Originally settled by James Demint in 1801, Springfield, Ohio, boasts a history marked by rich agrarian roots and striking industrial advances. The full range is chronicled here in a second Images of America volume, featuring over one hundred archival photographs alongside the captions that illuminate them. Those familiar with author Harry Laybourne's first volume on Springfield, or those encountering its history for the very first time, will undertake a journey that deepens an understanding of this fascinating city. Home to Wittenberg University, the Clark County Historical Society, and the Westcott Home built by Frank Lloyd Wright, Springfield has undergone numerous changes in its remarkable 200 year history. Laybourne invites the reader to witness these changes as they unfold. Join him on a fascinating exploration of Springfield, and discover its thriving downtown district, distinctive cultural arena, adaptation to rail and aviation, and perhaps most notably, the many faces who helped to build the city's identity and profile.

Originally settled by James Demint in 1801, Springfield, Ohio, boasts a history marked by rich agrarian roots and striking industrial advances. The full range is chronicled here in a second Images of America volume, featuring over one hundred archival photographs alongside the captions that illuminate them. Those familiar with author Harry Laybourne's first volume on Springfield, or those encountering its history for the very first time, will undertake a journey that deepens an understanding of this fascinating city. Home to Wittenberg University, the Clark County Historical Society, and the Westcott Home built by Frank Lloyd Wright, Springfield has undergone numerous changes in its remarkable 200 year history. Laybourne invites the reader to witness these changes as they unfold. Join him on a fascinating exploration of Springfield, and discover its thriving downtown district, distinctive cultural arena, adaptation to rail and aviation, and perhaps most notably, the many faces who helped to build the city's identity and profile.

This survey highlights Springfield's beginnings as an industrial oriented settlement growing into a city with an increasingly diversified industrial base well into the 20th century. Discussed in this connection is the role of railroads as a necessary condition to industrial success. As industry grew, commercialism expanded, and became centralized in the downtown. The text traces the city's viable and lively downtown from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. The background for the decline following World War II is covered, as well as the downtown's changing role in the modern era. Not all, however, is industry and commerce. The city's wealth and the wealth of individual citizens led to the construction of many fine buildings of architectural merit as venues for cultural, entertainment, and religious functions. Many of these structures are treated in relation to their cultural functions. Not the lease of the topics discussed is Springfield's saga with infrastructure problems and their eventual correction.