April in the Past in Springfield, Missouri

The following events of historical significance to Springfield occurred during the month of April in past years.

1837	Springfield's first newspaper, The Ozark Standard, began operations under direction of editor and publisher J.C. Tuberville. Later the newspaper was changed to The Eagle by a new publisher, R.A. Huffard. It had a short life, and the publisher of a third succeeding publication, the Springfield Advertiser, which began here in May 1844, indicated that the presses of the Old Standard and Eagle had been gathering dust for quite a while before he took over the building.
1867	First publication of the Springfield Leader was issued by O.S. Fahenstock and Company with Daniel C. Kennedy the editor, and, after, September, 1868, the owner. It became a daily, May 3, 1870, but there was later interval of weekly publication before it returned to daily.
	The Board of Education of the newly formed Springfield School District held its first meeting. James Baker was chosen president, W.C. Hornbeak, secretary; and Charles Sheppard, treasurer. Dr. E.T. Robberson, J.M. Kelley and William R. Gorton filled out the first board.
1870	A construction train of South Pacific Railway, later the Frisco, pulled into the station at Commercial St. and Benton Ave.
1887	Voters overwhelmingly voted to consolidate Springfield and North Springfield.
1902	Ping pong was introduced to the community by "young society women".
1906	A mob of men estimated at 5000 broke into the Greene County Jail on Easter Eve and took three Negro men, lynching them on the Public Square.
1907	The Missouri Pacific Railway ran its first train into Springfield on line built from White River Division of Crane.
1926	The Senior High School Kilties Drum Corps makes first appearance in a downtown parade.
1960	President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill creating Wilson';s Creek National Battlefield Park. Later "Park" was deleted in title. An appropriation of $120,000 was approved for the project.
1983	A tornado struck in south Springfield killing two, injuring 21, and damaging more than 800 homes.
	Voters in the county repealed the "blue law" and made it the 16th in the state to allow retail stores to sell on Sunday.

This page maintained by Richard Grosenbaugh - Updated February 6, 2003