Springfield, a city and the capital of Clark co., Ohio, at the junction of Lagonda creek with Mad river, 45 m. W. of Columbus and 70 m. N. E. of Cincinnati; pop. in 1850, 5,108; in 1860, 7,002; in 1870, 12,652, of whom 2,169 were foreigners. It is in the heart of one of the richest and most populous agricultural regions in the Union, and is well laid out and handsomely built. Six lines of railroad intersect here, viz.: the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis; Cleveland, Sandusky, and Cincinnati; Columbus, Springfield, and Cincinnati; Little Miami (Springfield branch); Springfield and Jackson (narrow-gauge coal road); and Atlantic and Great Western. A large trade is carried on in wheat, flour, Indian corn, and other produce, and many cattle and swine are shipped to eastern markets. Water power is abundant, and about 80 factories are in operation, employing 4,000 hands. These include flouring mills, iron founderies, machine shops, manufactories of agricultural implements, linseed oil mills, and a paper mill. More than 30,000 mowers and reapers are manufactured annually. Limestone is largely quarried and burned. Four national banks have an aggregate capital of $900,000. There are six large public school buildings, including a fine new high school house.

The Springfield seminary is a flourishing institution. Wittenberg college, under the auspices of the Evangelical Lutheran church, was opened in 1845; in 1874-'5 it had 10 instructors, 163 students (100 in the collegiate department), and a library of 6,000 volumes. Springfield has a free public library of 4,000 volumes, a daily, a tri-weekly, and five weekly newspapers, two monthly periodicals, and 20 churches.

Springfield #1

Springfield, a city and the capital of Illinois, and seat of justice of Sangamon co., 178 m. S. W. of Chicngo; lat. 39° 48' N"., Ion. 89° 33' W.; pop. in 1840, 2,579; in 1850, 4,533; in 1860, 9,320; in 1870, 17,364, of whom 4,456 were foreigners; in 1875, 25,116. It is on a beautiful prairie, 5 m. S. of Sangamon river. Its streets are broad, intersect each other at right angles, and are tastefully adorned with shade trees. From the beauty of the place and its surroundings, it is termed the "Flower City." The capitol, in a square near the centre of the city, is ono of the finest buildings of the kind in the country. Other noteworthy buildings are the United States court house and custom house and post office building, the county court house, state arsenal, high school house, and several handsome churches and commodious hotels. A new state house is nearly completed. Two miles N". of the city is Oak Ridge cemetery, a picturesque and well kept burying ground of 72 acres, containing the remains of Lincoln and a monument to his memory which cost $200,550, dedicated on Oct, 15, 1874. Springfield is the'point of intersection of the Springfield and Northwestern, the Gilman, Clinton, and Springfield, the Ohio and Mississippi, the Chicago, Alton, and St. Louis, and the Toledo, Wabash, and Western railroad lines.

There are coal mines in the vicinity, and the surrounding country is very productive. The trade is extensive, and the manufactures are important. The principal establishments are flouring mills, founderies and machine shops, rolling mills, breweries, woollen mills, a watch factory, and manufactories of woodwork, brooms, cordage, harness and saddlery, carriages and wagons, furniture, washing machines, and sash, doors, and blinds. There are three national banks, a private bank, a savings institution, and an insurance company. The city is governed by a mayor and 18 aldermen (3 from each ward). It is supplied with water from Sangamon river. It contains three academies and five public schools (one high and four ward schools), the latter having in 1874-'5 2,530 pupils enrolled, and an average attendance of 1,876. There are two daily and four weekly (one German) newspapers, a library association, and 22 churches, viz. : 4 Baptist, 1 Christian, 1 Congregational, 2 Episcopal, 1 Jewish, 3 Lutheran, 4 Methodist, 4 Presbyterian, and 2 Roman Catholic. - Springfield was laid out in 1822, was made the state capital in 1837, and a city in 1840.

New State Capitol of Illinois.

Lincoln Monument.

Springfield #2

Springfield, a town and the county seat of Greene co., Missouri, on Wilson creek and the Atlantic and Pacific railroad, 195 m. in direct line S. W. of St. Louis; pop. in 1870, 5,555, of whom 1,090 were colored; in 1875, about 8,000. It is on a table land 1,500 ft. higher than St. Louis. Its trade and manufactures are important. The principal establishments arc four flouring mills, two planing mills, a cotton mill, a woollen mill, a carriage factory, two iron establishments, two wagon factories, and the railroad shops. There are two hotels, two national banks, good public schools, a daily and four weekly newspapers, and 13 churches. It is the seat of Drury college (Congregational), founded in 1873. - Springfield was known as an Indian trading post and frontier village as early as 1820. It was incorporated in 1830. Its prosperity dates from the close of the civil war. In the autumn of 18G1 and the early part of 18(52 it was alternately in the possession of the federal and the confederate forces; and several fights occurred in the town and its vicinity, in one of which (Aug. 10, 18G1) the federal general Nathaniel Lyon was defeated and killed.