Hello from Springfield, Ohio! For the past sixteen years, we’ve been coming to this small Midwestern city to visit family. While it’s not the type place we can breathlessly recommend to tourists, it has kind of grown on us. Sure, there’s a lot of empty buildings, poverty, and crime, but Springfield has its own history and charm, and we always find fun things to do here.
When we first visited Springfield, the downtown area was dead. There was an old diner, a pizza place, and not much else. But things started to change with the opening of Mother Stewart’s, a microbrewery occupying one of the city’s old industrial brickstone buildings. Finally, there was an objectively cool place to hang out downtown. Right next door, a studio space for artists called the Hatch opened, and then came the COhatch in the historic Myers Market, with great restaurants and co-working opportunities. Many more businesses have opened downtown since then, and where it once resembled a ghost town, you now actually see people enjoying Springfield’s city center.
We continue to learn new things about Springfield, every time we visit. Are you ready for some Springfield, OH Fun Facts?! Of course you are, here we go!
- Did you know that Springfield was known as Rose City, after a local businessman came up with the concept of shipping roses by train? Soon, the city was surrounded by greenhouses, and had become the USA’s preeminent rose grower.
- Did you know that Springfield is also known as Champion City? Not because of some sports title, but because of the Champion Reaper Company, which specialized in agricultural equipment. This business provided a major economic boost to Springfield in the 1800s, elevating it briefly to one of the most thriving cities in the Midwest.
- Did you know that Springfield was an important stop on the Underground Railroad, with at least five different routes leading here? We learned all about it at the Gammon House, which was just one of the houses in Springfield which provided shelter to escaped slaves, during their journey to Canada.
Let’s not exaggerate things, though. Springfield is not the kind of city, like New Orleans, where exhilarating cultural opportunities are marching down every street. Nor is it a city like Boston, where so many major historical events occurred. It’s also not like a place like Savannah, with its gorgeous squares and eccentric charm. No, it’s not as compelling as any those cities… But that doesn’t mean Springfield lacks culture, history, and charm altogether. You just have to hunt for it a little.
We’ve got a lot more posts about Springfield coming up. This has been one of our longest visits to the city in quite some time, and we’ve endeavored to do and see a lot. Subscribe to our newsletter if you don’t want to miss our upcoming articles, and please feel free to send us tips about other sights in or around Springfield!
For now, enjoy these random pics which we think show a different side to the Rose (or Champion) City.
From our Travel Blog.
More Photos from Springfield, Ohio
