| Springfield, Oregon | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Location in Oregon | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Lane |
| Incorporated | 1885 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | Christine Lundberg[1] |
| • City manager | Gino Grimaldi |
| Area | |
| • Total | 14.4 sq mi (37.3 km2) |
| • Land | 14.4 sq mi (37.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 454 ft (138.4 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 59,403 |
| • Density | 3,670.7/sq mi (1,417.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | Pacific (UTC-7) |
| ZIP codes | 97477, 97478, 97482 |
| Area code(s) | 458 and 541 |
| FIPS code | 41-69600[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1127456[3] |
| Website | www.springfield-or.gov |
Springfield is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. Located in the Southern Willamette Valley, it is within the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Separated from Eugene to the west, mainly by Interstate 5, Springfield is the second-most populous city in the metropolitan area after Eugene. As of the 2010 census, the city has a total population of 59,403.[4]
The Briggs family first settled the Springfield area, arriving in 1848. The community was incorporated as a city in 1885. The city was named after a natural spring located in a field or prairie within the current city boundaries. Traditionally the economy of the community was resource dependent, but since the 1990s the economy has diversified with PeaceHealth now the largest employer in the city. Public education in the city is provided by the Springfield School District. The city's most notable native son is the deceased author Ken Kesey.
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Springfield was settled when Elias and Mary Briggs and their family arrived in 1848. They were among the first party to travel to the region via the "Southern Route" by Klamath Lake, over the Cascades, into the Rogue Valley, then north to the Willamette Valley.[5] Elias Briggs along with William Stevens ran a ferry on the nearby Willamette River.
According to donation land claim records, Stevens was the first settler to stake a claim in the Springfield locale, arriving in October 1847. He commenced building a house with his three oldest sons, and when the house was completed in December, the rest of his family joined him on Christmas Day that year.
Another early arrival in the Springfield vicinity was Captain Felix Scott, Sr. who settled between the McKenzie and Willamette rivers in 1847.
In 1854 Springfield School District No. 19 was formed. A small schoolhouse was built near the corner of south 7th and B streets; it served the community until the 1880s. Miss Agnes Stewart, a young woman from Pennsylvania, was the first teacher. She had arrived in Springfield via the Lost Wagon Train of 1853.
In 1871 the main line of the Oregon and California Railroad bypassed Springfield for Eugene. The story goes that a group of prominent Eugene businessmen paid railroad financier, Ben Holladay, $40,000 to bypass Springfield by crossing the Willamette River near Harrisburg instead of Springfield. Thus began a rivalry that lasts up to the present day.
Springfield was incorporated as a city in 1885. Albert Walker, a blacksmith in town, was Springfield's first mayor.
In May 1992 the municipality became the first in the United States to include anti-gay legislation its city charter after a campaign by the Oregon Citizens Alliance.[6] A state law later however prevented anti-gay ordinances from being enforced.[7]
For years, the economy of Springfield hinged on the lumber industry, with the largest employer being Weyerhaeuser Company. Weyerhaeuser opened its Springfield complex in 1949, and after years of aggressive logging was forced to downsize as old growth lumber became less available. In the 1990s, the Weyerhaeuser sawmill and veneer (plywood) plants closed, and the paper plant was downsized. Springfield has now developed a more diversified economy, and the largest employers are now PeaceHealth, which recently opened a new hospital, Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, and PeaceHealth Laboratories.
Ken Kesey's brother Chuck, and Chuck's wife Sue started the Springfield Creamery in 1960, and the business survives today based partly on sales of their flagship product, Nancy's Yogurt, developed from recipes of Nancy Hamren. In the 1970s, the Creamery staved off bankruptcy with the help of the rock band the Grateful Dead, who over time held a series of 10 benefit concerts on behalf of the creamery.
The city of Springfield is surrounded by filbert (hazelnut) orchards. The production has declined over time as fields have been developed into housing. Until recently the city has sponsored an annual Filbert Festival in early August as a general summer celebration, featuring music, food, and family fun; this was canceled in 2007 due to withdrawal of a key sponsor, and the future for the festival is presently uncertain. Filbert harvesting occurs in October. 98% of American filbert production is harvested in the Willamette Valley.[8]
Springfield is home to two hospitals, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center and PeaceHealth's Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend.
Springfield has a council–manager form of government. The current mayor of Springfield is Christine Lundberg,[1] and the city manager is Gino Grimaldi.[9] The city council comprises members from 6 wards.[10] The current council members are[10]:
Springfield is served by the Springfield Police Department.[11]
Springfield Fire and Life Safety[12] protect the property, life, and environment of the people of Springfield.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.4 square miles (37 km2), all of it land.
The McKenzie River passes by Springfield's northern limits.
Springfield has no official neighborhood designations. Unofficial neighborhood areas include:
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 198 |
|
|
| 1870 | 200 | 1.0% | |
| 1880 | 160 | −20.0% | |
| 1890 | 371 | 131.9% | |
| 1900 | 353 | −4.9% | |
| 1910 | 1,838 | 420.7% | |
| 1920 | 1,855 | 0.9% | |
| 1930 | 2,364 | 27.4% | |
| 1940 | 3,805 | 61.0% | |
| 1950 | 10,807 | 184.0% | |
| 1960 | 19,616 | 81.5% | |
| 1970 | 27,047 | 37.9% | |
| 1980 | 41,624 | 53.9% | |
| 1990 | 44,683 | 7.3% | |
| 2000 | 52,864 | 18.3% | |
| 2010 | 59,403 | 12.4% | |
| source:[4][13][14] | |||
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 59,403 people (12.4% growth from 2000 to 2010), and 24,809 households in the city. The population density was 3,774.3 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 78.9% Non-Hispanic White, 1.1% African American, 1.4% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.31% Pacific Islander, 4.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.1% of the population.
In the city, the population was 24.3% under the age of 18, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median income for a household in the city was $37,738. The per capita income for the city was $19,137. Of the population, 18.3% of all ages were below the poverty line.
The Springfield Public Library, in the Springfield city hall, serves Springfield.[15]
The Richard E. Wildish Community Theater on Main Street in downtown Springfield, a complete renovation of the historic McKenzie Theater, opened in December 2006. The theater seats 284 people and is designed to host music concerts and recitals, dance, drama, festivals and small musicals. The Springfield Renaissance Development Corporation spearheaded the six-year renovation project, completed at a cost of $3.1 million.
There are 15 elementary, 5 middle, and 4 high schools in the Springfield School District, making it one of the largest in the state.[16][17] The largest public high schools, by enrollment, are Thurston High School and Springfield High School. Pioneer Pacific College also has a campus in the Gateway area of Springfield.[18]
Author Ken Kesey moved to Springfield at a young age, and graduated from Springfield High School before moving on to the nearby University of Oregon. After some years of wandering (described in The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe), Ken bought a farm in nearby Pleasant Hill and remained a prominent local celebrity until his death in 2001.
Matt Groening sent a plaque to the city of Springfield that stated, in part "Yo to Springfield, Oregon - the real Springfield."[19] Many fans of the TV show The Simpsons believed Springfield, Oregon as representative of the Springfield of the show, because Matt Groening is from Oregon (specifically Portland).
The city was voted on as one of the sixteen possible Springfields across the nation, and took third to host the premiere of The Simpsons Movie.[20]
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