One account is that James Wilson, who lived in the new settlement, offered free whiskey to anyone who would vote for the name Springfield, after his hometown in Massachusetts.

[19] Springfield Express editor J. G. Newbill said in the November 11, 1881, issue: "It has been stated that this city got its name from the fact of a spring and field being near by just west of town.

In the 1830s, the native Osage Nation, the Kickapoo people from Indiana, and the Lenape (Delaware) from the mid-Atlantic coast had settled in this general area trying to evade encroachment by European Americans on their lands.

Ten miles south of the site of Springfield, the Lenape had built a substantial community of houses that borrowed elements of Anglo colonial style from the mid-Atlantic, where some of their people had migrated from.

The township is named after John Polk Campbell, who donated the land for Springfield's public square and platted the town site.

[27] On January 8, 1863, Confederate forces under General John S. Marmaduke advanced to take control of Springfield and an urban fight ensued.

[29] From the period after Reconstruction into the early 20th century, lynchings of freedmen and their descendants occurred in some cities and counties in Missouri, particularly in former slaveholding areas.

All three suspects were hanged from the Gottfried Tower, which held a replica of the Statue of Liberty Their bodies were burned in the courthouse square by a mob of more than 2,000 white residents.

[32] But the extrajudicial murders were part of a pattern of discrimination, repeated violence and intimidation of African Americans in this city and southwest Missouri from 1894 to 1909, in an attempt to expel them from the region.

[33] A historic plaque on the southeast corner of the Springfield courthouse square commemorates Duncan, Coker, and Allen, the three victims of mob violence.

"[35] Staged at the Jewell Theatre (demolished in 1961), Ozark Jubilee is the first national country music TV show to feature top stars and attract a significant viewership.

Five Star Jubilee, produced from the Landers Theatre, was the first network color television series to originate outside of New York City or Hollywood.

[36] Springfield's NBC affiliate, KYTV-TV (which helped produce the program), was not equipped to broadcast in color and aired the show in black-and-white.

Other recipients included US Army generals Omar Bradley and Matthew Ridgway, US Representative Dewey Short, J. C. Penney, Johnny Olson, Ralph Story and disc jockey Nelson King.

[39] The city of Springfield is mainly flat with rolling hills and cliffs surrounding its south, east, and north sections.

Springfield has an average surface wind velocity comparable to that of Chicago, according to information compiled at the National Climatic Data Center at NOAA.

Registered neighborhoods include[61] University Heights, Bissett, Bradford Park, Delaware, Doling, Galloway, Grant Beach, Heart of the Westside, Midtown, Oak Grove, Parkcrest, Phelps Grove, Robberson, Rountree, Tom Watkins, Weller, West Central, Westside Community Betterment, and Woodland Heights.

Affiliated neighborhood groups unregistered with the city include:[61] Springfield's economy is based on health care, manufacturing, retail, education, and tourism.

A March 2009 New York Times article[91] described the history and ascendancy of cashew chicken in Springfield, where local variations of the popular Chinese dish are ubiquitous.

Within two years of its original founding as an art study club, the museum had been formed and began showing traveling exhibitions from cities like New York and Philadelphia.

There are also live performances in Park Central Square as people move around St. Louis Street to observe classic cars and browse items from vendors selling artwork and literature about Route 66.

[108] Several holiday events take place in Springfield, including the yearly Downtown Christmas Parade showcasing local schools and businesses sponsoring floats.

SRFC plays in Division II of the Frontier Region of the Western Conference which runs teams for men, women and youth.

[110] The PGA sponsored Price Cutter Charity Championship is played at Highland Springs Country Club on the southeast side of Springfield every year.

Direct connections from Springfield are available to Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Punta Gorda/Fort Myers, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Phoenix and St. Petersburg/Clearwater.

Mainlines to and from Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis, and Tulsa converge at the railroad's yard facility in northern Springfield.

In October 2006, BNSF announced plans to upgrade its Tulsa and Memphis mainlines into Springfield to handle an additional four to six daily intermodal freight trains between the West Coast and the Southeast.

The center also housed mass murderer Jared Lee Loughner, who perpetrated the 2011 Tucson shooting injuring US Representative Gabby Giffords.

The Magazine also maintains 417 Biz for business and networking information highlighting local businesspeople and entrepreneurs, as well as 417 Bride for wedding and bridal related content.

Several films, such as The Winning Team (1952) starring Doris Day, Frank Lovejoy and future U.S. President Ronald Reagan, held their premieres in Springfield at the Gillioz Theatre downtown.