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==History== {{Main|History of Springfield, Massachusetts}} === Prehistory === The area that would become Springfield was historically inhabited by indigenous people, with documented middle archaic period sites, a ceramic workshop site from the Woodland period in south Springfield, and the contact period Long Hill site, excavated in 1895.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Massachusetts Historical Commission |title=Historical & Archaeological Resources of the Connecticut River Valley: A Framework for Preservation Decisions |url=https://www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc/mhcpdf/regionalreports/ctvalley.pdf |access-date=February 28, 2024}}</ref> At the time of European contact at settlement, the Springfield area was inhabited by the Agawam tribe, who sold land to English settlers.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Springfield, MA - Our Plural History |url=https://ourpluralhistory.stcc.edu/firstpeoples/agawamnonotuck.html |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=ourpluralhistory.stcc.edu}}</ref> === Colonial period === [[File:View of Springfield, Massachusetts on the Connecticut River by Thomas Chambers.JPG|thumb|left|''View of Springfield, Massachusetts, on the Connecticut River'' {{circa|1840–1845}}, by [[Thomas Chambers (painter)|Thomas Chambers]]]] Springfield was founded in 1636 by English Puritan [[William Pynchon]] as "Agawam Plantation" under the administration of the [[Connecticut Colony]]. In 1641 it was renamed after Pynchon's hometown of [[Springfield, Essex]], England, following incidents, including trade disputes as well as [[John Mason (c. 1600–1672)|Captain John Mason's]] hostilities toward native tribes, which precipitated the settlement's joining the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]].<ref>Barrows, Charles Henry (1911). ''The History of Springfield in Massachusetts for the Young: Being also in some part the history of other towns and cities in the county of Hampden''. Connecticut Valley Historical Society. pp. 46–48</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Springfield, 1636–1886: History of Town and City|last=Green|first=Mason Arnold|chapter=Chapter II. 1638–1639|publisher=C. A. Nichols & Co.|year=1888|page=20|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vMLAcJjc4p8C&pg=PA20|access-date=February 15, 2019|archive-date=February 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215200249/https://books.google.com/books?id=vMLAcJjc4p8C&pg=PA20|url-status=live}}</ref> During its early existence, Springfield flourished both as an agricultural settlement and as a trading post, although its prosperity waned dramatically during (and after) [[King Philip's War]] in 1675, when natives [[Attack on Springfield|laid siege to it and burned it to the ground]]. During that attack, three-quarters of the original settlement was burned to the ground, with many of Springfield's residents survived by taking refuge in John Pynchon's brick house, the "Old Fort", the first such house to be built in the Connecticut River Valley. Out of the siege, [[Miles Morgan]] and his sons were lauded as heroes; as one of the few homesteads to survive the attack, alerting troops in Hadley, as well as Toto, often referred to as the "Windsor Indian" who, running 20 miles from [[Windsor, Connecticut]], to the settlement, was able to give advance warning of the attack.<ref name=King9>{{cite book | last = King | first = Moses | author-link = Moses King | title = King's Handbook of Springfield, Massachusetts | publisher = Franklin Press | year = 1885 | page = 9 | isbn = 9781152362826}}</ref> The original settlement—today's downtown Springfield—was located atop bluffs at the confluence of four rivers, at the nexus of trade routes to [[Boston]], [[Albany, New York|Albany]], [[New York City]], and [[Montreal]], and with some of the northeastern United States' most fertile soil.<ref name="worldcat">{{cite web |url=http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/servlet/org.oclc.lac.ui.DialABookServlet?oclcnum=61302153 |title=Find in a Library: The Encyclopedia of New England |publisher=worldcat.org |access-date=October 16, 2014 |archive-date=October 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017173537/http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/servlet/org.oclc.lac.ui.DialABookServlet?oclcnum=61302153 |url-status=live }}</ref> === Post-colonial period === In 1777, Springfield's location at numerous crossroads led [[George Washington]] and [[Henry Knox]] to establish the United States' [[Springfield Armory|National Armory at Springfield]], which produced the first American [[musket]] in 1794, and later the famous [[Springfield rifle]].<ref name="springfield375.org">{{cite web|url=http://springfield375.org/?p=126 |title=Firsts | Springfield 375 |publisher=Springfield375.org |access-date=April 4, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521154926/http://springfield375.org/?p=126 |archive-date=May 21, 2013 }}</ref> From 1777 until its closing during the [[Vietnam War]], the Springfield Armory attracted skilled laborers to Springfield, making it the United States' longtime center for precision manufacturing.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.springfieldmuseums.org/news/view/375-new_museum_of_springfield_history_to_open_october_10 |title=New Museum of Springfield History to Open October 10—News |publisher=Springfield Museums |date=September 24, 2009 |access-date=April 4, 2012 |archive-date=June 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605113252/http://www.springfieldmuseums.org/news/view/375-new_museum_of_springfield_history_to_open_october_10 |url-status=live }}</ref> The near-capture of the armory during [[Shays' Rebellion]] of 1787 led directly to the formation of the [[U.S. Constitutional Convention]]. [[File:1908 Main Street Springfield Massachusetts byDetroitPubCo LC 4a22730a.