Springfield

From Free net encyclopedia

Springfield is a common name and known, in part, for being a common place-name in the United States. A Springfield can be found in 34 different states—at least four in Wisconsin, and no fewer than nine Springfield Townships in Pennsylvania. On the other hand, database studies suggest that there are many more common place-names, including Fairway, Midway and Oak Grove; accounting for all the place-names in the United States is made difficult by database ambiguities, but the reality seems to be that the popularity of "Springfield" relative to other names is more legend than fact [1].

According to the television game show Greed, there are 121 towns/cities in the U.S. with the name Springfield.

The television show The Simpsons is set in a town generically named "Springfield", without indicating a state. Creator Matt Groening has indicated in interviews that he chose the name because of its ubiquity, and various attempts by fans to correlate the fictional Springfield to a real one have not been resolved.

Springfield was also the setting of the early 1950s radio and television program, Father Knows Best, as well as the '50s soap opera The Guiding Light, which continues today as the CBS soap opera Guiding Light.

According to the 2000 census, Springfield, Massachusetts with a population of 152,082 is the largest city by this name, although it is very closely followed by Springfield, Missouri with a population of 151,580.

Springfield, Illinois, the former home of Abraham Lincoln is the only state capital with this name. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 111,454.