Company, the NTPRD Chiller Ice Arena, and the demolition of several decaying structures. These buildings include the Arcue Building, the Robertson Building, and the
Crowell-Collier building.
New revitalization projects have not been limited to the downtown region, however. Efforts have been made to try and revitalize the
Upper Valley Mall for years, mostly falling short as anchor tenants such as
JCPenney
Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Gir ...
,
Macy's
Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
and
Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
have closed and 40 acres of the property was purchased by the Clark County Land Reutilization Corp. for $3 million in mid-2018. The permanent closure of the mall was announced in 2021. Another major project for the city is the ongoing development of the Bridgewater neighborhood, which is the first significant housing development in the city of Springfield since the early 1990s. The construction project is estimated to bring over 230 new homes to the city. Utilities are currently being set up, and later in 2019, the roads will be paved. The development is estimated to take about four years to complete. Much of the new housing development is attributed to trying to attract new jobs into the area, which has apparently paid off. In recent years, Springfield has benefitted tremendously from
Speedway LLC
Speedway is an American convenience store and gas station chain headquartered in Enon, Ohio, with locations primarily in the Midwest and the East Coast regions of the United States wholly owned and operated by 7-Eleven. Speedway stations ...
having success,
Navistar International
Navistar, Inc is an American holding company created in 1986 as the successor to International Harvester. Navistar operates as the owner of International-branded trucks and diesel engines. The company also produces buses under the IC Bus b ...
having a resurgence in recent years, and companies like
TopreAmerica Corp. and Silfex being introduced into the community.
Geography
Springfield is located at (39.927067, −83.804131).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
The Clarence J. Brown Reservoir is located on the northeast outskirts of Springfield.
Demographics
As of the 2000 census,
the median income for a household in the city was $32,193, and the median income for a family was $39,890. Males had a median income of $32,027 versus $23,155 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $16,660. 16.9% of the population and 13.5% of families were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
. Out of the total population, 23.9% of those under the age of 18 and 9.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
2010 census
As of the
2010 census,
there were 60,608 people, 24,459 households, and 14,399 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 28,437 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 75.2%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 18.1%
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 ens ...
, 0.3%
Native American, 0.8%
Asian, 0.02%
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 O ...
, and 4.0% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 3.0% of the population.
There were 24,459 households, of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were
married couples living together, 18.6% had a female householder with no spouse present, 5.9% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 41.1% were non-families. Of all households, 34.1% were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38, and the average family size was 3.01.
In the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
Crime
From 2012 through 2014, the city experienced a 21% increase in violent crime; from 618 per 100,000 persons to 750. Also during those years, occurrences of murder and non-negligent manslaughter steadily increased; from 5 to 7. In 2015, Springfield's violent crime reached a 14-year high, but this rate has since decreased.
Economy
Springfield has a notably weakened economy due to many factors, but a key cause for degradation of the economy in Springfield has been the decline in manufacturing jobs. Between 1999 and 2014, Springfield saw the median income decreased by 27 percent, compared to just 8 percent across the country. In the 1990s, Springfield lost 22,000
blue collar
A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and power ...
jobs, which was the backbone of the city economy. Today, Springfield largely relies on healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, leisure, education, financial institutions, and retail for employment.
Education
Springfield City Schools enroll 8,604 students in public
primary and
secondary schools. The district operates 16 public schools including ten elementary schools, three middle schools, one high school, and one alternative school.
Also located in Springfield is the Global Impact STEM Academy, an early-college middle school and high school certified in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics curriculum.
It was founded in 2013.
Springfield is home to two institutions of higher learning, Wittenberg University, and Clark State College.
Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio. It has 1,326 full-time students representing 33 states and 9 foreign countries. Wittenberg University is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ...
is a
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
university that was founded in Springfield in 1845. It is a four-year private liberal arts university. It has approximately 1800 students and a faculty of approximately 140. It is situated on a campus of 114 acres. It is one of the most highly-rated liberal arts universities in the nation, offering more than seventy majors. Wittenberg has more than 150 campus organizations, which include ten national fraternities and sororities. The
WUSO radio station is operated on the campus.
The city is also home to
Clark State College
Clark State College is a public community college in Springfield, Ohio. It opened in 1962 as Springfield and Clark County Technical Education Program. As of 2018, the school was approved for bachelor's degrees in web design and manufacturing
...
