SPRINGFIELD (ante), a city and co. seat of Hampden co., Mass., is the junction of the New Haven, Hartford and Springfield, the Boston and Albany, the Connecticut river, the New York and New England, the Springfield and New London, and the Springfield and North-eastern railroads; 138 m. n,n.e. of New York, and 102 m. e,s.e. of Albany; pop. '80, 33,340; gain from 1870, 6,637. Springfield was settled in 1635 by emi grants from Roxbury, and was at first called Agawam, changed to Springfield in 1640, after the name of the English estate of the first magistrate, William Pynchon (q.v.). The city charter was obtained in 1852, and the place owes its growth to the construction of the many railroads which now center there. It is situated in the midst of the pleas ant Connecticut valley scenery, has a broad and handsome avenue and business street, and large numbers of old elms, maples, and other shade trees. The armory is situated on Arsenal hill in a park of 72 acres. In the arsenal are constantly stored 275,000 stand of arms, of which Longfellow speaks: This is the Arsenal. From floor to ceiling, Like a huge organ, rise the burnished arms.
During the rebellion about $12,000,000 were expended here, and the works were run night and day. The best view of the city may be ol•mlined from the bill Among the more important manufacturing firms are: Smith & Wesson (revolvers), the Wason car company, the AIMS manufacturing company (silver, bronzes, etc.), the Power's paper
company. and the Morgan envelope company; other manufactures are of cigars, jewelry, buttons, bricks, cloth, tools, pumps, steam engines, gas machines, etc. The Connecti cut is crossed here by 4 bridges, one of which is the double-tracked iron bridge of the Boston and Albany railroad. The city is lighted by gas and supplied with water from a reservoir containing over 2,000,000,000 gallons. It is governed by a mayor, board of aldermen (one from each of the 8 wards) and common council. Among the public buildings of note are the free library (40.000 vols., costing $100,000 and also a museum of natural history), the city hall, the court house (a fine granite structure), the high school, and several costly and beautiful churches. In all there are 26. churches, 10 banks, of which 3 are savings banks, 4 weekly and 3 daily papers. one of the latter of national reputation, two monthlies, 3 insurance companies, and 26 schools. Webster's great dictionary for many years has been published here The hotels of this city have been favorites with travelers.