Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is a
city in
Massachusetts. It is the
county seat of
Hampden County. As of the
2000 census, the city population was 152,082. It is the third largest in
Massachusetts and the fourth largest in New England (behind
Boston,
Providence and
Worcester). According to a
July 1,
2003 Census estimate of 152,157 people. The city is the largest (and also historically the first) city called
Springfield in the
United States. It is also the largest city on the
Connecticut River and the largest city in
Western Massachusetts and the
Pioneer Valley. It is home to the
Basketball Hall of Fame and the
Springfield Falcons hockey team. With
Hartford, Connecticut, greater Springfield consitutes New England's
Knowledge Corridor.
Springfield was founded in 1636 by
William Pynchon, the then assistant treasurer of the
Massachusetts Bay Colony. The town was named after the city in England where he was born. The location on the floodplains of the
Connecticut River included soil suitable for farming. Long, narrow plots of farmland were created, extending out from the river. Over time, parts of the settlement were sectioned off to form neighboring towns, including West Springfield.
Springfield remained a small, working town when in 1675, during
King Philip's War, its security was threatened. The leader of the
Wampanoag Indian tribe,
Wamsutta, died shortly after being questioned at gunpoint by Plymouth colonists. Soon thereafter, the war began. Wamsutta's brother and successor,
Metacom, known as Philip to the colonists, started war with the colony to avenge his brother's death; the tribe attacked Springfield and destroyed more than half the town.
During the
1770s,
George Washington selected Springfield as the site of the
National Armory. By the
1780s the Arsenal was a major ammunition and weapons depot. In 1787 poor farmers from western Massachusetts, led by
Daniel Shays, tried to seize the arms at Springfield. This came to be known as
Shays' Rebellion, and was a key event leading to the Federal
Constitutional Convention. Those involved in the rebellion planned to use the weapons to force the closure of the Commonwealth and county courts, which were seizing their lands for debt.
The term
Springfield Rifle may refer to any sort of arms produced by the Springfield Armory for the
United States armed forces.
In 1852,
Smith and Wesson, America's largest producer of
handguns, was founded in Springfield. The company remains headquartered there. Also in 1852, Massachusetts incorporated Springfield as a city.
In 1893, two Springfielders named
Charles and
Frank Duryea built the first ever
gasoline powered commercial
car in Springfield. The
Duryea Motor Wagon was put on the streets of Springfield on
September 20 1893. This part of the city was later annexed by
Chicopee, Massachusetts.
Springfield is known as the
City of Homes, a nickname given to it in the late 19th century due to its many
Victorian mansions, as well as multitudes of single-family houses inhabited by workers.
The city of Springfield is most commonly known as the birthplace of
basketball. In 1891,
James Naismith, a physical education teacher in Springfield, invented the sport at the Springfield
YMCA, now
Springfield College, to fill the gap between the football and baseball seasons. The sport quickly became popular worldwide. On
February 17,
1968, The Naismith Memorial
Basketball Hall of Fame was opened on the banks of the
Connecticut River. In
2002 a new facility for the Hall of Fame opened next to the existing site. Shaped like a
basketball and illuminated at night, it has become an interesting addition to the
cityscape.
In 1901, the
Indian Manufacturing Company, America's first
motorcycle brand, was founded by George M. Hendee and C. Oscar Hedstrom in Springfield -- two years before
Harley Davidson Motor Company.
Springfield is the birthplace of Theodor Geisel, better known as
Dr. Seuss, drug pioneer
Timothy Leary, and famous actor Kurt Russel, among an eclectic group of other notables. More recent famous Springfielders include the
National Basketball Association's
Travis Best, and the musical bands
Staind and
The Acacia Strain.
In 1936, Springfield suffered its most devastating natural disaster. The
Connecticut River flooded, reaching record heights, inundating the South End and the North End (before the flood, houses �" some of Springfield's finest �" stood where
Interstate 91 now runs). Damages were estimated at
$200,000,000 in 1936 dollars. This flood occurred at the height of the
Great Depression;
Western Massachusetts and Springfield had already suffered greatly. The water damage was repaired after
WPA money was made available to Springfield. However, large riverfront portions of the North and South Ends no longer exist.
