Springfield, Ohio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Springfield, Ohio

Downtown Springfield in 2021

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Nickname(s):

The Home City, The Rose City (City of Roses), The Champion City, The Field

Springfield, Ohio

Location in Ohio

Springfield, Ohio

Location in the United States

United States

Founded

1801

Incorporated

1827 (village)
1850 (city)

Government

• Type

Council–manager

Area

• City

26.36 sq mi (68.27 km²)

• Land

26.16 sq mi (67.75 km²)

• Water

0.20 sq mi (0.52 km²)

Elevation

929 ft (283 m)

Population

(2020)

• City

58,662

• Density

2,225.4/sq mi (859.26/km²)

• Metro

136,001

Time zone

UTC−5 (EST)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

45501–45506

937 & 326

39-74118

1085859

Springfield is a city in and the county seat of Clark County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, about 45 miles (72 km) west of Columbus and 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Dayton. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 58,662, while the Springfield metropolitan area had a population of 136,001 residents.

Springfield is home to Wittenberg University, a liberal arts college, and Clark State College, a community college. The Little Miami Scenic Trail, a paved rail-trail that is nearly 80 miles long, extends from the Buck Creek Scenic Trail head in Springfield south to Newtown, Ohio. Buck Creek State Park and its Clarence J. Brown reservoir are located at the city limits.

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2020 census
- 2010 census
Economy
Education
Media
Transportation
Notable people
Gallery
See also

History

The villages of Peckuwe and Piqua were located near today's Springfield, Ohio, at 39° 54.5′ N, 83° 54.68′ W and 39° 54.501′ N, 83° 54.682′ W respectively, and were home to the Peckuwe and Kispoko Divisions of the Shawnee Tribe until the Battle of Piqua, August 8, 1780. The Piqua Sept of Ohio Shawnee Tribe have placed a traditional cedar pole in commemoration, located "on the southern edge of the George Rogers Clark Historical Park, in the lowlands in front of the park's 'Hertzler House.'"

Springfield was founded by James Demint, a former teamster from Kentucky, in 1801. When Clark County was created from parts of Champaign, Madison and Greene counties, Springfield, named for Springfield, Massachusetts – which, at the time, was important for hosting the U.S. Federal Springfield Armory; enduring the Attack on Springfield during King Philip's War in 1675,; and Shays' Rebellion in 1787.

Springfield traces its early growth to the National Road, which ended in Springfield for approximately 10 years as politicians wrangled over the path it would continue. Dayton and Eaton wanted the road to veer south after Springfield, but President Andrew Jackson made the final decision to have the road continue straight west to Richmond, Indiana.

Springfield around 1830
Springfield around 1900

During the mid-and-late 19th century, Springfield was dominated by industrialists including Oliver S. Kelly, Asa S. Bushnell, James Leffel, P. P. Mast and Benjamin H. Warder. Asa S. Bushnell built the Springfield, Ohio Bushnell Building where the patent attorney to the Wright Brothers, Harry Aubrey Toulmin, Sr., wrote the 1904 patent to cover the invention of the airplane. To promote the products of his agricultural equipment company, P. P. Mast started the Farm and Fireside magazine. Mast’s publishing company – Mast, Crowell, and Kirkpatrick – grew to become Crowell-Collier Publishing Company best known for Collier's Weekly. In 1894, The Kelly Springfield Tire Company was founded.

At the turn of the 20th century Springfield became known as the "Home City." Several lodges including the Masonic Lodge, Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows built homes for orphans and aged members of their order. Springfield also became known as "The Champion City". a reference to the Champion Farm Equipment brand manufactured by the Warder, Bushnell & Glessner Company, which was later absorbed into International Harvester in 1902. International remains in Springfield as Navistar International, a producer 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, Ohio, in the basement of the Clark County Courthouse. This was the start of what would be called the "4-H Club" within a few years, quickly growing to a nationwide organization. (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 part in founding the organization. The Clark County Fair is the second largest fair in the state (only the Ohio State Fair is larger) in large part to 4H still remaining very popular in the area.