. The Springfield and Clark County Technical Education Program opened in 1962 and began to offer technical training for residents of Springfield, Ohio, and surrounding communities. The charter for the organization of the Clark County Technical Institute was effective February 18, 1966. Clark County Technical Institute became Ohio’s first technical college to be sanctioned by the Ohio Board of Regents, the name changed from Clark County Technical Institute to Clark Technical College by action of the Ohio Board of Regents on February 17, 1972. The charter changed from Clark Technical College to Clark State Community College on June 17, 1988, and the college began offering Associate of Arts and Associate of Science transfer degrees that same year. With the addition of bachelor’s degrees now available at Clark State, the Board of Trustees has voted to change the name of the institution to encompass the advancements in educational opportunities made by the college. On January 1, 2021, Clark State Community College became known as Clark State College.
The
Clark County Public Library Clark County Public Library is the public library of Clark County, Ohio, United States. It is based in Springfield, Ohio and has a collection of approximately 500,000 items.
History
The Clark County Public Library traces its beginnings to the S ...
operates three public libraries within the city of Springfield.
Media
The city is served by one daily newspaper, the ''
Springfield News-Sun
The ''Springfield News-Sun'' is a daily newspaper published in Springfield, Ohio, by Cox Enterprises, which also publishes the ''Dayton Daily News''. Both newspapers contain similar editorial content, but tailor their local news coverage to the a ...
.'' ''The Wittenberg Torch'' is the newspaper of Wittenberg University, and
WUSO-FM "The Berg" is its radio station.
WEEC-FM radio, featuring
Christian-based programming, is also located in the city.
Transportation
Ohio State Route 72
State Route 72 (SR 72) is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of Ohio. Its southern terminus is at US 62 near Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau ...
runs north-south through downtown Springfield.
U.S. Highway 40 runs east-west through the downtown.
U.S. Highway 68
U.S. Route 68 (US 68) is a United States highway that runs for from northwest Ohio to Western Kentucky. The highway's western terminus is at U.S. Route 62 in Kentucky, US 62 in Reidland, Kentucky. Its present northern terminus is at Interstate 7 ...
runs north-south on the west edge of the city.
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the co ...
runs east-west to the south of the city.
Springfield–Beckley Municipal Airport, a civil-military airport, is 6.6 miles south of Springfield, between US 68 and Ohio Route 72. The closest airport with commercial passenger flights is
Dayton International Airport
Dayton International Airport (officially James M. Cox Dayton International Airport), formerly Dayton Municipal Airport and James M. Cox-Dayton Municipal Airport, is 10 miles north of downtown Dayton, in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. ...
, 27.2 miles to the west.
Springfield had been served by passenger railroads of the
New York Central at its
Big Four Depot, with trains for Cincinnati, Detroit, Cleveland and New York City, demolished in 1969, and the
Pennsylvania Railroad at its station, with a train due for Richmond, Indiana and Chicago. The last train from Springfield, an unnamed remnant of the New York Central's ''
Ohio State Limited
The ''Ohio State Limited'' was a named passenger train operated by the New York Central Railroad (NYC) between New York City and Cincinnati, Ohio, via Buffalo and Cleveland, Ohio. Service began in 1924 and continued until 1967, with some vestig ...
,'' running on the (Cincinnati - Columbus - Cleveland) route by the
Penn Central
The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals (the Pennsylvania, New York Central and the ...
, had its final trip on April 30, 1971.
Notable people
The following are notable people born and/or raised in Springfield:
*
Mike DeWine – 70th and current Governor of Ohio
*
Berenice Abbott – photographer
*
Randy Ayers
Randall Duane Ayers (born April 16, 1956) is an American basketball coach who is currently an assistant coach (through a coaching advisor position) for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. Ayers grew up in Springfield, Ohio an ...
– former basketball head coach of
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
and the
Philadelphia 76ers
*
Minnie Willis Baines Miller
Minnie Willis Baines (, Willis, after first marriage, Baines, after second marriage, Baines-Miller; January 8, 1845 – February 15, 1923) was an American author. She favored temperance, morality, religion, and women's suffrage, writing innumerabl ...
– author
*
Leslie Greene Bowman
Leslie Greene Bowman (born November 9, 1956) is an American museum administrator and decorative arts historian who has served as president of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which owns and runs Monticello, since 2008. She previously worked in p ...
– president of the
Thomas Jefferson Foundation
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, originally known as the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1923 to purchase and maintain Monticello, the primary plantation of Thomas Jefferson, the third ...
; born in Springfield
*
Edward Lyon Buchwalter Capt. Edward Lyon Buchwalter (June 1, 1841 – October 4, 1933) was a Union (American Civil War), Union Captain (United States), Captain in the American Civil War, corporate figure, banker and farmer. He served in the 114th Ohio Infantry as lieutena ...
