Springfield, Missouri, Events in February Past

The dates listed below for events that have taken place in the history of Springfield and surrounding area have been taken from a number of sources over the years: a chronology put together by Lucille Morris Upton for Springfield Newspapers; information in the History Museum for Springfield-Greene County; and articles in the collection of the Springfield-Greene County Library. They are as accurate as the original material.

1835	Rountree starts first orchard	Springfield's first schoolmaster Joseph Rountree started the area's first apple orchard after going to Boonville to obtain nursery stock. Later, his holdings were expanded by L.A. Campbell who held 100 acres with 4,700 apple trees, 260 peach trees and 500 pear trees.
1836	First frame house built	The first frame home was built in Springfield on this date by Benjamin Cannefax. Previous homes all were built of logs. Until 1835 there was not a sawed plank in Greene County. Just a year later, the first bricks were formed here and citizens were excited as they watched the erection of the first chimney of brick and mortar.
1838	Springfield is incorporated.	On February 19, 1938, Springfield, with a population of 300, was incorporated for the first time. The first government included trustees Joel Haden, D. D. Berry, S .S. Ingram, Robert W. Crawford and Joseph Jones. For some unexplained reason, the city was reincorporated in May, 1846.
1859	Bids taken on new college	Bids were taken for a two-story brick college building at the southeast corner of South Campbell and State. Prof. Jacob Schultz of Tennessee was in charge. During the Civil War the building was used as a prison for Confederates.
1862	Confederate troops leave city	Confederates began to evacuate Springfield as Federal troops again approached. Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis was in command. Union rule was restored.
1867	Fire damages square	Fire in the northwest corner of Public Square burned Union Press, a grocery, saloon, stagecoach company barn, two warehouses, and a row of Negro cabins in Jordan Valley.
1878	House number ordinance passed.	First ordinance to number houses in Springfield was passed by the City Council, Feb. 18, 1878. There was a proposal that names of streets be painted on boards and affixed to all corner houses, or, in cases where there were none, to trees, fences, or cedar posts. These were to be eight feet high and provided by the city, but the provision was struck out because of lack of funds. Price to the owner of numbering each house with a "handsome plate" was not to exceed 25 cents, except where the household wanted to furnish a silver plate.
1879	Saturday Club organized	Saturday Club was organized; federated in 1896. It is the oldest federated woman's club west of the Mississippi River.
1899	Coldest day on record	Springfield's coldest day on record -- 29 degrees below zero.
1906	St. John's Hospital moves to new building	St. John's Hospital opened at Nichols and Main, in a move from its first site on Washington Avenue. Cornerstone had been laid by Gov. Joseph Folk in impressive ceremonies. Building later was expanded and became Mercy Villa Nursing Home after hospital moved to 1235 East Cherokee Oct. 2, 1952. Both institutions were established and conducted by the Sisters of Mercy. A new Mercy Villa, adjoining the new hospital tract is under construction.
1906	St. Agnes School established	St. Agnes School was established because all Springfield Catholic schools were north of the railroad tracks and several accidents had happened. A lot was purchased on South street and an older house on the lot became the school. Pupils called their new school the "Stables of Bethlehem". The Sisters of Loretto were in charge. By 1912, the school had become a modern three-story building accommodating 300 students.
1911	Frisco Office Building dedicated	The four-story Frisco Building at Jefferson and Olive was dedicated. Built on the site of Springfield's first public school building, the building was headquarters for the Frisco Railroad Company until 1964 when it was renamed the Landmark Building. It was near the site that John Polk Campbell first claimed land here in 1829, and it was on that site that Junious Campbell first opened a retail establishment in Springfield in 1830.
1912	Heaviest snowfall on record	Springfield's heaviest recorded snowfall -- 20 inches in 18 hours.
1923	Local man president of United Cigar Stores.	James Dixon, a former Springfield boy who left here 30 years ago to seek his fortune in New York, is president of and owns controlling interest in the tobacco corporation which owns the United Cigar Stores, together with numerous other tobacco enterprises.A story in The Leader says, "There was a time when Jim carried wood upstairs to his father's office, which was in the rooms over the present location of the United Cigar Store, South Avenue and the Public Square."
1923	Daily Methodist Episcopal Church destroyed by fire	The church was located at Mount Vernon and South Broadway and was built in 1889.
1924	Police move to new headquarters	Springfield Police Department vacated old quarters in the Fire Station on College Street and moved to new police headquarters on the city lot facing Market Avenue.
1930	City has second airline	American Airways Inc. started a Dallas to New York route. Southwest Air Fast Express, the first airline, is making expansion plans.
1973	Girls petition for sports	A group of high school students petitions the Board of Education to add competitive sports for girls. They recommend basketball, swimming and track.
1980	Area crippled by 16 inch snowfall.
1981	Car wash explosion kills two people, injures 15 others.	A propane tank on a pickup truck exploded at the Queen City Car Wash, fatally injuring two people and injuring 15. The car was was wrecked and several nearby buildings damaged.
1983	Demonstrators protest concert at SMSU.	About 200 demonstrators braved an ice storm to protest a concert by the heavy metal group Judas Priest, but 2500 rock fans showed up.
1987	State Highway Patrolman killed during traffic stop.	Trooper Russell Harper was killed during a traffic stop southeast of Springfield. Glennon Paul Sweet, arrested 33 hours later, denied the shooting but was sentenced to die.
1987	Strike starts at Paul Mueller plant	It becomes violent before ending.
1991	Economic development partnership started	The Chamber of Commerce, City Utilities, the City, and Business and Development Corporation unite to accelerate economic growth.

Page maintained by Richard Grosenbaugh - Updated February 6, 2003