1831  

1st store in the area that becomes Springfield, a log cabin, owned by Junius Tennessee Campbell, on Olive Street west of Jefferson

1st schoolhouse in the area that becomes Greene County, a log cabin, was two miles west of the area that becomes Springfield on Mt. Vernon Street. The first teacher was Joseph Rountree.

Among the settlers, the 1st born girl was Mary Frances Campbell, daughter of John P. and Louisa Cheairs Campbell, and the 1st born boy was Harvey Fulbright, son of John Fulbright.

1832 

St. Louis University chartered

1st schoolhouse in the area that becomes Springfield, a log cabin, on the north side of (Fulbright, later) College Street just west of Main. The first teacher was Joseph Rountree.

1833

The first church in the area that becomes Springfield was a Methodist church, a log cabin, north of Center Street

Missouri Legislature established Greene County. The original Greene County consisted of all of southwest Missouri.  

The home of John P. Campbell served as the temporary courthouse, the first location for the Greene County Court

1834

First U. S. Post Office for Southwest Missouri established in Springfield. Junius T. Campbell was the first postmaster.

First blacksmith, James Carter, in Springfield.

First county jail, on Boonville.

1835

John P. Campbell gave 50 acres for the town of Springfield. Springfield was laid out in town lots and streets.

Springfield became the county seat of Greene County.

U. S. Land Office established.

1837

Platte Purchase--adding to Missouri the northwest portion along the Missouri River

Bank of the State of Missouri established

The Campbells formally deeded the 50 acres for the town of Springfield to Greene County.

J. C. Tuberville founds the first newspaper, the Ozark Standard, later changed to Ozark Eagle.

Greene County militia in the Osage and Sarcoxie Wars

1838  The town of Springfield was incorporated. It had a population of 300.

1840 

Population

Greene County: 5,372
Town of Springfield: 411

Greene County Courthouse building completed. It was in the center of the town square. It served as the County Courthouse until the completion of a new courthouse building in 1861.

National politics came to Greene County with the first "log-cabin campaigns." Democrats and Whigs competed for votes in public meetings and barbecues in Springfield.

1841 University of Missouri established

1843 St. Joseph founded

1844  John S. Phelps, Democrat, prominent Springfield lawyer, elected to Congress to represent the district that included Springfield and Greene County

1845  The Springfield branch of the State Bank of Missouri was established. James H. McBride, president

1846  Captain Boak's company of volunteers left to serve in the Mexican war. They were given a warm public reception by the people of Greene County on their return from the war.

1847

Missouri's first railroad, the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, was chartered by the General Assembly

Telegraph to St. Louis

1847-49  Establishment of several private schools for boys, the Southwestern Missouri High School and the Springfield Academy, and several for girls, Mrs. Merritt's and Miss Anderson's "schools for young ladies," and Miss McDonald's Female Institute. 

1849

First Springfield Town Constable appointed 

Senator Thomas Hart Benton gave an address in Springfield

1850  

Population:

Greene County: 12,785
Town of Springfield: 500 (approx.)

Osage Indians returned to their old hunting grounds.

The Missouri legislature chartered the Pacific Railroad Company. It would have two lines. One line would run from St. Louis through towns on the Missouri River up to Kansas City. The second railroad line would run from St. Louis along the “Springfield Road” to Springfield. The second line was also known as the Southwest Branch or the Southwest Pacific.

Town of Kansas (later Kansas City) incorporated

1851-  Springfield and Greene County will over several years buy stock in the Pacific Railroad Company and raise money to build the Southwest Branch.

1851-52 Survey for Southwest Branch line runs along the "Springfield Road" then along the ridge above Wilson's Creek  one mile north of the Springfield town square

1854 Graduation Act instituted the policy long advocated by Thomas Hart Benton of lessening the value of public land each year it is for sale--in time making cheap public land available in the Ozarks

1856 

First Southwest Missouri Fair was held at Springfield (October 1-3) organized by the Southwest Missouri District Fair Association. Seven counties participated: Greene, Taney, Dade, Lawrence, Polk, Webster, and Barry. Prizes were given for best horses, bulls, cows, mules, and best buggy horse. The fair grounds was just west of the town. Many of the visitors from other counties camped out during the fair.

Election of 1856: Greene County voted for James Buchanan, Democrat, for president
1st presidential candidate for the new Republican party, John C. Fremont, received no votes

A daily mail line established between Springfield and Jefferson City

1857  Congress established an overland mail route from St. Louis to San Francisco. John Butterfield set up the stagecoach company to carry the mail. The route, known as the Butterfield Route ran through Springfield.

1858  

John Butterfield's Overland Mail Stagecoach went through Springfield. The town celebrated the event with bonfires and fireworks. (September 17). (The stage passed through Springfield on the return trip from San Francisco to St. Louis, October 22.)

First steam-powered mills.  Sampson Bass built and operated the first one outside the town, in Greene County, near the Pomme de Terre River. James Smith built and operated the first one in Springfield, on Boonville Street. 

Establishment of a Springfield police department with a town marshal and officers

1859  

Ingram Mill built and operated by Sidney Ingram and A.G. McCracken, on the James River, water powered, in Greene County, just below Springfield. 

Sidewalks around the town square

Episcopal Church in Springfield established

1860 

Population:

Greene County: 13,186
Town of Springfield: 2000 (approx.)

The first telegraph line came to Springfield. It came from Jefferson City. It went down on the "Wire Road" to Arkansas. W. H. Parsons was the first telegraph operator in Springfield.

Election of 1860: Greene County voted for John Bell, Constitutional Union party, for president

1861

Second Greene County Courthouse building completed. It was at the town square and north side of College Street. It served as the Greene County Courthouse until 1912.