For nearly six decades, Springfield has been slumping economically, due largely to a decline in manufacturing. Many major companies that maintained factories in the city closed their facilities, moving to the suburbs or out of New England all together. In 1968, the
Springfield Armory was closed by
the Pentagon. In 2005, this exodus continued, with the closure of the Danaher Tool forge, maker of
Craftsman tools. Many Springfield residents moved to the suburbs to escape inner-city crime and urban decay. Because manufacturing had been a large part of Springfield's economy, it proved difficult to fill the void with a service-based economy, more so than in similar cities with more diversified economies. Local department stores,
Forbes & Wallace and
Steigers, shuttered in 1974 and 1994, respectively. Johnsons Bookstore closed a few years later, though this was due less to a decline in retail downtown than competition from chain bookstores, such as
Barnes and Noble. Many banks headquartered in Springfield closed or merged with larger banks, (in fact, all but
Hampden Bank, which remains the only Springfield-based bank.) A downtown revitalization project known as
Baystate West, was completed in 1973, but over the years it too became empty. The construction contributed to Springfield's somewhat modern
1970s-era skyline. The Eastfield Mall, built on Springfield's outskirts in 1969, proved more successful. However, it suffered a decline after the Holyoke Mall was opened in the
1980s. Over the past five years, the mall has rebounded; consequently, Springfield's largest retail area is now on Boston Road, on the northeastern edge of the city, rather than downtown.
The Quadrangle, an extraordinary grouping of museums and sculpture gardens, remains a testament to the city's nineteenth-century grandeur.
Control Board
In July 2004, the
Massachusetts General Court created, in response to the city's request for additional aid, a state-run
Finance Control Board (FCB) to resolve an escalating financial crisis. The fiscal problems had already resulted in wage freezes, cuts in city services, fee increases, and layoffs. The FCB consisted of the
mayor (Charles Ryan), the City Council president, and three appointees of Governor
Mitt Romney under the overall direction of
state Secretary of Finance and Administration Eric Kriss. The FCB legislation included a state loan of $52 million to be paid back with future city tax receipts. A $20 million grant was originally included, but then-
House Speaker Thomas Finneran killed that section, fearing it would invite fiscal irresponsibility among other municipalities. Initial estimates placed the city's operating deficit at over $40 million annually.
The original FCB bill filed by Governor Romney included a suspension of
Chapter 150E, the state law that defines the collective bargaining process for public employees (state employees are not covered by federal labor laws). According to the Romney administration, the financial crisis was largely the result of poor cost management by city officials, driven by annual labor increases that exceeded municipal revenue growth over many years. However, according to Mayor Ryan, the city's deficits resulted from cuts in state aid during the 2002-04 recession. State aid fell 2.7% from fiscal year 2002 to 2004.
[Mass.gov]Political pressure primarily from public sector unions stymied the original bill and led to an unusual non-committee hearing held jointly by both houses of the
Massachusetts legislature. The final FCB bill was passed without a suspension of Chapter 150E.
As of 2005, the FCB had cut the city deficit by about 80%, but not without controversy among the city's unionized workforce. The City froze all wage increases for employees in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, resulting in substantial litigation with employee unions, who claim that the wage freeze violated their contracts and the collective bargaining law itself and was done without proper legal authority. As a consequence, contract negotiation between the FCB and city unions have been tense, especially with teachers.
In December 2005, Judge Sweeney ruled illegal a wage freeze for teachers, returning the specter of receivership to the city. However, the judge only ruled that the wage freeze put in place by former mayor Michael Albano was illegal, expressly reserving the question of the similar action by the Control Board. A hearing will determine how much money should be paid back. The results from that hearing and the city's decision to appeal will determine the future consequences, such as the city's long term fiscal health, whether other unionized employees' wage freezes or even the teachers was also illegal, and the political implications statewide.