– first president of the Citizens National Bank of Springfield, Ohio, U.S. Civil War captain.
*
Dave Burba
David Allen Burba (born July 7, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played for the Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, and Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseba ...
– major league baseball player
*
William R. Burnett – novelist and screenwriter
*
Ron Burton
Ronald E. Burton (July 25, 1936 – September 13, 2003) was an American football player in the American Football League (AFL) for the Boston Patriots. He was a consensus All-American running back at Northwestern University, and is a member of ...
– professional football player
*
Garvin Bushell
Garvin Bushell ''(né'' Garvin Lamont Payne; September 25, 1902 – October 31, 1991) was an American woodwind multi-instrumentalist.
Biography
Bushell was born in Springfield, Ohio, to Alexander Payne, Jr. (1875–1908) and Effie Penn ''( ...
– musician (saxophone, clarinet, etc.)
*
Butch Carter
Clarence Eugene "Butch" Carter Jr. (born June 11, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played college basketball at Indiana University.
Early years
Carter excelled in basketball and football at Middletown Hig ...
–
NBA player and coach
*
Justin Chambers
Justin Willman Chambers (born July 11, 1970) is an American actor and former model. He is best known for his role as Dr. Alex Karev in the ABC television drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2020. Born in Ohio, he went to Southeastern High S ...
– actor (Alex Karev, ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into s ...
'') and former model
*
Call Cobbs, Jr. – jazz pianist
*
Jason Collier
Jason Jeffrey Collier (September 8, 1977 – October 15, 2005) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
High school career
Collier led Catholic Central High School of his hometown Sprin ...
– professional basketball player
*
Trey DePriest
Trey DePriest (born June 9, 1993) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Alabama. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens in 2015.
High school career
A native of Springfield, Ohio, DePri ...
– former linebacker of the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
, 2 time NCAA National Champion of the
Alabama Crimson Tide football
The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama (variously Alabama, UA, or Bama) in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Ass ...
team.
*
Marsha Dietlein
Marsha Dietlein (born August 1, 1965, in Springfield, Ohio) is an American actress best known for her role as Lucy Wilson in the 1988 zombie horror film '' Return of the Living Dead Part II''.
Career
As well as '' Return of the Living Dead Par ...
– actress
*
Adam Eaton – major league baseball player
*
Wayne Embry
Wayne Richard Embry (born March 26, 1937) is a retired American basketball player and basketball executive. Embry's 11-year playing career as a center spanned from 1958 to 1969 playing for the Cincinnati Royals, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Buck ...
– professional basketball player
*
Dorothy Gish
Dorothy Elizabeth Gish (March 11, 1898June 4, 1968) was an American actress of the screen and stage, as well as a director and writer. Dorothy and her older sister Lillian Gish were major movie stars of the silent era. Dorothy also had great s ...
– actress from the
silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...
era and after; younger sister of Lillian
*
Lillian Gish – actress from the
silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...
era and after
*
Luther Alexander Gotwald
Luther Alexander Gotwald, D.D. (January 31, 1833 – September 15, 1900) was a professor of theology in the Wittenberg Theological Seminary in the United States. He was tried for heresy by the board of directors at Wittenberg College in Springfiel ...
– tried for and acquitted of Lutheran heresy at Wittenberg College in 1893
*
Albert Belmont Graham – founder of
4-H
4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times i ...
*
Anais Granofsky
Anais Granofsky (born May 14, 1973) is a Canadian actress, screenwriter, producer and director. She is best known for portraying Lucy Fernandez in the '' Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'' series.
Early life
Granofsky was born in Spri ...
– (born in Springfield in 1973) is a Canadian actress, screenwriter, producer and director
*
Harvey Haddix
Harvey Haddix, Jr. (September 18, 1925 – January 8, 1994) was an American professional baseball left-handed pitcher and pitching coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1952–1956), Philadelphia Phillies ...
– major league baseball player
*
Robert C. Henry – first African American mayor in Ohio
*
Dustin Hermanson
Dustin Michael Hermanson (born December 21, 1972) is an American former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Hermanson pitched for several MLB teams between 1995 and 2006. He had his best season with the 2005 Chicago White S ...
– major league baseball player
*
Dave Hobson
David Lee Hobson (born October 17, 1936) is an American lawyer and politician of the Republican Party who served as a U.S. representative from the seventh congressional district of Ohio from 1991 to 2009.
