Springfield,

Springfield, (1) the capital of Illinois, stands in a fertile prairie country rich in bituminous coal, 185 miles by rail SW. of Chicago, at the meeting-point of seven railway lines. It is regularly laid out with broad streets and gardens, possesses a handsome federal building, a state arsenal, two colleges, and one of the largest state capitols in the Union (of marble, 385 feet long by 296 wide; cost 5,000,000). Its coal-mines have made it an active industrial centre: here are large iron-rolling mills and foundries, a watch-factory, and flour, woollen, paper, and planing mills. Springfield, which became the capital in 1837, was the home of Abraham Lincoln, who is buried in the beautiful Oak Ridge cemetery, in the crypt of the great national monument—a granite obelisk (1874), which cost 264,000. Pop. (1880) 19,746; (1890) 24,963.—(2) A thriving city of Massachusetts, capital of Hampden county, on the left bank of the Connecticut River, by rail 99 miles W. by S. of Boston and 25 N. of Hartford. The river is crossed by five bridges to West Springfield (pop. 5075), and four railways meet here. The city is stretching out over an elevated plain to the east; the older streets are broad, shaded avenues, and there is a large and beautiful park. The public buildings include a cathedral and numerous other churches, a brown-stone post-office, city hall, granite court-house, and a railway station which cost $700,000. Springfield is noted for the great variety of its manufactures. Among its larger factories is the United States Armoury (since 1794), employing about 400 men, chiefly in the manufacture of rifles and carbines; the others embrace foundries, car-works, and manufactories of cottons and woollens, paper, machinery, furniture, trunks, buttons, needles, spectacles, locks, pistols, skates, picture-frames, organs, and jewellery. The town was settled in 1635. Pop. (1880) 33,340; (1890) 44,179.—(3) Capital of Greene county, Missouri, 232 miles by rail WSW. of St. Louis, with machine-shops, car-works, and large cotton and woollen factories. Here is Drury College (Congregational; 1873). Near Springfield was fought the battle of Wilson's Creek, 10th August 1861. Pop. (1880) 6522; (1890) 21,850.—(4) Capital of Clark county, Ohio, on Lagonda Creek and Mad River, 80 miles by rail NE. of Cincinnati. Six railways meet here. The city contains the Wittenberg College (Lutheran; 1845), and handsome county and municipal buildings. It has over sixty manufactories, the principal products being farm machinery, bicycles, sewing-machines, iron fences, paper, &c. Pop. (1880) 20,730; (1890) 31,895.