Brief History of Springfield, Missouri

1838: The “Queen City of the Ozarks” Started Small

Springfield began as a small town in the southwestern part of the state but has grown to be the third largest city in Missouri. And it’s still growing. Prior to the founding of the city, Native American tribes including the Kickapoo, Osage, and Lenape had inhabited the land for decades. One of the earliest settlers was John Polk Campbell who moved to the area in 1829. He was joined shortly thereafter by other settlers who cleared the land to make way for plots of land and to build a general store.

Springfield is Born

The town of Springfield began to take shape in 1835 when the Missouri State Legislature deeded fifty acres to Campbell to establish a county seat for the newly created Greene County. He laid out the town’s grid on that property to pave the way for the town’s incorporation in 1838.

Early Growth

By the early 1860s, the community had grown to 2,000 residents. More growth followed thanks to the telegraph and expanded modes of transportation that connected with other cities like St. Louis. The town also expanded when Springfield and North Springfield merged into one city in 1887. Division Street was the dividing line between the two towns and a massive celebration was held on the street when the two merged.

The Famous Square

Park Central Square has been the center of the city for decades. It was the area where the community would come together and shop, celebrate, rally and protest. It has also been the setting for some of the most controversial moments in the city’s history including a Wild West shootout, a controversial lynching, and two massive fires.

The square has a unique design, which has been a blessing and a curse. In the early years of Springfield, the square suffered from two devastating fires. Part of the problem in fighting those fires was fire crews were not able to get to the square easily because bystanders blocked the entrances. Unlike most city squares which have two entrances on each corner, the Springfield square has only four entrance points on the sides. It was good for business because it forced people to pass more stores as they traversed the square. But it was bad for logistics because it was tough for fire crews to access the square when the emergencies happened.

Route 66 is Born

Springfield has always been a big transportation hub. And there is perhaps no more famous road in America than Route 66 which was born in Springfield. It was here in 1926 that new name for the highway was proposed for the Chicago to Los Angeles highway. From that point, the Mother Road brought travelers from across the country right through the heart of the Ozarks.

The Boom

The Queen City of the Ozarks, as it became known, saw gradual growth through the 1950s when it reached 66,000 residents. But by the 1970 census, the population of the town had nearly doubled in size to 120,000. By 2010, Springfield had a population of nearly 160,000 and now it’s more than 170,000 residents.

Springfield Stats

Location: Springfield is located in the southwestern part of Missouri. It serves as the county seat of Greene County.

Population: As of 2024, Census data shows that Springfield has a population of around 170,000 people.

Education: Springfield is home to several institutions of higher education, including Missouri State University, Drury University, Evangel University, and Ozarks Technical Community College. There are 5 public high schools including Kickapoo, Glendale, Hillcrest, Parkview, and Central, along with private high schools including Greenwood, New Covenant Academy, and Springfield Catholic.

Culture: The city has a vibrant cultural scene with theaters, museums, and galleries. The Springfield Art Museum and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra are notable cultural institutions in the area.

Attractions: Springfield features attractions such as the Bass Pro Shops, Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, Dickerson Park Zoo, and the Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park.

Famous Residents

• John Ashcroft, Former United States Attorney General
• Scott Bailes, MLB pitcher
• Bob Barker, Host of The Price is Right
• William C. Price, former Treasurer of the United States
• David Glass, Former CEO of Walmart; Owner of Kansas City Royals
• Lucas Grabeel, Actor, Singer from High School Musical
• Dorial Green-Beckham, NFL player
• David L. Harrison, Children’s Author
• Jack Jewsbury, MLS player
• Jay Kenneth Johnson, Actor
• Jerry Jones, Owner of Dallas Cowboys, worked with his father in Springfield in 1960s
• John Morris, Founder of Bass Pro Shops
• Brad Pitt, Legendary Actor
• Emma J. Ray, Suffragist
• Steve Rogers, 5-time All-Star MLB Pitcher
• Emily Scott, Olympic Speed Skater
• Horton Smith, First Winner of The Master’s
• Payne Stewart, Professional Golfer
• Anthony Tolliver, NBA player
• Kathleen Turner, Actress
• Tom Whitlock, Songwriter
• Adrienne Wilkinson, Actress

Key Moments in Time

1838 – Springfield incorporated
1863 – Battle of Springfield
1865 – “Wild Bill” Hickok’s Shootout
1906 – Tragic lynching on the Springfield square
1906 – Missouri State University’s first classes
1913 – Fire on Park Central Square
1926 – Route 66 Born
1932 – Young Brothers Massacre
1953 – The Great Cobra Scare
1971 – Bass Pro Shops opened
2004 – Hammons Field baseball stadium opened

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“A Brief History of Greene County.” Greene County Historical Society. Accessed August 12, 2019. http://sites.rootsweb.com/~gcmohs/2nd_level/brief_history.html.

Holcombe, R. I., ed. History of Greene County, Missouri. Springfield–Greene County Library. Accessed August 12, 2019. https://thelibrary.org/lochist/history/holcombe/grch29pt1.html.