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History

1850s

Most of the original land claims in Springfield were filed between 1851 and 1853. The average size of a claim was 320 acres. Building sites were located on the high ground because of frequent flooding of 1851-1852. Elias Briggs began building a town. In 1852, using shovel and plow, he built the Millrace.

After the Millrace was completed, he and Mr. Driggs of Linn County formed the Briggs and Driggs Company to build the flour and sawmills in 1853 and 1854. They were not the usual slap-dash mills built in pioneer communities for temporary and local consumption only, but instead, were constructed under the supervision of an experienced millwright hired from the east. They used the latest and best machinery and spending $10,000 on the two mills. [1]

In the early 1850s, the settlement of Springfield consisted only of a ferry service across the Willamette, the Briggs' house, two mills, a trading post and a school. In 1852, James Huddleston started the trading post, near Mill and Main Street.

The subsistence level of early farming was due to several conditions including poor transportation and a lack of readily accessible markets (Highsmith 1950:55-58). In addition, equipment was primitive and the labor force insufficient for large scale farming purposes. The California Gold Rush of 1849 provided the first major market for animal products and grain produced in the region. The cultivation of cereal grains, primarily wheat and oats, began to compete with stock raising for use of the land. Most farmers raised grain crops as well as stock for commercial purposes. In approximately 1853, about 1000 acres were under cultivation in the Springfield area (Walling 1884:452).

The first schoolhouse was probably located in a crude little building near 7th Street and South B Streets. Two other schools also served the residents of the Thurston area. This area was named after George H Thurston, a pioneer settler of the region. The Davis School was a one-room of schoolhouse built in the 1850's at the east end of Thurston. Thurston Elementary was located on the northeast corner of 66th Street and Thurston Road and it operated until the 1930's.

The town was platted in 1856, two blocks between South A and Main and Mill and 3rd Streets. The lots measured 66 x 120 feet, with streets 66 feet in width. The original town was designed in a grid system that aligned to the four cardinal directions.

1860s

For a time Springfield was head of navigation on the Willamette River. Steamboats used to come up the river, but the flood of 1861-1862 changed the course of the river and ended that mode of transportation.[1]

[1] Dr. Silvy Kraus. Lane County Historian. "The Saga of Springfield." Lane County Historical Society. Vol. XV, No. 2, Summer 1970, printed in Eugene, Oregon. p. 23.

1870s

Residents of the Springfield precinct totaled 649, with a majority of the citizens still listed as farmers in 1870. During the decade of the 1870s, Springfield had a hotel, two blacksmiths, a general store, meat market, harness and saddlery shop, physician, druggist, four carpenters and a painter.

Industry in Springfield continued to be centered around the mills although small manufactories are listed in the business directories, including wagon maker, tannery, chair manufacturer and sash and door factory (Pacific Coast Business Directory 1871:338; Murphy 1873:254-255; gill 1881:651; McKenny 1883:1090-1091). The 1870 census lists two workers in a cheese factory (U.S. Census Office 1870).

1880s

By 1880, the Lane County population had grown to 9,411 and Springfield residents numbered 771 and a diversification of occupations began to be evident (U.S. Census Office 1870, 1880). A shoemaker, hardware store, boarding house and wagon and carriage store were added in the early 1880s (Pacific Coast Business Directory 1871:338; Murphy 1873:254-255; Gill 1881:651; McKenny 1883:1090-1091).

A disastrous flood occurred in 1881-1882

Springfield was incorporated as a city February 25, 1885.

1890s

In 1891, Springfield had a general merchandise store, two grocery stores, two cigar stores, a drug store, two dress shops, two blacksmiths, a variety store, a meat market, a saloon, a barber shop, a shoe store, three hotels, two schools, and three churches. Also, in 1891, Springfield received its first railroad line. The city received its charter March 17, 1893.

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The town and precinct of Springfield lies directly east of Eugene, and is the most important and wealthy in the county, comprising the country lying along the McKenzie river for 18 miles above its mouth, and bounded on the west and south by the Willamette River and Middle Fork. It contains a large area of the finest grain and fruit producing land in the county, and is the best improved of any portion. Lands are valued at from $15 to $40 per acre, and some could not be purchased at even somewhat higher figures. But one thing is certain, they will never be less valuable than now. The town of Springfield, three miles east of Eugene, is a flourishing village containing schools, churches, stores, shops, and dwellings, and is the site of the famous Springfield flouring and saw mills, where every year are produced large quantities of the best family flour, and many thousand feet of choice lumber, thoroughly prepared for the builder's use. There are no finer water power in the county than is utilized for this work.

The Resources of the State of Oregon. By Oregon State Board of Agriculture (Salem, Oregon: W.H. Leeds, State Printer, 1898), p. 142.

1910s

In 1910, Springfield welcomed the Portland, Eugene and Electric Railroad streetcar. It was this year that the red geranium was made the city flower.

October, 1911 was a time for the people of Springfield to celebrate. The first paved roads were completed. Everyone danced in the streets and wore badges that read "Springfield paves the way!"