Early life and education
Hobson was b ...
– former U.S. Congressman for Ohio's Seventh District
*
Alice Hohlmayer – All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player
*
Griffin House Griffin House may refer to:
People
*Griffin House (musician), American musician
Places
;in Canada
* Griffin House (Ancaster), a 19th-century house and museum, site along the Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of clan ...
– singer-songwriter
*
Quentin Jackson – jazz trombonist
*
Jimmy Journell
James Richard Journell (born December 29, 1977), is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2003 and 2005.
Amateur career
Journell was born in Springfield, Ohio. He graduated from North High S ...
– major league baseball player
*
Taito Kantonen – academic and theologian
*
J. Warren Keifer – Civil War general and Speaker of the House
*
Bradley Kincaid – America's first country music star. He performed on WLS, WBZ, and WLW.
*
David Ward King
David Ward King (October 27, 1857 – February 9, 1920) was an American farmer and inventor of the King road drag. His invention, which was the horse-drawn forerunner of the modern road grader, had a great influence on American life because his in ...
– inventor of the
King road drag
The King road drag (also known as the Missouri road drag and the split log road drag) was a road grader implement for grading dirt roads that revolutionized the maintenance of the dirt roads in the early 1900s. It was invented by David Wa ...
*
Brooks Lawrence
Brooks Ulysses Lawrence (January 30, 1925 – April 27, 2000) was a Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals (1954–1955), Cincinnati Redlegs (1956–1959), and Cincinnati Reds (1960).
Lawrence was born in Springfie ...
– major league baseball player
*
John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Eve ...
– singer, musician, R&B and neo-soul pianist
*
Lois Lenski
Lois Lenore Lenski Covey (October 14, 1893 – September 11, 1974) was a Newbery Medal-winning author and illustrator of picture books and children's literature. Beginning in 1927 with her first books, ''Skipping Village'' and ''Jack Horner's Pie: ...
– author and illustrator of children's fiction, including ''
Strawberry Girl''
*
Deborah Loewer – U.S. Navy flag officer
*
Luke Lucas
''The X Factor'' is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series aired on ITV on 20 August 2011 and ended on 11 December 2011. Dermot O'Leary hosted the main show on ITV, while Caroline Flack and series 6 ...
– major league baseball player
*
Johnny Lytle
Johnny Dillard Lytle (October 13, 1932 in Springfield, Ohio – December 15, 1995 in Springfield) was a jazz drummer and vibraphonist.
Life and career
Lytle grew up in Springfield, Ohio in a family of musicians, the son of a trumpeter father ...
– jazz musician
*
John Mahoney
Charles John Mahoney (June 20, 1940 – February 4, 2018) was an English-born American actor. He was known for playing Martin Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Frasier'' (1993–2004), and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for the role in 2000. Mahone ...
– Ohio state senator
*
Will McEnaney
William Henry McEnaney (February 14, 1952) is a former professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher over parts of six seasons in Major League Baseball (1974–79) with the Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. ...
– major league baseball player, pitcher for the
Cincinnati Reds
*
Jeff Meckstroth
Jeffrey John (Jeff) Meckstroth (born May 15, 1956) is an American professional contract bridge player. He is a multiple world champion, winning the Bermuda Bowl on USA teams five times. He is one of only ten players who have won the so-called tri ...
– multiple world champion bridge player
*
Braxton Miller
Braxton Marcellus Miller (born November 30, 1992) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was their starting quarterback from 2011 to 2013, before moving to the wide receiver posit ...
–
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
and
NFL player
*
Davey Moore – boxer, World Featherweight Title holder 1959–1963
*
Troy Perkins
Troy Perkins (born July 29, 1981) is an American former soccer player. During his career, he played for clubs in the United States, Canada, and Norway. The 2006 Major League Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year award winner earned seven caps with th ...
– professional soccer player
*
Carl Ferdinand Pfeifer – presidential aide
*
Coles Phillips – early 20th-century illustrator, inventor of the "fade-away" girl
*
Robert Bruce Raup
Robert Bruce Raup (March 21, 1888 – April 13, 1976), was a Professor in the Philosophy of Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. He was a well-known writer in the 1930s, whose writings were influenced by his own teacher and ment ...
– professor,
Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University (TC), is the graduate school of education, health, and psychology of Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, it has served as one of the official faculties and ...
, writer, and critic of American Education system.