The FCB has a staff of three: Executive Director Philip Puccia, Deputy Director David Panagore and Executive Assistant Ann-Marie Mahnken.
|
Springfield, Massachusetts - View from Highway |
Springfield is located at (42.112411, -72.547455). According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 86.0
km² (33.2
mi²). 83.1 km² (32.1 mi²) of it is land and 2.8 km² (1.1 mi²) of it (3.31%) is water.
Springfield sits on the bank of the
Connecticut River, just a few miles north of the border between
Massachusetts and
Connecticut. Along the river, the city is fairly low and flat. Moving outward from the river, the terrain becomes more hilly, most prominently along State Street and Belmont Avenue.
Springfield is typically divided up into seventeen distinct neighborhoods. They are, as defined by the city Election commission: Bay, Boston Road, Brightwood, East Forest Park, East Springfield, Forest Park, Indian Orchard, Liberty Heights, McKnight, Memorial Square, Metro Center, Old Hill, Pine Point, Six Corners, Sixteen Acres, South End, and Upper Hill. Their exact boundaries are disputed by Census data, civic wards, precinct borders, zip codes, and the opinions of the city's citizens. Many of the neighborhoods are subdivided again according to landmarks or voting precincts. Some names are unofficial, but are used by area residents nonetheless. For example, the Hollywood section in the South End actually refers to a housing complex, and Mason Square is the central intersection in the McKnight neighborhood.
Forest Park lies in the southwestern part of the city, along the border with affluent
Longmeadow. The park is one of the largest municial parks in the
United States. The city shares borders with the towns of
East Longmeadow,
Wilbraham, and
Ludlow and the city of
Chicopee. The cities of
Agawam and
West Springfield are across the
Connecticut River. The city also owns Cobble Mountain Reservoir, its water supply, located in the towns of
Blandford,
Granville, and
Russell, at the western edge of Hampden County. It also owns Franconia Golf Course, located mostly in
East Longmeadow.
Historical populations[Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990 (June 1998). U.S. Census Bureau.] |
|---|
Census
year | Population |
|---|
|
| - | 1830 | 6,784 |
| 1840 | 10,985 |
| 1850 | 11,766 |
| 1860 | 15,199 |
| 1870 | 26,703 |
| 1880 | 33,340 |
| 1890 | 44,179 |
| 1900 | 62,059 |
| 1910 | 88,926 |
| 1920 | 129,614 |
| 1930 | 149,900 |
| 1940 | 149,554 |
| 1950 | 162,399 |
| 1960 | 174,463 |
| 1970 | 163,905 |
| 1980 | 152,319 |
| 1990 | 156,983 |
| 2000 | 152,082 |
As of the
2000 census, there were 152,082 people, 57,130 households, and 36,391 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,829.3/km² (4,737.7/mi²). There are nearly 1.5 million residents in the greater Springfield-Hartford metro region. In Springfield proper, There were 61,172 housing units at an average density of 735.8/km² (1,905.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 56.11%
White, 21.01%
African American, 0.37%
Native American, 1.92%
Asian, 0.09%
Pacific Islander, 16.45% from
other races, and 4.04% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 27.18% of the population.
There were 57,130 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% were
married couples living together, 23.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.9% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,417, and the median income for a family was $36,285. Males had a median income of $32,396 versus $26,536 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $15,232. About 19.3% of families and 23.1% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
Springfield became a city on
May 25,
1852 by decree of the
Massachusetts Legislature. Springfield, like all municipalities in
Massachusetts enjoys limited
home rule. Prior to the Control Board, Springfield's government had the power to establish commissions, pass city ordinances, set tax rates, write a budget, and other miscellaneous operations specifically relating to the city. The current
city charter, in effect since 1959, uses a "strong mayor" government with most power concentrated in the
mayor as in
Boston and elsewhere. The mayor representing the city's executive branch, presents the budget, appoints commissioners and department heads, and in general runs the city. The current
mayor, Charles V. Ryan, was also mayor during the
1960s.
