Springfield

Springfield, city, Lane county, western Oregon, U.S., on the Willamette River at its confluence with the McKenzie River, adjacent to Eugene. Once the territory of Kalapuya Indians, the area was settled in 1848 by Elias and Mary Briggs and named for the spring near their home site. It is an industrial and lumbering centre producing plywood, ethyl alcohol, plastics, electronic components, corrugated cardboard, and fibreboard. Diversified agriculture includes dairy and poultry farming. The Springfield Filbert Festival, which celebrates the hazelnut and its role in the city’s economy, is held annually, as is Ukrainian Day. In the strategic Willamette River basin, Springfield is at the head of a series of flood-control dams. The resulting reservoirs and lakes and nearby Willamette National Forest provide recreational facilities. Inc. 1885. Pop. (2000) 52,864; Eugene-Springfield Metro Area, 322,959; (2010) 59,403; Eugene-Springfield Metro Area, 351,715.