*
Alaina Reed Hall
Alaina Reed Hall (November 10, 1946 – December 17, 2009) was an American actress and singer who portrayed Olivia Robinson, Gordon's younger sister, on the PBS children's television series ''Sesame Street'', and Rose Lee Holloway on the NBC si ...
– television actress, ''
227
Year 227 ( CCXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Senecio and Fulvius (or, less frequently, year 980 '' Ab urbe cond ...
'' and ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...
''
*
Barbara Schantz – police officer, gained national attention for ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'' pictorial, and subject of the 1983 movie ''
Policewoman Centerfold
''Policewoman Centerfold'' is a 1983 television movie starring Melody Anderson and Ed Marinaro, loosely based on the story of police officer Barbara Schantz who posed for ''Playboy'' magazine in 1982.(17 October 1983)Picks and Pans Review: Poli ...
''
*
Cecil Scott – jazz clarinetist, tenor saxophonist, and bandleader
*
Dick Shatto
Richard Darrell Shatto (February 5, 1933 – February 4, 2003) was a professional Canadian football player for the Canadian Football League Toronto Argonauts. Shatto also served as the Argonauts general manager after his playing days with the cl ...
– professional Canadian football player
*
Winant Sidle –
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
major general
*
Elle Smith
Ellen Elizabeth "Elle" Smith (born June 19, 1998) is an American model, journalist, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2021. As Miss USA, she represented the United States at Miss Universe 2021 where she was placed in the top ...
– model, journalist, and
Miss USA 2021
Miss USA 2021 was the 70th Miss USA pageant, held on November 29, 2021, at the Paradise Cove Theater of River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The competition was hosted by Zuri Hall and Patrick Ta, while Nicole Adamo served as a lounge ...
*
James Garfield Stewart – Supreme Court of Ohio the 109th justice
*
Dann Stupp
Dann Stupp (born in Springfield, Ohio; September 14, 1978) is a sports editor and author who co-founded the popular mixed martial arts website MMAJunkie.com, which USA Today acquired in 2011.
He is currently senior sports editor for The Action ...
– author
*
Charles Thompson – jazz musician
*
Tommy Tucker (a.k.a. Robert Higginbotham) – jazz musician
*
Chris Via – professional
bowler on the
PBA Tour
The PBA Tour is the major professional tour for ten-pin bowling, operated by the Professional Bowlers Association. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, over 3,000 members worldwide make up the PBA. While most of the PBA members are Regional profess ...
, winner of the 2021
U.S. Open
*
Crista Nicole Wagner –
''Playboy Playmate'' (May 2001) and
''Miss Hawaiian Tropic'' (2001)
*
Christopher J. Waild – screenwriter
*
Helen Bosart Morgan Wagstaff - artist
*
James R. Ward - World War II Medal of Honor recipient was born in Springfield.
*
Earle Warren
Earle Warren (born Earl Ronald Warren; July 1, 1914 – June 4, 1994) was an American saxophonist. He was part of the Count Basie Orchestra from 1937.
Early life
Warren was born in Springfield, Ohio, on July 1, 1914. "He played piano, banjo, an ...
– jazz saxophonist with
Count Basie
William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...
*
Walter L. Weaver –
U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from Ohio
*
Rick White – major league baseball player
*
Worthington Whittredge
Thomas Worthington Whittredge (May 22, 1820 – February 25, 1910) was an American artist of the Hudson River School. Whittredge was a highly regarded artist of his time, and was friends with several leading Hudson River School artists includin ...
– Hudson River School painter
*
Jonathan Winters
Jonathan Harshman Winters III (November 11, 1925 – April 11, 2013) was an American comedian, actor, author, television host, and artist. Beginning in 1960, Winters recorded many classic comedy albums for the Verve Records label. He also h ...
– actor and comedian
*
J. T. Brubaker Baseball Player
See also
*
Clark County Heritage Center
The Clark County Heritage Center is a Romanesque architecture-style building in central Springfield, Ohio, United States. Originally built for the city's offices in 1890, it is now the location of the Clark County Historical Society (founded in ...
, which houses the Clark County Historical Society museum, library, and archives.
*
Springfield City School District
Springfield City School District is the public school district that serves the city of Springfield, Ohio. It operates 14 schools: ten elementary, three middle, and one high. The district is led by superintendent Robert Hill.
Schools
Element ...
, the school district that serves the city of Springfield
References
External links
City of SpringfieldGreater Springfield Convention and Visitor's Bureau*
{{Authority control
Cities in Ohio
Populated places established in 1801
Cities in Clark County, Ohio
County seats in Ohio
National Road
1801 establishments in the Northwest Territory