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Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County. The city was founded in 1819, became the county seat in 1823, and received its city charter in 1840. It was made the capital of Illinois in 1837, and the Legislature convened here for the first time in 1839. As of the 2000 census, its population is 111,454.
Overview The city is the site of a number of attractions centered around President Abraham Lincoln, who started his political career in Springfield. These include a national park site, the Lincoln Home Historic Site *, as well as the preserved surrounding neighborhood; the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices State Historic Site; the Old State Capitol State Historic Site; the newly built Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum; the train depot from where he departed to Washington; and his burial mausoleum. The Museum of Funeral Customs, located near Lincoln's tomb, also features exhibits related to the president's funeral. North of Springfield, near the village of Petersburg, is New Salem (Menard County), Illinois, a restored hamlet of log cabins recreating New Salem, where Lincoln lived as a young man. The Donner Party, a group of pioneers who resorted to cannibalism while snowbound in the Sierra Nevada, originated in Springfield. Springfield's Dana-Thomas House is among the best preserved and most complete of Frank Lloyd Wright's early "Prairie" houses. It was built in 1902-1904 and has many of the furnishings Wright designed for it. Springfield is known for its carillon and festival. In August, the city is the site of the Illinois State Fair. Noted American poet Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931) was born and died in Springfield. Ragtime composer Artie Matthews (1888 - 1958) was raised in Springfield. The astronomer Seth Barnes Nicholson (1891 - 1963) was born in Springfield. Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887 - 1973), the philanthropist and founder of General Foods Corporation was also born there. Current Philadelphia 76ers player Andre Iguodala was born and raised in Springfield, as were current major-league baseball pitchers Jeff Fassero and Ryan O'Malley. All-star infielder Kevin Seitzer was born in Springfield, as was Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts. Actress Reiko Aylesworth is a former resident. In addition, a race riot in 1908 led to the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) by a coalition of black and white citizens the following year. The Springfield campus of the University of Illinois, is located on the southeast side of the city. The city is also home to the Bunn company, known as a global leader in coffee-making equipment and supplies. The city is home to a branch campus of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine which is in the early stages of building a Cancer Institue in Springfield's Medical District, the Springfield College of Pharmacy, Springfield College, and Lincoln Land Community College. Springfield has two large regional teaching hospitals, Springfield Memorial Medical Center and St. John's Hospital; the city also is home to a burn treatment center. Springfield is also home to the headquarters of insurance companies Horace Mann and Franklin Mutual. Springfield is the seat of a Catholic diocese. I-55 runs from north to south of Springfield while I-72, also known as US 36, runs from east to west. The city also lies along historic Route 66. When state senator Vince Demuzio died on Tuesday, April 27, 2004, Governor Rod Blagojevich declared a part of Interstate of I-55 from Carlinville, which Demuzio represented and is about an hour from the capitol, to Springfield as the "Vince Demuzio Expressway." Springfield is also served by Amtrak passenger trains operating between Chicago and St. Louis, such as the Texas Eagle. Local mass transportation needs are met by a local bus service, the Springfield Mass Transit District (SMTD). Air service to the capital city is on the rise once again, with flights to Chicago O'Hare (United), Chicago-Midway (Big Sky Airlines), St. Louis (American, and Memphis (Northwest). Service to Washington, DC is scheduled to start sometime in the future. Geography Springfield is located at (39.783250, -89.650373). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 156.2 km² (60.3 mi²). 139.9 km² (54.0 mi²) of it is land and 16.3 km² (6.3 mi²) of it (10.46%) is water. Demographics
Local culinary creations SpringfieldIL.jpg|thumb|140px|Cozy Dog Drive-In, home of the corn dog. (Photo: Patty Kuhn. ©2004 Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project., courtesy of http://www.byways.org/ byways.org) The corn dog on a stick also originated in Springfield, where it is sometimes still called a Cozy Dog. Another culinary pecularity that is not nearly as well known outside of the city is the horseshoe sandwich, a type of open-faced sandwich. While there are many variations, the traditional sandwich has two hamburger patties on an open faced sandwich, covered with a locally created cheese sauce and fried potatoes (generally steak fries). For many years the popular Reisch Beer was brewed in Springfield. Springfield is also known to many as the "Chilli capital of the World." The unique double 'l' spelling is commonly used in many area parlors throughout the city and county. This peculiar spelling of "chilli" in Springfield originated with the founder of the Den Chilli Parlor in 1909. His sign in the parlor was misspelled. Other folks believe the spelling matches the first four letters in Illinois. A resolution proclaiming Springfield "the Chilli Capital of the Civilized World" was adopted by the Illinois legislature in 1993. This proclamation is a nod to the city's long chilli history. Registered Historic Places
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