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Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of
Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
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 ...
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 Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...
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, 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 A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetca ...
that is nearly 80 miles long, extends from the
Buck Creek Scenic Trail Buck may refer to: Common meanings * A colloquialism for a dollar or similar currency * An adult male in some animal species - see List of animal names * Derby shoes, nicknamed "bucks" for the common use of buckskin in their making People * Buck ...
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 mound ...
(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 w ...
). 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 (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' 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." 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 divisions of the Shawnee Tribe. During the American Revolution and associated frontier wars, European Americans destroyed these villages in the
Battle of Piqua The Battle of Piqua, also known as the Battle of Peckowee, Battle of Pekowi, Battle of Peckuwe and the Battle of Pickaway, was a military engagement fought on August 8, 1780 at the Indian village of Piqua along the Mad River in western Ohio Cou ...
, August 8, 1780. Logan's raid 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 Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, th ...
. When Clark County was created in 1818 from parts of Champaign,
Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
, and Greene 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 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 Eaton may refer to: Buildings Canada * Eaton Centre, the name of various shopping malls in Canada due to having been anchored by an Eaton's store * Eaton's / John Maryon Tower, a cancelled skyscraper in Toronto * Eaton Hall (King City), a conferen ...
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


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 Benjamin Head Warder (November 15, 1824 – January 13, 1894) was an American manufacturer of agricultural machinery, based in Springfield, Ohio, for much of his career. After he had retired, in 1902 the company he co-founded merged with four ot ...
. 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 was founded in the city. P. P. Mast started '' Farm & Fireside'' 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, best known for publishing '' Collier's Weekly.'' 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, 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 ...
, 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 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 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. 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 ...
'' 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 regarded ...
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 = List of sovereign states, Count ...
.) 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 ...
), 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 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 A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually ...
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 Upper Valley Mall was a shopping mall located near Springfield, Ohio, northeast of Dayton. Built in 1971 by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation of Youngstown, the mall at closing had no anchor stores. The Upper Valley Mall was located west of S ...
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, Gi ...
,
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 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 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 ...
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 th ...
, 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 ...
. 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 Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was 2,693.7 people per square mile (1,039.6/km2). There were 28,437 housing units at an average density of 1,263.9 per square mile (487.8/km2). 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 ...
, 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 for ...
or Latino 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 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 reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...
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 WUSO (89.1 FM) is a radio station in Springfield, Ohio, United States. It is owned by Wittenberg University and rebroadcasts the classical music programming of WDPR in Dayton on a full-time basis from its transmitter atop Tower Hall on the Wit ...
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 Sp ...
operates three public libraries within the city of Springfield.


Media

The city is served by one daily newspaper, the '' Springfield News-Sun.'' ''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 runs north-south through downtown Springfield. U.S. Highway 40 runs east-west through the downtown. U.S. Highway 68 runs north-south on the west edge of the city. Interstate 70 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, 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,'' 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 th ...
, had its final trip on April 30, 1971.


