Springfield, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Springfield, New York
Town
US 20 westbound approaching NY 80 in the hamlet of Springfield Four Corners
Springfield, Otsego County, New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Otsego
Settled	1762
Established	1797
Area
• Total	45.51 sq mi (117.86 km2)
• Land	42.89 sq mi (111.09 km2)
• Water	2.61 sq mi (6.77 km2)  5.46%
Elevation	1,322 ft (403 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,358
• Estimate  (2016)	1,294
• Density	30.17/sq mi (11.65/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	13468 13468
Area code(s)	607
FIPS code	36-70310
GNIS feature ID	0979514

Springfield is a town located in Otsego County, New York, in the United States. In 2010, about 1,358 people lived here. It's found at the northern edge of Otsego County, about 50 miles (80 km) west of Schenectady.

A Look Back at Springfield's Past

Springfield was first settled around 1762 by several families near Otsego Lake. However, not much more happened until after the American Revolutionary War.

In 1778, a Native American leader named Joseph Brant led a group that burned down the town and took some people captive. Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Ford wrote a letter to General Abraham Ten Broeck about this event.

Springfield officially became a town in 1797. It was formed from a part of the Town of Cherry Valley. Growing hops was a very important type of farming in the area back then.

Exploring Springfield's Geography

Springfield covers a total area of about 45.5 square miles (117.8 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 43.0 square miles (111.0 square kilometers). The rest, about 2.5 square miles (6.7 square kilometers), is water.

The town includes the northern part of Otsego Lake. A stream called Hayden Creek flows south from Summit Lake into the northern end of Otsego Lake. Interestingly, Summit Lake is on a high point, so some of its water also flows north through Cedar Swamp into Otsquago Creek.

There's a special natural feature called the "Chyle", which is a sinkhole located northwest of Summit Lake. Another stream, Shadow Brook, flows into Otsego Lake at Hyde Bay.

Major roads in Springfield include New York State Route 80, which runs north-south, and US Route 20, which runs east-west. These two highways meet north of Springfield Center. The northern border of the town is also the county line for Herkimer County and a small part of Montgomery County.

Springfield's Population and People

Based on the census from 2000, there were 1,350 people living in Springfield. These people made up 521 households and 375 families. The population density was about 31.4 people per square mile (12.1 people per square kilometer).

Most of the people in Springfield were White (98.59%). A small number were African American, Native American, or Asian. About 1.19% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 32.4% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (60.1%) were married couples living together. The average household had 2.59 people, and the average family had 3.04 people.

The population's age was spread out. About 26.2% were under 18, and 17.4% were 65 or older. The average age was 42 years.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,854. For families, the median income was $38,490. About 8.5% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 10.8% of those under 18 and 5.4% of those 65 or older.

Communities and Places in Springfield

Here are some of the interesting communities and locations you can find in Springfield:

• Allen Lake – A small lake near the western edge of the town.
• Briar Hill – A raised area near the eastern town line, south of East Springfield.
• Clarke Point – A piece of land sticking out into Otsego Lake, north of Hyde Bay.
• Clarke Pond – A pond located southwest of Springfield Center.
• East Springfield – A small village (called a hamlet) east of Middle Village on US-20. The East Springfield Union School and Hyde Hall Covered Bridge are important historic places here.
• Glimmerglass State Park – A state park that is partly in the town, located on the eastern shore of Otsego Lake.
• Hyde Bay – A bay of Otsego Lake, partly located within the town.
• King Hill – A raised area in the far western part of the town. It's also partly in the Towns of Richfield and Otsego.
• Middle Village – A hamlet located east of Springfield village on US-20.
• Mohegan Hill – A raised area located west of Allen Lake.
• Mount Tom – A raised area north of Springfield Four Corners.
• Mount Wellington – A notable hill north of Otsego Lake.
• Otsego Lake – A large lake partly located in the Town.
• Pine Cobble – A raised area south of Middle Village.
• Rum Hill – A raised area south of Allen Lake, near the border with the town of Otsego.
• Shipman Pond – A pond located north of Springfield Center.
• Springfield – This is the main village (hamlet) of Springfield, located on US Route 20.
• Springfield Center – Another hamlet located on NY-80, north of Otsego Lake.
• Springfield Four Corners – A specific location northwest of Springfield village, found on NY-80.
• Summit Lake – A small lake north of Otsego Lake.
• Waiontha Mountain – A raised area north of Allen Lake.

Famous People from Springfield

• Walt Brown – A well-known racing driver.
• Elisha Hall – An inventor who created a type of threshing machine.
• George Hyde Clarke – The grandson of a person who was Acting Governor of New York from 1736 to 1743, when it was under British rule.
• Arthur L. Ryerson – A steel industrialist who sadly died on the Titanic. He had a summer home in Springfield Center called Ringwood.
• Henry Lansing Wardwell – A financier from New York City. He owned a summer estate and farm in Springfield Center called Pinehurst, which is still owned by his family today.

See also

In Spanish: Springfield (Nueva York) para niños