19springfield

Springfield, Massachusetts
Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Find more about Weather in Springfield, MA

drseuss

basketball

halloffame

A Little Bit of History

Springfield's Nickname(s): The City of Firsts; The City of Progress; The City of Homes; A City in the Forest;
Hoop City; The Western Gateway to New England

1636 -Springfield was founded in by English Puritan William Pynchon as "Agawam Plantation" under the administration of the Connecticut Colony.
1641 it was renamed after Pynchon's hometown of Springfield, Essex, England
During its early existence, Springfield flourished as both an agricultural settlement and trading post,
although its prosperity waned dramatically during (and after) King Philip's War 1675 natives laid siege to it and burned it to the ground.
The original settlement – today's downtown Springfield – was located atop bluffs at the confluence of four rivers, at the nexus of trade routes to
Boston, Albany, New York City, and Montreal, and with some of the northeastern United States' most fertile soil.
In 1777, Springfield's location at numerous crossroads led George Washington and Henry Knox to establish the United States' National Armory at Springfield,
1794 produced the first American musket in and later the famous Springfield rifle.
The near-capture of the armory during Shays' Rebellion of 1787 led directly to the formation of the U.S. Constitutional Convention.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, Springfielders produced many innovations,
First American-English dictionary (1805, Merriam-Webster);
First use of interchangeable parts and the assembly line in manufacturing (1819, Thomas Blanchard)
First American horseless car (1825, Thomas Blanchard);
Discovery and patent of vulcanized rubber (1844, Charles Goodyear);
First American gasoline-powered car (1893, Duryea Brothers);
First successful motorcycle company (1901, "Indian");
One of America's first commercial radio stations (1921, WBZ, broadcast from the Hotel Kimball)
The world's second-most-popular sport, Basketball (1891, Dr. James Naismith).
The Springfield Museums, located in the heart of downtown Springfield offer access to Five world-class museums,
including the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum and the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden,

indian

forestpark

dog

Highlights On The Walk

Walk through Forest Park in Springfield, Massachusetts. winding through the park on sidewalks and dirt paths, past historical buildings, duck ponds, and a nice zoo.

Forest Park is one of the largest urban, municipal parks in the United States, covering 735 acres of land overlooking the Connecticut River.

It was designed by the renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted,

Among Forest Park's attractions are the Forest Park Zoo, several wooded groves; picnic areas; ponds; baseball fields; a rose garden; and some views of the neighboring streets.

      The ruggedly contoured valley of Pecousic Brook occupies more than half of the south side of Forest Park.
       This area has been left largely natural, although it features many walking trails and a few elegant bridges.
       It is home to many species of birds and wildlife.

There is a statue at the Route 5 entrance to Forest Park that was created by Peter Wolf Toth
It is part of the Trail of the Whispering Giants. The statue represents Omiskanoagwiak.

    A statue of a golden retriever, Stone Dog II which currently stands been the park's largest playground and the zoo.
    The statue is a near replica of an older statue which went missing from the park in 1987.
    The original Stone Dog dates back to the late 19th century.