Springfield Missouri History & Facts

Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 169,176.It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which has an estimated 2021 population of 481,483 and includes the counties of Christian, Dallas, Greene, Polk, and Webster, and is the fastest growing metropolitan area in the state of Missouri.

Springfield's nickname is "Queen City of the Ozarks" as well as "The 417" after the area code for the city. It is also known as the "Birthplace of Route 66". It is home to several universities and colleges, including Missouri State University, Drury University, and Evangel University. The city is an important center of education and medical care, with two of the largest hospitals in the area, CoxHealth and Mercy, employing over 20,000 people combined, and being the largest employers in the region.

It has been called the "Buckle of the Bible Belt" due to its association with evangelical Christianity.The city and surrounding area have been growing more diverse over the decades. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, the population of Greene County grew by over 23,700 people, largely as a result of immigration.

The city sits on the Springfield Plateau of the Ozarks. Due to its proximity to the mountainous area, the city is known for its outdoor recreation activities. The city holds nearly 100 city parks and 140 miles (230 km) of outdoor bike trails. The city is the headquarters for Bass Pro Shops, which is the number one tourist attraction in the state of Missouri, and the adjoining Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium is the world's largest wildlife attraction. Springfield is within close distance to Wilson's Creek National Battlefield and sits along the Trail of Tears, now a national historic trail.

The presence of the Native Americans in the area slowed the European-American settlement of the land.Long before the 1830s, the native Kickapoo and Osage, and the Lenape (Delaware) from the mid-Atlantic coast had settled in this general area. The Osage had been the dominant tribe for more than a century in the larger region.

On the southeastern side of the city in 1812, about 500 Kickapoo Native Americans built a small village of about 100 wigwams. They abandoned the site in 1828. Ten miles south of the site of Springfield, the Lenape had built a substantial dwelling of houses that borrowed elements of Anglo colonial style from the mid-Atlantic, where their people had migrated from.

The first European-American settlers to the area were John Polk Campbell and his brother, who moved to the area in 1829 from Tennessee. Campbell chose the area because of the presence of a natural well that flowed into a small stream. He staked his claim by carving his initials in a tree. Campbell was joined by settlers Thomas Finney, Samuel Weaver, and Joseph Miller. They cleared the land of trees to develop it for farms. A small general store was soon opened.

Famous Peoples From Springfield Missouri

Matt Blunt

Matthew Roy Blunt (born November 20, 1970) is an American former naval officer and politician who served as the 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in the United States Navy, was elected to serve in the Missouri General Assembly in 1998, and as Missouri's Secretary of State in 2000. He grew up in a political family; his father, Roy Blunt, has served in a variety of political offices (including as Missouri secretary of state and congressman, and since 2011 in the U.S. Senate).

A Republican, Matt Blunt was elected governor on November 2, 2004, carrying 101 of Missouri's 114 counties. At age 33, he became the second-youngest person ever elected to that office after Kit Bond. Blunt did not seek a second term as governor, announcing his decision on January 22, 2008, in an address to Missourians, which surprised many supporters and staff.

After working as a consultant, Blunt was hired as the president of the American Automotive Policy Council in 2011, representing the auto lobby in Washington, D.C.

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