During the mid to late 1700s, there had been many clashes between the Shawnee Indians and settlers moving west. In 1780, George Rogers Clark, for whom the county is named, brought a band of Kentucky soldiers and a guide named Simon Kenton to the area to attack the Shawnee Indians at their settlement at Piqua, just a few miles west of Springfield at the Mad River. Clark’s onslaught, in retaliation for repeated Shawnee attacks on Kentucky settlements, was watched by a young Shawnee named Tecumseh.
Tecumseh, arguably one of this country’s most intelligent and capable leaders, lived in the Springfield/Clark County area for much of his life. During his adulthood, and until his death in 1813, Tecumseh witnessed the founding and early growth of the City of Springfield. In 1799, a group of seven families from Kentucky settled what would become Springfield. James Demint and John Humphreys, along with Simon Kenton and others, built homes near the junction of Buck Creek and the Mad River. By 1804, the town had two taverns, a gristmill, a grocery store, a cooper, and a postmaster. In 1806, the first school was established.The first half of the nineteenth century saw explosive growth and change in Springfield/Clark County.
The first official county census taken in 1820 showed a population of 610 adults. The town continued to grow, planning its new center around the proposed National Road, to run right through the center of town. By 1830, Springfield was doing its best to create a new, more industrialized, cosmopolitan image. Philadelphians Jeremiah and Anne Aston Warder moved to town and vowed to “improve life and raise the level of civilization in Springfield.”
As time passed, Springfield, and Ohio, moved away from the frontier lifestyle into the industrial age. The city saw hundreds of stagecoaches and wagons move through town along the National Road. By 1848, the city also had its own stop on the Mad River and Lake Erie railroad.
By harnessing the waterpower of Buck Creek, Springfielders expanded the local milling industry. Two locals, William Whitely and John Pitts, began to experiment with the manufacture of farm machinery. In addition to manufacturing advances, Springfield gained its own university as Wittenberg was founded in 1845.
As the Civil War loomed ever closer, Springfield struggled with the issue of slavery until Samuel Shellenbarger, a local politician, convinced residents that open-minded people with a Christian spirit were to be the salvation of the nation. Residents banded together and Springfield became an important stop on the Underground Railroad. By the end of the war, Clark County had sent thirty-four companies and many soldiers who were enlisted in other branches of service or fighting attached to units from other states. The women of Clark County participated by rolling bandages, assembling care packages, and working through the Soldiers’ and the Ladies’ Aid Societies.
After the war, industry boomed in Springfield/Clark County. There were many manufacturers in town, but none more notable than William Whitely. Produced by his Champion Interests, Whitely’s reaper was Springfield’s principal product. Springfield was the leading manufacturer of farm machinery in the world. And by the 1880s, Champion was the second-largest manufacturing facility in the world. Bad investments later bankrupted Whitely and part of the Champion Interests. Warder, Bushnell, and Glessner, merged with four other national companies to create the International Harvester Company in 1902.
As Springfield ushered in the twentieth century, the city saw even more growth and change. The city began to sponsor arts events that would set a precedent that continues today.Orchestral and choir performances were staples on the bill. Two opera houses drew nationally-known touring groups. In 1904, Gus Sun built a vaudeville house; in 1919 he built the Regent Theatre. Sun soon became a prominent theatrical booking agent who brought some of the country’s biggest names to town. Springfield was graced with the likes of Will Rogers and the Marx Brothers, thanks to Sun.
In 1913, as a response to some civil unrest and poor public services, the city adopted a charter that established a commission/city manager form of government. This change allowed residents to benefit from lower taxes, improved fire, police, and sewer services, and new school buildings and playgrounds. The city withstood World War I and its economic challenges, as International Harvester and Crowell-Collier Publishing remained stable. With an infusion of local and national monies, Wittenberg College emerged as a new local economic power.
The Great Depression hit Springfield hard, but there were still jobs and some area businesses continued to thrive in spite of the national economic downturn. Crowell-Collier’s business never slowed and Chakeres Theatres even expanded its operations throughout Ohio and into neighboring states. The Works Progress Administration, Wittenberg College, and local construction projects also provided employment opportunities. During the depression, Springfield even saw the opening of its first family planning clinic, even though at the time, the activity was illegal.
World War II brought Springfield out of the depression and back into prosperity. As was the case all over the country, local manufacturing shifted to produce goods needed for the war effort. Springfield produced airplane propellers, military trucks, and torpedoes, among other items. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base became an even more prominent local employer.
After the war, Springfield experienced its own “baby boom” and housing shortage. The community came together and established the Greater Springfield and Clark County Association to address a multitude of local issues from street improvements to better hospital and school facilities. The arts also experienced a revival, with the reestablished Springfield Symphony.
The sixties and seventies were decades of shift in Springfield/Clark County. As these years passed, the city experienced a move from locally owned business to more ownership by larger national firms. Local newspapers, banks and manufacturing firms were now owned by out-of-towners. The downtown area was no longer the center of activity as shopping centers and other services became available in more suburban areas.
In its usual tenacious fashion, Springfield/Clark County pulled through. The Community Improvement Corporation worked toward retaining International Harvester as a major local employer. Credit Life Insurance and Merchants & Mechanics Federal Savings and Loan built new facilities downtown as part of a revitalization program. Clark State was chartered as the state’s first technical college. And, as has always been a part of Springfield’s history, the Springfield Summer Arts Festival was established to bring arts and culture to area residents.
By the 1980’s, Springfield/Clark County had begun to turn the corner and things were looking up. International Harvester decided to stay in town, thus saving hundreds of local jobs. Wittenberg University was working to improve services and expand facilities; the efforts culminated in a US News & World Report ranking us one of the nation’s top seven smaller, comprehensive institutions east of the Mississippi River. In an effort to retain existing businesses and attract new ones, the city began to develop industrial parks with city utilities available. In 1983, Newsweek magazine featured Springfield/Clark County as the typification of the American Dream.
The 1990’s required Springfield/Clark County to realistically look at an economic trend affecting the entire world. Technology was changing the way work was done, and the area had to adapt and find new ways to grow. Manufacturing jobs were changing, requiring new computer-based skills and further training for established employees. Springfield/Clark County met the challenge with continuing education programs at area schools, colleges, and businesses. As the job market shifted and technology-based employment grew, Springfield/Clark County worked to implement changes to the city’s infrastructure to attract high-tech firms.
The future shines bright for Springfield/Clark County. Nationally recognized companies
such as LexisNexis are locating here because they recognize the area’s potential. Education and the arts continue to thrive. As has always been the case, the residents of Springfield/Clark County continue to be what makes life in our area so grand. Their continued support of quality education, arts, culture, and business fosters a sense of community and security for everyone who calls Springfield/Clark County home.