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Main Street, 1908]] During the 19th and 20th centuries, Springfielders produced many innovations, including the first American-English dictionary (1805, [[Merriam-Webster]]); the first use of [[interchangeable parts]] and the [[assembly line]] in manufacturing (1819, [[Thomas Blanchard (inventor)|Thomas Blanchard]]); the first American horseless car (1825, Thomas Blanchard); the mass production of [[vulcanized rubber]] (1844, [[Charles Goodyear]]); the first American gasoline-powered car (1893, [[Duryea Brothers]]); the first successful motorcycle company (1901, "[[Indian (motorcycle)|Indian]]"); one of America's first commercial radio stations (1921, [[WBZ (AM)|WBZ]], broadcast from the [[Hotel Kimball]]); and most famously, the world's second-most-popular sport, [[basketball]] (1891, Dr. [[James Naismith]]).<ref name="springfield375.org" /> Springfield would play major roles in machine production, initially driven by the arms industry of the Armory, as well as from private companies such as [[Smith & Wesson]], established by [[Horace Smith (inventor)|Horace Smith]] and [[Daniel B. Wesson]]. Similarly, the industrial economy led Thomas and Charles Wason to establish the [[Wason Manufacturing Company]], which produced the first manufactured [[sleeping car]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Bianculli |first=Anthony J. |title=Trains and Technology: the American Railroad in the Nineteenth Century. Vol. 2, Cars. |year=2002 |publisher=University of Delaware Press |location=Newark, Del. [u.a.] |isbn=0-87413-730-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/trainstechnology0000bian/page/52 52] |url=https://archive.org/details/trainstechnology0000bian/page/52 }}</ref> The largest railcar works in New England, Wason produced 100 cars a day at its peak; the company was eventually purchased by [[Brill Company|Brill]] in 1907 and closed during the Depression in 1937.<ref>{{cite book|title=Lost Springfield, Massachusetts|last=Strahan|first=Derek|publisher=The History Press|location=Charleston, SC|year=2017|pages=70–71}}</ref> Among numerous other industries, during the first half of the 20th century Springfield also produced brass goods, chemicals, clothing and knit goods, paper goods, watches, boilers, engines, manufacturing machinery, silverware, jewelry, skates, carriages, buttons, needles, toys, and printed books and magazines.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=Collier's New Encyclopedia|year=1921|title=Springfield (Massachusetts)|location=New York|title-link=:s:Springfield (Massachusetts)}}</ref> Springfield underwent a protracted decline during the second half of the 20th century, due largely to the decommissioning of the Springfield Armory in 1969; poor city planning decisions, such as the location of the elevated [[Interstate 91|I-91]] along the city's [[Connecticut River]] front; and overall decline of industry throughout the [[northeastern United States]]. During the 1980s and 1990s, Springfield developed a national reputation for crime, political corruption, and cronyism. During the early 21st century, Springfield saw long-term revitalization projects and several large projects, including the $1 billion [[Hartford Line|New Haven–Hartford–Springfield intercity rail]];<ref name="nhhsrail">{{cite web |url=http://www.nhhsrail.com/ |title=New Haven–Hartford–Springfield Rail Program |publisher=nhhsrail.com |access-date=October 16, 2014 |archive-date=October 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006032221/http://www.nhhsrail.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[MGM Springfield|a $1 billion MGM casino]].,<ref name="mgmspringfield">{{cite web |url=http://www.mgmspringfield.com/springfield/vision.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825001237/http://www.mgmspringfield.com/springfield/vision.aspx |archive-date=August 25, 2012 |url-status=dead |title=MGM Springfield—Our Vision |access-date=October 16, 2014 }}</ref><ref name="springfield-ma">{{cite web |url=http://www3.springfield-ma.gov/planning/328.0.html |title=Springfield Redevelopment Authority: Union Station |publisher=www3.springfield-ma.gov |access-date=October 16, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018200656/http://www3.springfield-ma.gov/planning/328.0.html |archive-date=October 18, 2014 }}</ref> and the $95 million redevelopment of Springfield Union Station.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.springfield-ma.gov/sra/union-station|title=Springfield Union Station: Springfield Redevelopment Authority|website=www.springfield-ma.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.masslive.com/business-news/2017/03/union_station.html|title=Grand opening date set for Springfield's Union Station|first=Jim|last=Kinney|date=March 6, 2017|website=masslive}}</ref> In December 2022, Springfield was designated by the National Park Service as an American World War II Heritage City,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/spar/learn/news/city-of-springfield-designated-an-american-world-war-ii-heritage-city-by-national-park-service.htm|title=City of Springfield Designated an American World War II Heritage City by National Park Service - Springfield Armory National Historic Site |website=U.S. National Park Service |date=December 6, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240203224648/https://www.nps.gov/spar/learn/news/city-of-springfield-designated-an-american-world-war-ii-heritage-city-by-national-park-service.htm |archive-date= 2024-02-03 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.springfield-ma.gov/cos/news-story?tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=16042&cHash=df98fa6c04cdd81241285cd99218c863|title=City of Springfield Designated an American World War II Heritage City by National Park Service|date=December 6, 2022|website=City of Springfield, MA}}</ref> the first in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and one of only 18 communities in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/national-park-service-announces-new-american-world-war-ii-heritage-cities.htm|title=National Park Service announces new American World War II Heritage Cities - Office of Communications (U.S. National Park Service)|website=www.nps.gov}}</ref>
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