Lane County

The Lane County population in 1890 was 15,198; in 1900, 19,604; and in 1910, 33,780 (Spicer n.d.:9).

Springfield

Cox House is built in the Washburne Historical District. James A. Cox is most likely its builder.

By 1910 the Portland, Eugene and Eastern Railway Company, an interurban line, was completed between Eugene and Springfield, replacing the stage. It cost 6 cents to ride the streetcar to Eugene. The streetcar ran up Main Street to 10th Street. It was an electric railroad that gave the city access to Portland. Its operation continued until 1926 (Mills 1943:391-392) A third span was built across the river in 1910 by Lord Nelson (Nels) Roney for the electric streetcars of the Portland, Eugene and Eastern Railway. Roney used three 200-foot Howe trusses on concrete piers for the wooden bridge (Graham 1978e).

In 1910 Springfield’s population was 1,838 (Spicer n.d.:9). The city’s boundaries continued to expand with various additions annexed in 1889, 1890, 1897, 1905 and 1909-1915.

Springfield had the distinction of being the only “wet spot” between Salem and Oakland in the years between 1910 and 1912. There were nine saloons in the city and much ado was made over the fact that the streetcar would bring loads of people over from “dry” Eugene to visit these establishments. Prohibition did not come to Springfield until 1915 (Graham 1978b:7; Special collections n.d.:Box 66/19, Folder 2B).

Many small portable or “gypo” mills appeared in the rural areas of Lane County. One such operation is listed for Springfield in 1910 – the Bigelow and Porter Sawmill.

Lincoln Elementary School was built in about 1910 to accommodate the increasing number of students in the city (Graham 1978a).