First Greene County Courthouse building burns

Springfield secured by Union forces, under Nathaniel Lyon (July)

Battle of Wilson's Creek (August 10)

Springfield secured by Confederate forces, under Sterling Price (August 11)

Zagonyi's Charge (October 24)/Springfield secured by Union forces under John C. Fremont (Fremont relieved of his command, November 4; David Hunter and Union forces ordered to withdraw back to Rolla)

Springfield secured by Confederate forces, under Sterling Price (December 25)

1862

State Bank of Missouri in Springfield closed due to disruptions of the Civil War, funds removed to St. Louis

Sterling Price evacuates Springfield, withdraws into Arkansas; Springfield secured by Union forces, under Samuel R. Curtis (February-March)

1863 Battle of Springfield (January 8)

1864 Election of 1864: Greene County votes for Abraham Lincoln, Republican, for president

1865 Wild Bill Hickok killed Dave Tutt in a shootout on Springfield town square (July 21) 

1866 Organization of "the Regulators," or "Honest Men's League," a vigilante group 

1867

The Hickok-Tutt shootout got national attention in the Harper's New Monthly Magazine--"Wild Bill" by George Ward Nichols (February)

First street lights, kerosene lamps, around the town square and on Boonville down the hill to Wilson's (Jordan's) Creek

Fire, on the town square. As a result, first volunteer fire department organized

National Cemetery established

1868 

Greene County National Bank in Springfield opens, the State Bank of Missouri in Springfield having reorganized and received a national charter, John S. Phelps, president

The Southwest Branch of the Pacific Railroad Company, known as the Southwest Pacific, was bought by the South Pacific Railroad Company.  

Election of 1868: Greene County voted for Ulysses S. Grant, Republican, for president  (Many Democrats were not allowed to vote)

1869  Work began on the Kansas City, Ft. Scott, and Memphis Railroad, also known as the Gulf Railroad.

1870  

Population:

Greene County: 21,549
Town of Springfield: 5,555

The South Pacific Railroad Company line from St. Louis was completed to Springfield. 

The first train came to Springfield. Almost everyone in the city and Greene County was there to see it. The railroad line ran just to the north of Springfield. Commercial Street in North Springfield developed along the line.

At the grand opening ceremony (May 3)  John S. Phelps gave a speech welcoming the railroad to Springfield

North Springfield incorporated (first proclaimed July 4, 1870, correct legal process completed May 8, 1871)

The South Pacific Railroad Company was bought by the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company.  The line was continued into the Oklahoma territory.

Blacks celebrated the ratification of the 15^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in a mass meeting and parade. (April 21)  J. H. Rector was chosen president of the event. A few days later, he tried to ride on a city horse-drawn coach. He was refused because he was a black man.

Central School, first public school building, at Olive and Jefferson, for grades 1-12

Confederate Cemetery established, adjoining the National Cemetery. Also the Maple Park Cemetery established.

1871 Grain Elevator built by Homer F. Fellows

1871-  Springfield and Greene County wanted the Kansas City, Ft. Scott, and Memphis Railroad to go through Springfield. They would build part of the railroad line. Bonds were sold to raise money. Also a local railroad company was formed. It was the Western Missouri Railroad Company. A railroad was built from Springfield to Ash Grove. The Kansas City, Ft. Scott, and Memphis Railroad decided to come through Springfield.

1872

Springfield Manufacturing Company established

Election of 1872: Greene County voted for Ulysses S. Grant, Republican, for president 

1873 Springfield College opened, later the name changed to Drury College in honor of its main contributor, Samuel F. Drury. It was founded by the Congregational Church.

1874 Eads Bridge, St. Louis, crossing the Mississippi River, connected Missouri railroads directly to lines east of the river

1875

"Flood of 75:" Wilson's Creek in Springfield was 100 yards wide. The mills and lumber yards along the creek were damaged. (Rain was in June)

Springfield Gas Works. 50 gas street lights were erected

1876  

John S. Phelps, Democrat, of Springfield, after long service as a Congressman, and military service during the Civil War, elected Governor of Missouri. 

The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company was bought by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad Company. This company would be known as "the Frisco."

A United States Centennial celebration was held on the Drury College campus

Town marshall or chief and police department located with the fire department at the "Central Station," on College Street

1877 Springfield Manufacturing Company reorganization with a new charter, name  changed to Springfield Wagon Company, owned by Homer and Norris Fellows and Ezekiel Boyden

1878 First telephone exchange opened in Springfield

1879  Queen City Milling was established in Springfield, on Boonville Street.  It later became the John F. Meyer & Sons Milling Company. Meyer flour was sold throughout the United States. 

1880

1881

The Springfield line was joined with the Kansas City, Ft. Scott, and Memphis Railroad. The line from Kansas City to Springfield was completed. 

The first train arrived in Springfield from Kansas City. The Kansas City, Ft. Scott, and Memphis Railroad Company depot or train station in Springfield was known as the Gulf Depot.

Springfield Railway Company, owned by Homer F. Fellows, Robert J. McElhaney,  and James A. Stoughton. Streetcar company that connected Springfield and North Springfield. The streetcar line ran from the Springfield public square north up Boonville to Commercial, east on Commercial, to Benton, down to Jefferson, south to St. Louis, and west on St. Louis back to the square. The streetcars were drawn by horses and mules.

1882  A Frisco local railroad line going south from Springfield, the Ozark Branch, was completed.

1883 Springfield Water Company formed

1885 

The Frisco built a line from Springfield to Bolivar. It would be continued to Kansas City.

Springfield Railway Company reorganized, streetcars electric powered, and lines extended

1886 Springfield Gas and Electric Company. First electric street lights

1887

Union of Springfield and North Springfield

Baker Block, built by Judge James Baker, on the square. It had the city's first elevator.

1888 Post Office on the town square

1890