Springfield, Oregon
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Springfield is a city located in Lane County, Oregon, separated from Eugene, Oregon primarily by the I-5 highway. Springfield was named after a natural spring located in a field or prairie within the current city boundaries. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 52,864. Recent estimations put the population around 60,000. Springfield has two high schools: Springfield and Thurston Senior High.
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History
The first settler who lived where Springfield currently is located was Elias Briggs in 1849, who ran a ferry on the nearby Willamette River. Springfield was incorporated as a city in 1885.
Because of their closeness, the two cities tend to complement each other: Eugene has the University of Oregon, Springfield a number of lumber mills; Eugene is liberal, Springfield somewhat more conservative; Eugene aspires to be upper middle class, whereas Springfield is proudly blue collar.
For years, the economy of Springfield has hinged on the lumber industry, with the largest employer being Weyerhaeuser Company. Weyerhaeuser opened its Springfield complex in 1949, and after years of aggressive logging was forced to downsize as old growth lumber became less available. In the 90's, the Weyerhaeuser sawmill and veneer (plywood) plants closed, and the paper plant was downsized. Springfield has now developed a more diversified economy, and the largest employer may soon prove to be Peace Health, which is in the process of moving their hospital (Sacred Heart Medical Center), and laboratory (Oregon Medical Labs) from Eugene to Springfield.
Author Ken Kesey moved to Springfield at a young age, and graduated from Springfield High School before moving on to the nearby University of Oregon. After some years of wandering (described in 'The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test' by Tom Wolfe), Ken bought a farm in nearby Pleasant Hill and remained a prominent local celebrity until his death in 2001. Ken's brother Chuck, and Chuck's wife Sue started the Springfield Creamery in 1960, and the business survives today based partly on sales of their flagship product, Nancy's Yogurt, developed from recipes of Nancy Hamren. In the 70's, the Creamery staved off bankruptcy with the help of the Grateful Dead, who ultimately held a series of 10 benefit concerts on behalf of the creamery.
Many fans of the TV show The Simpsons believe this to be 'the' Springfield of the show, which holds some merit considering the time show creator Matt Groening spent in the area growing up, and other evidence (a popular park, for instance, bears a striking resemblance to the fictional Springfield's town square, the complementing of Springfield and Shelbyville).
The city of Springfield is surrounded by filbert (hazelnut) orchards. The production has declined over time as fields have been developed into housing, however the town continues to sponsor an annual Filbert Festival in early August as a general summer celebration, featuring music, food, and family fun. Actual harvesting of filberts occurs in October. 98% of American filbert production is harvested in the Willamette valley (http://www.uga.edu/fruit/hazelnut.htm).
Geography
Image:ORMap-doton-Springfield.pngSpringfield is located at 44°3'11" North, 122°59'28" West (44.053064, -122.991052)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 37.3 km² (14.4 mi²). 37.3 km² (14.4 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
The McKenzie River passes by Springfield along the town's northern margin. This river is one of the state's most important 'wild' rivers. It starts from glaciers in the Cascade range, then runs through rapids and waterfalls until it terminates in the Willamette river just west of Springfield. The river is full of stocked and native trout, and is an important part of the local culture, as well as helping to support tourism.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 52,864 people, 20,514 households, and 13,477 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,417.4/km² (3,670.7/mi²). There were 21,500 housing units at an average density of 576.5/km² (1,492.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.64% White, 0.71% African American, 1.38% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.31% Pacific Islander, 3.09% from other races, and 3.77% from two or more races. 6.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 20,514 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,031, and the median income for a family was $38,399. Males had a median income of $30,973 versus $22,511 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,616. 17.9% of the population and 14.8% of families were below the poverty line. 23.5% of those under the age of 18 and 9.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
External links
- City of Springfield Web Page
- [ http://www.springfield-chamber.org/visitors_center.lasso official tourism site]