The
City Council, consisting of nine members, is the city's legislative branch. Each of the members are elected at-large, along with the mayor, every odd numbered year. It passes the budget, authorizes bond sales, holds hearings, create departments and commissions, and amends zoning laws. The city council appoints a president who becomes acting mayor should a vacancy occur in the office.
| Current Springfield City Council 2006-2007 | *William T. Foley
*Rosemarie Mazza-Moriarty
*Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.
*Timothy J. Rooke
*Domenic J. Sarno
*Bruce W. Stebbins
*Jose Tosado, President
*Kateri Walsh
*Bud L. Williams>
Recently, efforts have been made to provide each of the city's eight wards a seat in the city council, instead of the current at-large format. There would still be about three at-large seats under this format. The primary argument for this has been that City Councilors currently live in only four of the city's wards. Thus far, the initiative has failed to pass the City Council twice. If ever passed, it would still need the approval of the
Massachusetts legislature and the
Governor. Many critics argue that the slim Caucasian majority in Springfield keeps the city council out of touch with the needs of Springfield's large black and Hispanic populations. Striking against that argument is that nothing deters blacks and Hispanics from running for office, nor does ward representation guarantee that they will. Some citizens believe that the problem might be corrected by greater voter turnout among blacks and Hispanics. A lawsuit to postpone the November election and force the change remains before a judge, though the election will go through as planned.
The city has no judicial branch itself, but rather uses the Springfield based state courts, which include Springfield district court and
Hampden County Superior Court. The
Federal District Court also hears cases regularly in Springfield.
Springfield is home to three 4-year colleges:
Springfield College,
Western New England College and
American International College. On the grounds of the former
Springfield Armory is
Springfield Technical Community College. The greater Springfield area is home to the
Five Colleges:
Amherst College,
Mount Holyoke College,
Smith College,
Hampshire College, and the
University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Springfield also has the third largest school district in Massachusetts operating 38 elementary schools, six high schools, and seven specialized schools. The city School Committee recently passed a new neighborhood school program to improve schools and reduce the growing busing costs associated with the current plan. The plan faces stiff opposition from parents and minority groups who claim that the schools are still unequal. The city is required under a
1970s court order to balance school racially which had necessitated busing. However, since then, the city and the school's population has shifted and many of the neighborhoods are more
integrated, calling into question the need for busing at all. Though the plan is likely to be challenged in court, the state
Board of Education decided it did not have authority to review it, sidestepping the volatile issue while effectively blessing it.
The city also has several private schools. The
Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield operates five
Catholic elementary schools in the city and many more elsewhere in the diocese. The dioceses also runs
Cathedral High School.
Springfield was and remains, in many respects, the cultural center of
Western Massachusetts since its founding in the early
1600s. Because of the distance from Boston then (and to a degree now) many feel that the city and region are ignored by the powers that be in the eastern parts of the state. Said powers are periodically accused of lumping Springfield and its fomerly industrial neighbors together with the rest of the agricultural areas west of
Worcester. Some have observed, sarcastically, that Springfield maintains a better relationship with
Hartford than with Boston. Springfield is physically closer to Hartford, shares a major
interstate highway, and
Bradley International Airport. Sometimes they are considered
twin cities.
Though not nearly as cosmopolitan as
Boston or
New York City, Springfield retains strong ethnic characteristics seen in the variety of restaurants available in all parts of the city. Remnants of the city's industrial glory are best represented in its museums at
The Quadrangle and its library system. Though both have suffered funding cuts in recent years, they remain well-respected and sizable considering the relatively small population. Springfield also has its own well-respected
orchestra.
Known as the second poorest city in Massachusetts, (behind
Holyoke) Springfield retains a strong middle class and high homeownership rates in many neighborhoods. Many of Springfield's suburbs are affluent, most notably
Longmeadow, to the south.
Springfield, according to
Morgan Quitno, is the 19th most dangerous city in the United States., a fact called into question by officials and citizens.
