Springfield's history gets new showcase

Date: 10/6/2009

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



SPRINGFIELD -- Some people may not be aware of the unique position Springfield has in American history and a visit to the new Museum of Springfield History undoubtedly will be an eye-opener.

Springfield is where the first American gasoline powered automobile was made as well the first American motorcycle. It is the site of the first American federal armory. Rolls Royce chose Springfield as the location of its only assembly plant outside of Great Britain for its luxury cars. The famed GeeBee racing planes were designed and built in Springfield.

The city was the home of manufacturers such as Milton Bradley, W.F. Young -- which still makes Absorbine, Junior products and Breck Shampoo. It is still the location for Merriam-Webster, publishers of the best-known dictionaries in the country.

The new museum, located at the corners of Edwards and Chestnut streets tells the story the city through a collection of artifacts and images presented over two floors and 40,000 square feet of space.

The museum will open to the public at 11 .m. on Oct. 10 with a special group of events. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day there will be a vintage and classic car and motorcycle show on the lawn of the Quadrangle (suggested donation $3 for adults and $2 for children) as well as live demonstrations of high wheel bicycles and an exact working replica of the Duryea, the first gasoline-powered car.

The museum will also be the location for the archives formerly housed at the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum

During a tour of the museum last week with Springfield Museums President Joseph Carvalho, workmen were still putting the finishing touches on the entrance and great hall of the museum, but most of the exhibits and artifacts were in place.

Carvalho credited the creation of the museum to two donations. M. Allen Swift not only donated his Rolls Royce that had been assembled in Springfield, but $1 million to buy the former Verizon building. Carvalho said the other crucial donation was the Indian Motocycle collection from Esta Manthos.

Many of the artifacts, such as a restored horse drawn fire engine, have been in storage Carvalho explained because of the lack of space in the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum. That museum will still be used, he added, as the Dr. Seuss exhibit will remain and hopefully grow there.

Besides the transportation history of the city, the new museum examines the growth of precision manufacturing with the development of the armory and Smith & Wesson. Springfield's role in the abolitionist movement is also detailed with a look at John Brown's stay in the city.

The city's downtown entertainment life with its variety of movie, stage and vaudeville houses and its retail life are also presented.

The museum also features a large meeting room where documentaries about various aspects of the city's history will be screened.

The entryway into the museum, the great hall, will have a near life model of a GeeBee racing plane hanging from the ceiling and a second floor walkway.

Carvalho pointed out there will be space made for changing exhibits highlighting the museum's collections. He added the museum staff plans to use the museum as a catalyst for annual events they are currently planning. Among those events will be a day each year when the classic cars are taken out of the museum and driven.

For more information, log onto www.springfieldmuseums.org.