Springfield went "wet" on November 7, 1911 after voting for local prohibition in 1908.

In 1913, November 3, Springfield passes prohibition law removing the sell of alcohol within the city.

Eugene was dry (no alcohol) while Springfield was a wet town around 1919. Eugeneans would come over on the street cars like herds to go to bars. In 1919, at least eight bars existed along Main Street. Beer wagons drove up and down the streets, exchanging full kegs for empty ones, while men sat, argued, and gambled until the 11:30 p.m. streetcar arrived. The last street car was always packed with the last of the people returning to their homes in Eugene.

1920s

Springfield remained a small town until World War II, and its population made only modest increases: 1,855 in 1920; 2,364 in 1930 and 3,805 in 1940. By comparison, its sister city of Eugene had a population of 10,593 in 1920; 18,901 in 1930; and 20,838 in 1940 (Spicer n.d). Springfield’s boundaries changed little between the years of 1915 and 1940; only a small neighborhood north of Willamane Park was added between 1931 and 1945. In 1940, the city covered an area of 1.5 square miles, with its commercial district still located on Main Street, close to the Willamette River. The residential neighborhoods expanded primarily north and east of the city center, while the industrial section remained in the Booth-Kelly area south of the Southern Pacific railroad tracks. Bordering the town on the west was the growing city of Eugene. Abutting all of the urbanized area was prime agricultural land that was still farmed. The communities of Thurston and Natron remained rural in nature.

Clear evidence of the increased use of the automobile in Springfield by the 1920s was the replacement of the streetcar bridge across the Willamette River by a span of concrete and steel for vehicle use in 1929 (Graham 1978:7).

Between 1907 and 1921, the number of businesses in Springfield grew from 34 to 96, and the latter figure remained fairly stable until 1940. All of the modern amenities of an urban center were available in the city center. There were several banks and hotels, a publishing house, and a variety of shops and services, including specialty stores such as a watchmaker, tailor, and floral shop (Polk 1921:241-253; 1935:347-358; 1929:439-461; 1934:463-484; 1936:469-493). The 1921 city directory for Springfield states that large lumber manufacturing mills, sash, door and planing mill, a flour mill, barrel stave factory, shingle mill and lesser industrial manufactories provide a large payroll (Polk 1921:241).

That same year, a factory for making portable houses and garages was opened in an old planing mill building (Special Collections n.d.:Box 66/19, Folder 11B). In 1925, 1928 and 1936, the same manufactories listed above were still in operation, as well as a wood-preserving plant (Polk 1925:347;1928:439; 1936:469). A meat packing plant for hog products was opened in 1920 by Swartz and Washburner, and in 1926, a tannery and second meat packing plant were operating (Special Collections n.d.:Box 66/19, Folder 11B).

Timber remained the primary industry in the area. The region’s sawmill industry continued to grow between 1925 and 1949 despite periodic “downturns” in production (Mbogho 1965:34).

1930s

By 1936, a state-owned Fibre Flax Plant was located at Springfield, as well as candy and pencil factories (Polk 1936:469).

1940s

In 1940, the city’s area was only 1.5 square miles and the population only 3,805. Springfield maintained its small town ways until after World War II. The retail center was still Main Street, industries were northwest of the railroad tracks and residences were to the north.

In 1940, Springfield was still a small town with one variety store, one dry goods store, two hardware stores, a second-hand store, one jeweler, two butcher shops, three barbers, two beauty shops, half a dozen small grocery stores, one hotel, a handful of restaurants and beer parlors, two druggists, three physicians, two blacksmiths, a Ford auto dealer, and a small number of service stations (Polk 1940).

Commercial expansion was somewhat slow during the war, but included the addition of three hardware stores, an auto supply store, a new auto sales and service business, and a home supply store to the downtown area.

Booth-Kelly was still the principal lumber company in Springfield. The company enlarged and modernized its mill in 1948; ten years later the operation was sold to Georgia Pacific (Kraus 1970:30). Rosboro Lumber Company was established at the end of 1940 and was publicized as “one of the largest and most modern sawmills in the state” (Special Collections n.d.:Box 66/20, Folder 6A). A third sawmill was listed for the Springfield area in 1940. Called the Elliott Mill Company, it was located outside the city limits at that time (Polk 1940:698-735).

Buildings really went wild in the mid-1940s. Totals for building plans ran up to $253,000 dollars in April, 1946. Clear Fir Products used $150,000 for a new plant. Permits were issued for twenty-two new apartments, a duplex, and a seven unit court.

1980s

After a lengthy debate in 1983, the City Council adopted green, white, and blue as the city's colors and a new city flower to replace the red geranium. The new city flower was the daisy. Soon afterward the Rainbow Water District painted its water tank atop Kelly Butte and dotted the "i's" in Springfield with giant daisies.

1990s

By 1998, apartments covered the spring. The city expanded to more than 13 square miles and the population grew to 51,700.

Springfield Museum