Notable people

The following are notable people born and/or raised in Springfield: *
Mike DeWine Richard Michael DeWine (; born January 5, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 70th and current governor of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, DeWine began his career as a prosecutor before being elected to the Oh ...
– 70th and current Governor of Ohio * Berenice Abbott – photographer * Randy Ayers – 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 – author * Leslie Greene Bowman – president of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation; 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 Baseball ...
– major league baseball player *
William R. Burnett William Riley Burnett (November 25, 1899 April 25, 1982) was an American novelist and screenwriter. He is best known for the crime novel ''Little Caesar'', the film adaptation of which is considered the first of the classic American gangster m ...
– novelist and screenwriter * Ron Burton – professional football player * Garvin Bushell – musician (saxophone, clarinet, etc.) * Butch CarterNBA player and coach * Justin Chambers – actor (Alex Karev, '' Grey's Anatomy'') 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 Spri ...
– professional basketball player * Trey DePriest – 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 its ...
, 2 time NCAA National Champion of the Alabama Crimson Tide football 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 Part ...
– actress * Adam Eaton – major league baseball player * Wayne Embry – professional basketball player * Dorothy Gish – actress from the
silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized 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) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
era and after; younger sister of Lillian * Lillian Gish – actress from the
silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized 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) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
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 Albert Belmont Graham (1868–1960) was born near Lena, Ohio. He was a country schoolmaster and agriculture extension pioneer at Ohio State University. Graham taught at an integrated rural school in Brown Township, Miami County. Later, Graham w ...
– founder of 4-H * Anais Granofsky – (born in Springfield in 1973) is a Canadian actress, screenwriter, producer and director * Harvey Haddix – major league baseball player *
Robert C. Henry Robert Clayton Henry (July 16, 1921 – September 8, 1981) was an American politician who served as Mayor of Springfield, Ohio from 1966 to 1968; however, this achievement is frequently overshadowed by fellow African American mayor Carl B. Stoke ...
– first African American mayor in Ohio * Dustin Hermanson – major league baseball player * Dave Hobson – 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 Sc ...
– major league baseball player *
Taito Kantonen Taito A. Kantonen (24 April 1900Otavan Iso tietosanakirja, Otava 1968, osa 4, p. 430 – 26 April 1993) was an American academic and theologian. Early life and education Kantonen was born in Karstula, Finland, the son of David and Elli Kantone ...
– academic and theologian *
J. Warren Keifer Joseph Warren Keifer (January 30, 1836 – April 22, 1932) was a major general during the Spanish–American War and a prominent U.S. politician during the 1880s. He served in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican from Ohio ...
– Civil War general and Speaker of the House *
Bradley Kincaid William Bradley Kincaid (July 13, 1895 – September 23, 1989) was an American folk singer and radio entertainer.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 Wood splitting, split log road drag) was a road grader implement for Graded road, grading dirt roads that revolutionized the maintenance of the dirt roads in the early 1900s. It ...
* Brooks Lawrence – major league baseball player * John Legend – 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 ''Strawberry Girl'' is a Newbery Medal winning novel written and illustrated by Lois Lenski. First published in 1945, this realistic fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places ...
'' * 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 – 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. Mahon ...
– 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
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 Am ...
and NFL player * Davey Moore – boxer, World Featherweight Title holder 1959–1963 * Troy Perkins – professional soccer player * Carl Ferdinand Pfeifer – presidential aide * Coles Phillips – early 20th-century illustrator, inventor of the "fade-away" girl * Robert Bruce Raup – professor, Teachers College, Columbia University, writer, and critic of American Education system. * Alaina Reed Hall – 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 condi ...
'' 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'' * Cecil Scott – jazz clarinetist, tenor saxophonist, and bandleader * Dick Shatto – professional Canadian football player *
Winant Sidle Winant Sidle (September 7, 1916, in Springfield, Ohio – March 15, 2005, in Southern Pines, North Carolina) was a major general in the United States Army. Biography Sidle was born on September 7, 1916, in Springfield, Ohio, and was raised ...
U.S. Army 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 * James Garfield Stewart – Supreme Court of Ohio the 109th justice * Dann Stupp – author * Charles Thompson – jazz musician * Tommy Tucker (a.k.a. Robert Higginbotham) – jazz musician *
Chris Via Chris Via (born March 9, 1992) is an American professional ten-pin bowler from Springfield, Ohio known for winning the 2021 U.S. Open. Chris uses the two-handed shovel-style delivery with a dominant right hand. He competes in events on the PBA ...
– 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 * Walter L. WeaverU.S. Representative from Ohio * Rick White – major league baseball player * Worthington Whittredge – Hudson River School painter * Jonathan Winters – actor and comedian *
J. T. Brubaker Jonathan Trey Brubaker (born November 17, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020. Early life and amateur career Brubaker attended Tecumseh Hi ...
Baseball Player


See also

* Clark County Heritage Center, 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 Springfield

Greater 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