Springfield’s 375^th Anniversary Celebration is citywide.  It goal is to get the entire community involved with events and collaborations.

The City of Springfield has designated the Spirit of Springfield as the organizer.  They have already reached out to numerous organizations and hope to get more involved.

If you would like to participate or support Springfield’s 375^th Anniversary Celebration, contact the Spirit of Springfield at (413) 733-3800 or staff@spiritofspringfield.org.

COLLABORATIONS

• ABC40/FOX6
• Baystate Health
• Big Y World Class Markets
• CBS3-Springfield
• City of Chicopee
• City Stage & Symphony Hall
• Clear Channel – WHYN, MIX 93.1, KIX 97.9FM, WRNX
• Community Music School of Springfield
• Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society
• Dan Kane Youth Chorus
• Diocese of Springfield
• Eastern States Exposition
• Eastfield Mall
• Fireworks by Grucci
• Hampden Bank
• Keep Springfield Beautiful
• Massachusetts National Guard
• MassLive
• MassMutual Scholars Program
• Rock102
• Springfield Area Funeral Homes
• Springfield Armory
• Springfield City Library System
• Springfield Department of Parks, Buildings & Recreation Management
• Springfield Fire Department
• Springfield Museums
• Springfield Office of Elder Affairs
• Springfield Police Department
• Springfield Public Forum
• Springfield School Department
• Springfield Symphony Orchestra
• Springfield Technical Community College (STCC)
• The Republican
• Tower Square
• U. S. Navy Band

Fit Springfield
Saturday, October 1st
Springfield Technical Community College
10AM Springfield’s Largest ZUMBA® Class
with Jade Rivera, Nakaia Smith, Phil Warren, Margaret “Peggy” Sheldon & Ashley Kohl
$10 Registration Fee – Pre-register by September 18th to receive souvenir shirt
Fit Springfield Registration Form

Springfield Symphony Orchestra Concert
Friday, September 9, 2011
7:30PM
Springfield Symphony Hall

September 11^th Tenth Anniversary Remembrance Ceremony
Sunday, September 11, 2011
10AM
Raymond Sullivan Public Safety Complex
1212 Carew Street, Springfield

The Big E Springfield Day
Monday, September 26, 2011

Springfield, Massachusetts—Thursday, November 4, 2010, at 2PM, plans to celebrate Springfield’s 375^th Anniversary in 2011 will be announced in Springfield City Hall, Room 220.   Mayor Domenic J. Sarno will welcome Congressman Richard E. Neal, Russell Denver, President of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, Judith A. Matt, President of the Spirit of Springfield, Donald H. D’Amour, President and Chief Executive Officer for Big Y World Class Markets, the Edward P. Boland School Chorus under the direction of Diane M. Rodriguez, as well as partners and supporters.

Mayor Sarno will make several announcements.  He will name Congressman Neal as the Honorary Chair and the Spirit of Springfield as the official organizer.  He will unveil the logo designed Leslie Bercume and the Edward P. Boland School Chorus will perform the  “Springfield Song” which was written by Rodriguez in 1999 for the millennium celebration.  D’Amour will be present to be one of the first corporate donors to lend support to the celebration.

“Our city, our home, our future is what Springfield is.  We need to celebrate its spirit and rich history,” said Mayor Sarno.  “I vividly remember Springfield’s 350^th celebration and I am sure many of our seniors can recall their roll in Springfield’s 300^th anniversary.  Let’s make more memories!”

Springfield’s 375^th Anniversary Celebration will kick-off on Friday, December 31, 2010, and continue through 2011 with the focus being on the weekend of which Springfield was founded – May, 14, 1636.  On New Year’s Eve, the Spirit of Springfield will present family-friendly activities at Bright Nights at Forest Park.  For the anniversary weekend, there will be a chorus of hundreds on the City Hall Esplanade, pancakes on Main Street, parade down State Street and fireworks at Blunt Park.  There are also plans for a military reenactment.  Others participating will be the Springfield School Department with a art show at the Eastfield Mall, concert by the U. S. Navy Band, Symphonie Fantastique from the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, activities to commemorate the founding of the Springfield Park Commission 130 years ago and more.

“From the days of William Pynchon, to the completion of an award winning United States Courthouse, the City of Springfield has had a long and rich history. I have often said the story of America would not be complete without including the contributions of many people who have called Springfield home. Imagine our nation without the imagination of Ted Geisel, the game of James Naismith, the innovation of the Duryea brothers, or the rebellion of Daniel Shays. History has been made here at the crossroads of New England. And our best days are ahead.

“As the City of Firsts moves into the 21st Century, I look forward to serving as the Honorary Chairman of Springfield’s 375th Anniversary Celebration. The commemoration will highlight our many accomplishments, and give residents past and present the opportunity to tell our story once again. I encourage everyone to participate,” said Congressman Neal.

Other collaborators include ABC40/Fox6, Baystate Health, CBS3-Springfield, City Stage & Symphony Hall, Clear Channel – WHYN, MIX 93.1, KIX 97.9FM, WRNX, Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, Diocese of Springfield, Eastern States Exposition, Keep Springfield Beautiful, MassMutual Scholars Program, Rock102/Laser 99.3, Springfield Armory, Springfield Department of Parks, Buildings & Recreation Management, Springfield Fire Department, Springfield Office of Elder Affairs, Springfield Police Department, Springfield School Department, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, WEIB 106.3 FM, WMAS FM and WWLP-22News.

