How Springfield got it's name? (Columbia, Campbell: credit, homes, live)

[usersuper1]

I'm told there were four major springs that flowed into what creek?

[ShadowCaver]

There are, as history is fun to decipher, these two main yet different versions:
1. Named for a spring, near a field...
2. Named for another town w/ same name, where settlers had came from, or admired [ex: Springfield, TN or IL or MA or ???].

For some interesting history of the town and area:
http://www.springfieldmo.org/final/newsite/ttd_page_history.asp (broken link)
City of Springfield, MO - History & Heritage (http://www.ci.springfield.mo.us/community/city_history.html - broken link)

[springfielder]

So which Springfield is the Simpson family from? Are the Simpsons from MO or IL or TN?

[leabee43]

Originally Posted by springfielder

So which Springfield is the Simpson family from? Are the Simpsons from MO or IL or TN?

or oregon?

[Andrew240]

Long time lurker, first time poster. Here is the background behind the competing naming theories of Springfield:

History of Greene County, Pub. 1883, pg. 727:

Springfield was laid off into lots, with streets, alleys and a public square in the year of 1835, by John P. Campbell. The original town plat comprised 50 acres, lying on both sides of "Jordan" [sic], and this tract was donated by Mr. C. [sic] to the county for county seat purposes The plan of the town was that adopted in the laying off of Columbia, Tenn., Mr. Campbell's birth-place. The town took its name from the circumstance of there being a spring under the hill, on the creek, while on top of the hill, where the principal portion of the town lay, there was a field. This version of the origin of the name is disputed by the editor of the Springfield Express. Mr. J. G. Newbill, who, in the issue of his paper, November 11, 1881, says: "It has been stated that this city got its name from the fact of a spring and a field being near by just west of town. But such is not a correct version. When the authorized persons met and adopted the title of the "Future Great" of the Southwest, several of the earliest settlers had handed in their favorite names, among whom was Kindred Rose, who presented the winning name "Springfield," in honor of his former home town, Springfield, Robertson county, Tennessee. Mr. Rose still lives on his old homestead, 3 ½ miles southwest of the city, where he has continuously resided for nearly fifty years.

I found a mention of four springs feeding in to Wilson's Creek that maybe you are referring to. You will need to read through to find the excerpt, or scroll down to the last quarter of the page, and pick up your reading from there. The excerpt is given credit from coming from a column from the Springfield Leader, August 3, 1876:

http://thelibrary.org/lochist/histor.../grch1pt1.html


I hope this helps. I am not a historian, so take my information for what it is worth, but I have been reading for several years on Springfield and the local surrounding area's history.