On March 7, 1904, over a thousand residents formed a lynch mob, stormed the jail and removed prisoner Richard Dixon, a black man accused of murdering police officer Charles B. Collis. Richard Dixon was shot to death and then hung from a pole on the corner of Fountain and Main Street, where the mob continued to shoot his lifeless body. The mob then proceeded to burn much of the black area of town. In February 1906, another mob formed and again burned the black section of town known as "the levee". Sixty years later, Springfield was the first city in Ohio to have a black mayor, Robert Henry.

Clark County Courthouse in downtown Springfield

From 1916 to 1926, 10 automobile companies operated in Springfield. Among them: 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. Burton and Orpha Westcott however, are better known for having contracted the world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design their home in 1908 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. It is the only Frank Lloyd Wright prairie style house in the state of Ohio. The property was purchased in 2000 by the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy (Chicago, IL), and as part of a prearranged plan, the house was then sold to a newly formed local Westcott House Foundation. The Westcott House Foundation managed the extensive 5-year, $5.3 million restoration, the house was fully restored to its original glory in October 2005, when it officially opened to the public for guided tours.

Old City Hall, now the Clark County Heritage Center

International Harvester (now Navistar), manufacturer of farm machinery and later trucks, became the leading local industry after Springfield native William Whiteley invented the self-raking reaper and mower, in 1856. It held that position, along with Crowell-Collier Publishing, throughout most of the next century.

The city is served by one daily newspaper, the Springfield News-Sun, and by one weekly newspaper, The Springfield Paper.

Geography

Springfield is located at 39°55′37″N 83°48′15″W / 39.92694°N 83.80417°W / 39.92694; -83.80417 (39.927067, −83.804131).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.50 square miles (66.04 km²), of which, 25.29 square miles (65.50 km²) is land and 0.21 square miles (0.54 km²) is water. The Clarence J. Brown Reservoir is located on the northeast outskirts of Springfield.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	593	—
1820	1,868	215.0%
1830	1,080	−42.2%
1840	2,062	90.9%
1850	5,108	147.7%
1860	7,002	37.1%
1870	12,652	80.7%
1880	20,730	63.8%
1890	31,895	53.9%
1900	38,253	19.9%
1910	46,921	22.7%
1920	60,840	29.7%
1930	68,743	13.0%
1940	70,662	2.8%
1950	78,508	11.1%
1960	82,723	5.4%
1970	81,926	−1.0%
1980	72,563	−11.4%
1990	70,487	−2.9%
2000	65,358	−7.3%
2010	60,608	−7.3%
2020	58,662	−3.2%
2023 (est.)	58,082	−4.2%

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 for the city was $16,660. 16.9% of the population and 13.5% of families were below the poverty line. 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.

2020 census

**Springfield city, Ohio – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	50,663	44,946	40,107	77.5%	74.2%	68.4%
Black or African American alone (NH)	11,832	10,876	10,913	18.1%	17.9%	18.6%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	193	167	160	0.3%	0.3%	0.3%
Asian alone (NH)	446	446	472	0.7%	0.7%	0.8%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	14	21	44	nil%	nil%	0.1%
Other Race alone (NH)	138	169	335	0.2%	0.3%	0.6%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	1,302	2,159	3,766	2.0%	3.6%	6.4%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	770	1,824	2,865	1.2%	3.0%	4.9%
Total	65,358	60,608	58,662	100%	100%	100%

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 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, 18.1% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic 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.

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 decrease by 27 percent, compared to just 8 percent across the country. In the 1990s, Springfield lost 22,000 blue collar jobs, which were the backbone of the city economy. Today, Springfield largely relies on healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, leisure, education, financial institutions, and retail for employment.

Education

Wittenberg University

Most of Springfield's residents are served by the Springfield City School District, which enrolls about 7,000 students in public elementary and secondary schools. The district operates 14 schools—ten elementary, three middle, and one high school, Springfield High School—and one alternative school.

Other schools in Springfield include the Global Impact STEM Academy, an early-college middle school and high school certified in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics curriculum founded in 2013.

Parts of northern Springfield are served by in Northeastern Local School District and Northwestern Local School District. Portions to the west, south, and southeast are in Clark-Shawnee Local School District.