The Spirit of Springfield will be looking for input and support from the community to make it a city-wide celebration.  A website, Springfield375.org, will be set-up with event information, photographs, history and suggestions.  The Spirit of Springfield can also be reached at 413-733-3800 or staff@spiritofspringfield.org.

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William Pynchon and a company of six men from Roxbury, a town near Boston, established Springfield in 1636 at the junction of the Agawam and Connecticut Rivers. Pynchon bought from the Indians the land that now contains the towns of Agawam, West Springfield, Longmeadow, and the city of Springfield for the purpose of establishing a trading and fur-collecting post. In 1641, the town of Springfield, named in honor of Pynchon’s English birthplace, was incorporated. Springfield officially became a city in May of 1852.

Springfield’s location at the crossroads of New England is the most significant reason for its progress and continuing economic success. The Connecticut River served as an easy and economical means of transportation north and south for early settlers. Midway between New York and Boston and on the road between New York and Canada, Springfield is ideally located for travel in all directions.

From its fur-trading and agricultural beginnings, Springfield gradually grew into a thriving industrial community. In the eighteenth century, the power of the Connecticut River was harnessed. Mills of all varieties grew up and a skilled labor force came into being. Because of the area’s location and technological advancements, particularly in metal crafts, the United States Armory was located here in 1794, resulting in further industrial development.

In the nineteenth century, Springfield became a major railroad center and experienced another industrial boom. The city grew, and such industries as printing, machine manufacture, insurance, and finance took hold and prospered. As affluence increased, it became a gracious city with a noted educational system.

In 1990 Springfield was a city of 156,983. It is a multicultural community, and is the regional center for banking, finance, and courts.

River, railroads, and highways were the assets that made Springfield what it is today.  Its central location now offers the potential for development of high technology communications leading to new growth in the twenty-first century.

Springfield in United States
1636 – William Pynchon

Meat Packer Exporting Salt Pork
1641 – William Pynchon

American Armory
1794 – Springfield Armory

American Made Musket
1795 – Springfield Armory

American Dictionary
1806 – Merriam-Webster, Inc.

Lathe
1820 – Thomas Blanchard

Modern Burning Steam Carriage
1826 –Thomas Blanchard

Major American History Book
1830 – George Bancroft

Kitchen Friction Match
1834 – Chapin & Phillips Company

Rubber Stamp
1844 – Charles Goodyear

Clamp-On Ice Skate
1849 – Everett Hosmer Barney (Barney & Berry, Inc.)

National Horse Show in United States
1853

Adjustable Monkey Wrench
1854 – Bemis & Call Company Employee

School Colors
1855 – Harvard vs. Yale Rowing Race

American Sleeping (Pullman) Car
1857 – Wason Company

American Popular Parlor Game
1860 – The Checkered Game of Life by the Milton Bradley Company

Pocket-Sized Travel Games
1861 – Game for Soldiers by the Milton Bradley Company

United States Registered Bank
1863 –  National Bank of Springfield

Producer of Supplementary Education Material for Kindergarten Education
1869 – Milton Bradley Company

Post Card in United States
1873 – Morgan Envelope Factory

Dog Show in United States
1875 – Springfield Rod & Gun Club

Social Service Agency in United States
1877 – Union Relief Association

Planned Residential Neighborhood
1881 – John and William McKnight

Music Appreciation Course
1882 – Springfield Public Schools

Revolver Club
1886

Basketball Game
1892 – Dr. James Naismith

Marketable Gasoline Driven Automobile
1896 – Charles E and J. Frank Duryea

Public Wading Pond in United States
1899 – Forest Park

Successful Motorcycle
1901- Indian Motocycle

Window Envelope
1902 – U. S. Envelope Company

Motorized Fire Department
1907 – Springfield Fire Department

Camp Fire Girls
1910 – Charlotte Guilick

Factory Air Conditioning
1911 – Bosch Magneto Company
Agricultural Course
1912 – Hampden County Improvement League

Physical Education Course
1912 – International Y. M. C. A. College (Springfield College)

Basketball
1912 – Victor Sporting Goods Company of Springfield

American Regiment Decorated with Croix de Guerre
1918 – Second Massachusetts Regiment

Community Chest
1918

Junior Achievement
1919 – Horace A. Moses

Rolls Royce American Automobile Plant
1920 – Frederick Royce

Commercial Radio Station in United States
1921 – WBZA

Test Market for Frozen Foods
1930 – Clarence Birdseye

American Built Planetarium
1937 – Springfield Science Museum

Fluorescent Lighting System
1939 – Springfield Armory

American Discount Store
1949 – King’s

UHF TV Station in United States
1953  – WWLP-22News

Other Notables

Good Year Tires – 1844

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company – 1851

Smith & Wesson – 1852

Good Housekeeping Magazine – 1885

Springfield Rifle – 1892

M-1 Rifle – 1919

Friendly Ice Cream Corporation – 1935

Breck Shampoo – 1936