Springfield, Missouri

Our 3rd Springfield (only camped, didn’t really visit this one)

The most populated city in the US named Springfield¹ and on Route 66. The other two we’ve visited are just a bit smaller…in Massachusetts, the “City of Firsts” where many innovations were developed (e.g. first American dictionary & first American gas-powered automobile) and in Illinois, the capitol and Lincoln’s burial place. Although we didn’t visit Springfield, we stopped at the Missouri/Route 66 Welcome Center on I-44, not long before our arrival at camp, where even the picnic shelters are “decorated” as iconic Route 66 stops.

Springfield was a short stop, with time for Mark to replace Lizzy‘s Converter (a half day job…battery hasn’t been charging properly, got a new converter delivered to St. Louis), and a day for a…

Visit to 1 new National Park Site (encompassing 2 NSTs):

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield (#266), site of the Second Major Battle of the Civil War, the first major Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River, and the site of the death of Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in action. The costly Southern victory on August 10, 1861, focused national attention on the war in Missouri (which, in the end, had the 3rd most battles of the Civil War). We drove the 5 mile Battlefield Road and hiked out to most sites along the way, including a long visit at the Ray House, where we had a lengthy lecture/tour from an interpreter.
Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail, which we first visited at Fort Bowie NHS in Arizona. Here it ran right by the Ray House, a sometimes stop to pick up mail, as Ray was a postmaster.
Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, which here followed the Butterfield Overland NHS.

Ray House, where 17 people hid in the basement during the battle and then became a Field Hospital (which is why it survived)
Looking out over the field from Ray House
Bloody Hill
Memorial to General Lyon

Off for Arkansas!

For more pictures, see (in-work) Adventure Album: Great River Road / Route 66

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According to a common factoid, there’s a community called Springfield in all 50 states, but the U.S. Board on Geographic Names says that’s not true: only 34 states have a Springfield. The real champ is Riverside. Unless you live in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, or Oklahoma, there’s at least one Riverside in your state. ↩︎

Categories: ~Traveling Where Now?