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1950s:

1940s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s

1950.

Contents 1 Lane County 1.1 Springfield 1.1.1 Education 1.1.2 Businesses 1.1.3 Transportation 1.1.4 Government and Utilities 1.1.5 Organizations

[edit] Lane County

• By 1950, the farm markets in Lane County included dairy products, livestock, eggs and poultry, truck crops, tree fruits and nuts, and forage crop seeds (grass seed) (Johnson 1954).

[edit] Springfield

• Population of Springfield is 10,087.

• The peak year during this period was 1950, when permit values equaled $2,617,136 (Springfield News 1941, 1942, 1950, 1955). Although the growth that began during the war continued beyond this period, the pace was slower and more even, having reached a high point in 1955.

[edit] Education

• Although the district added 82 new classrooms in the 1940s, a need for an additional 43 existed by 1950. A new wing was added to the new Maple school, a site purchased for a new Walterville School, land purchased for and construction begun on a new grade school in Springfield known as Westside (the name was changed to Moffitt in 1955), and construction finally began on the new junior high school (Springfield News 1950).

• New Elementary and Middle Schools were built: Walterville, Page, Thurston, Moffit, and Springfield Middle School.

[edit] Businesses

• In 1950, the First National Bank opened in Springfield, the Paramount shopping center continued to expand, and a Chevrolet dealership opened. New types of commercial ventures arrived that year, when Springfield got its first “automated” car wash, one of the first of its kind in Oregon, and two drive-in movie theaters (the Motor Vu and the Cascade) opened (a third, the Drive-In-Ette, opened in 1953).

• Nalley’s Potato Chip plant opened in 1950.

[edit] Transportation

• The increase in traffic through downtown Springfield sparked discussions about making Main and A streets one-way thoroughfares in 1946. This debate continued until a plan was approved in 1950 to create a one-way street south of Main Street, known as the South A by-pass, to eliminate some of the heavy truck traffic through the center of downtown. Traffic on the new by-pass would head east and Main Street would become one-way, heading west.

[edit] Government and Utilities

• The Springfield Utility Board was established in 1950 (Springfield News 1941, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950).

• Parking meters were installed for the first time in 1950 (Springfield News 1945, 1949, 1950).

• Construction on the Willamalane Park swimming pool and bathhouse began in October 1950. The Veteran’s Memorial Building (partially completed) was deeded to the park district.

[edit] Organizations

• The Lions Club and the Toastmasters Club organized Springfield clubs during this period, both in 1950. (Springfield News 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1953).

• In 1950, Calvary Temple (Open Bible Standard) was built, Hope Lutheran completed construction, a sizable addition made to Ebbert Memorial Church, and construction on a new Camp Creek church began (Springfield News 1950).