[morganquitno.com], This by extension makes the Springfield the most dangerous city in Massachusetts. While Morgan Quitno uses FBI statistics received by the police department, the city asserts that the crimes are weighted unfairly, by measuring all major offenses equally. Measuring the incidence of each crime against the population would show the city is not within the top twenty for each category.
A major cultural attraction during the
Christmas season is Bright Nights. The trees of
Forest Park are decorated with lights in the form of various characters (including some from the works of Springfield native Dr. Seuss) and scenes, some of which are animated. Tourists form a line to drive their cars along a meandering path through the park.
Newspaper
Springfield's largest local
newspaper is
The Springfield Republican. It was formerly the
Springfield Union-News & Sunday Republican. Smaller papers such as
The Reminder and the
Valley Advocate also serve
Greater Springfield.
Television
Major
television stations originating from the city include
WWLP (
NBC),
WGGB (
ABC), and
WGBY (
PBS). Only the PBS and ABC stations broadcast from studios in the city proper. Also in the Springfield area are
Univision WHTX, which simulcasts
WUVN in
Hartford, Connecticut, and
Telemundo WDMR, which simulcasts
WRDM in Hartford. Other television stations serving Springfield originate from
Hartford, Connecticut.
In January 2004, the Hartford
CBS affiliate,
WFSB, began operating a CBS station,
WSHM, aimed at the Springfield-
Northampton, Massachusetts market. Currently, the station airs much of the same programming as
WFSB, with the exception of the Hartford station's newscasts.
WSHM began its own newscasts at 6 and 11 p.m. in October 2005, broadcast out of its downtown Springfield home. Doug Lezette, assistant news director at
WRGB in
Albany, New York, was hired as the station's news director. Some normal newscasts slots may remain vacant and for the meantime will continue to have syndicated programming.
Radio
The Springfield-
Hartford, Connecticut area is served by
Bradley International Airport in nearby
Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Springfield and Hartford are located 25
miles (40
km) apart.
Springfield also has an
Amtrak station served by trains destined for
New York City,
Washington, D.C.,
Boston,
Vermont, and
Chicago. Amtrak operates out of its own station facility built into one of the old platforms of the city's long condemned train station on Frank B. Murray St. with an entrance on Lyman street, which lies on the side of the railroad embankment opposite the station. Buses running into the city use a facility owned and operated by
Peter Pan Bus Lines, located on the corner of Main and Liberty streets. The
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority is the regional public transit provider, operating a fleet of buses from the Peter Pan terminal.
Plans exist for redevelopment of the city's Union Station into an Intermodal Transportation facility for both Amtrak and bus lines. While significant federal, state, and civic investment has been appropriated for this project, disputes between the owners of the right-of-way and the planners in charge of the project, originally scheduled for completion in 1998, the PVTA, have slowed progress. In 2005, it was revealed that the project and the PVTA had been embroiled in the city's ever-widening corruption probe, throwing its future into question.
Springfield is often referred to as the "Crossroads of
New England" because of the crossing of major east-west and north-south railroads. While the same railways exist and operate today, the city is also served by a number of
Interstate Highways including
I-90 (
Mass Pike) and
I-91, which connect
New Haven,
Hartford,
Holyoke,
Northampton, and
Vermont to Springfield. One of the few spurs of I-91 in Massachusetts,
I-291, runs through the city. It connects I-90 to I-91 since the
turnpike does not actually enter the city.
*
West Springfield, Massachusetts*
Longmeadow, Massachusetts*
East Longmeadow, Massachusetts*
Ludlow, Massachusetts*
Westfield, Massachusetts*
Agawam, Massachusetts*
Holyoke, Massachusetts*
Amherst, Massachusetts*
Northampton, Massachusetts*
Pittsfield, Massachusetts*
Chicopee, Massachusetts*
Western Mass Pioneers, USL soccer team
*
City of Springfield, Massachusetts Official city website.
*
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Area Transit website.
*
Springfield, Massachusetts Zip Code Maps *
The Valley Advocate (local weekly alternative newspaper)