Springfield High School

Wittenberg University is a private liberal arts college founded in Springfield in 1845. Associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, its student body consists of roughly 1,300 full-time students. The university has a 114-acre campus and offers 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, which offers associate's and bachelor's degrees. The Springfield and Clark County Technical Education Program opened in 1962 and began to offer technical training for residents of Springfield and surrounding communities, and was chartered as the Clark County Technical Institute on February 18, 1966, Ohio's first technical college sanctioned by the Ohio Board of Regents.

The Clark County Public Library operates three public libraries within the city of Springfield.

Media

Springfield News-Sun former headquarters

The city is served by one daily newspaper, the Springfield News-Sun. The Wittenberg Torch is the newspaper of Wittenberg University. WEEC-FM radio, featuring Christian-based programming, is located in the city. Two AM radio stations are licensed to Springfield—WIZE 1340, owned by iHeart Media, and WULM 1600, licensed to Radio Maria—but neither is locally operated or programmed. WIZE broadcasts iHeart's Black Information Network; WULM, Catholic programming from KJMJ-AM in Alexandria, Louisiana.

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 was once served by passenger railroads: 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 trains for Richmond, Indiana, and Chicago. The last train from Springfield left on April 30, 1971: an unnamed remnant of the New York Central's Ohio State Limited, run by Penn Central on the Cincinnati–Columbus–Cleveland route.

Notable people

The following are notable people born and/or raised in Springfield:

Berenice Abbott – photographer
Randy Ayers – former basketball head coach of Ohio State and the Philadelphia 76ers
Minnie Willis Baines Miller – author
Leslie Greene Bowman – president of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation; born in Springfield
Bobby Bowsher – racing driver
J. T. Brubaker – Baseball Player
Edward Lyon Buchwalter – first president of the Citizens National Bank of Springfield, Ohio, U.S. Civil War captain.
Dave Burba – major league baseball player
William R. Burnett – novelist and screenwriter
Ron Burton – professional football player
Garvin Bushell – musician (saxophone, clarinet, etc.)
Butch Carter – NBA player and coach
Justin Chambers – actor (Alex Karev, Grey's Anatomy) and former model
Jia Cobb – federal judge
Call Cobbs, Jr. – jazz pianist
Jason Collier – professional basketball player
Trey DePriest – former linebacker of the Baltimore Ravens, 2 time NCAA National Champion of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
Mike DeWine – 70th and current Governor of Ohio
Marsha Dietlein – actress
Joe Dunn – major league baseball player & manager Springfield Dunnmen and Springfield Reapers.
Adam Eaton – major league baseball player
Nathan Ebner - professional football player for New England Patriots
Wayne Embry – professional basketball player
Dorothy Gish – actress from the silent film era and after; younger sister of Lillian
Lillian Gish – actress from the silent film era and after
Luther Alexander Gotwald – tried for and acquitted of Lutheran heresy at Wittenberg College in 1893
Albert Belmont Graham – 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 – 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 – singer-songwriter
Quentin Jackson – jazz trombonist
Jimmy Journell – 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 – inventor of the King road drag
Brooks Lawrence – major league baseball player
John Legend – singer, musician, R&B and neo-soul pianist
Lois Lenski – author and illustrator of children's fiction, including Strawberry Girl
Deborah Loewer – U.S. Navy flag officer
Johnny Lytle – jazz musician
John Mahoney – Ohio state senator
Will McEnaney – major league baseball player, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds
Jeff Meckstroth – multiple world champion bridge player
Braxton Miller – Ohio State quarterback and NFL player
Davey Moore – boxer, World Featherweight Title holder 1959–1963
Henrietta G. Moore – Universalist minister, educator, temperance activist; president, Equal Suffrage Club of Springfield, Ohio
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 and Sesame Street
William Ridenour – member of the West Virginia House of Delegates
Cecil Scott – jazz clarinetist, tenor saxophonist, and bandleader
Dick Shatto – professional Canadian football player
Winant Sidle – U.S. Army major general
Elle Smith – 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 – professional bowler on the PBA Tour, winner of the 2021 U.S. Open
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 – jazz saxophonist with Count Basie
Walter L. Weaver – U.S. Representative from Ohio
Rick White – major league baseball player
Worthington Whittredge – Hudson River School painter
Jonathan Winters – actor and comedian