Banking and Finance.— On 1 March 1910, Springfield had a net public debt of $825,800 and the municipal receipts for a single year amount approximately to $500,000. This item of receipts does not include any school tax. In the same year there were five national banks with an aggregate capital of $1,450,000, one State bank, $300,000, and one trust company, $100,000. The average deposits in all these institutions was $22,000,000. There are 12 building and loan associations with 6,250 share holders.
Government.— The city, is governed on the commission plan, under revised charter regula tions. The municipal expenses for a single fiscal year are approximately $450,000 ex clusive of school expenses, and the municipal receipts for the same period, also exclusive of school tax, amounted to $500,000. The water works are owned by the city and have a daily capacity of 12,000,000 gallons. This capacity may be increased almost indefinitely without great cost. There is a complete sewage sys tem of 101 miles, electric light plant, 25 miles of electric street railway, 442 acres of improved park land, value $515,452, and 85 miles of paved streets.
Education.— The expense of the public schools does not appear in the municipal finan cial statement, but there is raised annually by taxation a sum sufficient to maintain public schools and to erect new buildings as required. The total estimated value of school property is $2,243,450. The cost of maintaining the pub lic schools for 1917-18, was approximately $453,445.38, which does include expenditures
for new buildings and permanent improve ments. The total enrolment for 1918-19 was 10,066. The total estimated actual value of property, subject to taxation, for school pur poses for the year 1917-18 was $16,299,181 which represents of true valuation. There were employed in the public schools for the year 1917-18 a superintendent, four special super visors, two school nurses, an attendance officer, 18 principals and 260 teachers.
Religion.— Springfield has a total of 54 churches of all denominations, value $1,789,000, the Methodist leading with eight, the Baptist next with seven, Roman Catholic six, Presby terian six, Episcopalian four, etc. There are two Hebrew synagogues and one Christian Sci ence Congregation. Among the charitable in stitutions are the Home for the Friendless, the Home for Aged Women, the Home for Aged People under the control of the Roman Catho lic Church, the Orphanage of the Holy Child and the Colored Old Folks' Home.
History.— Springfield was first settled in 1819 and was laid out in 1823 at which time it became the county-seat. It was first incorpo rated as a town in 1832 and was chartered as a city in 1840. It was selected as the State capital in 1837 and the State legislature assem bled here for the first time in 1839.
Population.— (1890) 24,963; (1900) 34,159; (1910) 51,678; (1919, actual count) 71,969.