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79-772: Dunfey Hotels was founded in 1958, when the Dunfey brothers added a 32-room motel to their Lamie's Tavern restaurant property in Hampton, New Hampshire. They soon established a hotel chain throughout New England, including 14 Sheraton Hotels franchises in 1964. In 1968, the Dunfeys acquired the near-bankrupt Parker House Hotel in Boston. In 1971, the brothers sold Dunfey Hotels to the Hartford-based Aetna Life Insurance Company , which retained

158-646: A collection of Asian curiosities; the Springfield Science Museum , which features a life-size Tyrannosaurus Rex, an aquarium and the first American-made planetarium , designed and built (1937) by Frank Korkosz; the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum , as Springfield is the birthplace of Theodor Geisel ; and the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History, a museum about the multi-faceted city. The Connecticut Valley Historical Museum

237-540: A collection of rare artifacts that tell stories about the ill-fated ocean liner's passengers and crew. The Springfield Symphony Orchestra performs in Springfield Symphony Hall . In 2011, Springfield's music scene was eclectic. It featured a notable heavy rock scene, from which the bands Gaiah, Staind , All That Remains , Shadows Fall , and The Acacia Strain rose to national prominence. Jazz and blues rival rock in popularity. In 2010 and 2011

316-529: A converted apartment building. Sheraton dates its founding to that year and considers that property its first hotel. The chain got its name from the third hotel the pair acquired, in Boston, in 1939. It had a large lighted sign on the roof saying "Sheraton Hotel," which was too expensive to change. Instead, Henderson and Moore decided to call all of their hotels by that name. Henderson and Moore purchased Boston's famed Copley Plaza Hotel in 1941, and continued expanding rapidly, buying existing properties along

395-448: A history spanning nearly four centuries, Springfield has been home to a number of legacy companies that were household names, including: Springfield's mosaic of ethnic communities have long played a role in its culinary institutions, with many newer smaller restaurants and several decades-old establishments in its downtown. Among its oldest institutions are Smith's Billiards, founded in 1902, which serves Theodore's Blues, Booze, & BBQ,

474-659: A hotel bearing the name of an international company in the People's Republic of China , when it assumed management of the Great Wall Hotel in Beijing , a financially troubled two-year-old Chinese-American joint venture, which became the Great Wall Sheraton. By 1987, The New York Times described it as "50 years old, the world's largest hotel chain, and consumer-driven." On October 24, 1989, Sheraton

553-685: A location well suited for distribution, and in the past this has played a significant role in its economy. For this reason in the early 20th century it was the largest producer in New England of commercially produced cakes and pastries, and among the largest in bread—with one 1926 estimate of 1.4 million loaves of bread and 14 million breakfast rolls produced in the city on a weekly basis. Today Springfield's top five industries (in order, by number of workers) are: Education and Health Services; Trade and Transportation; Manufacturing; Tourism and Hospitality; and Professional & Business Services. Springfield

632-690: A low-interest loan for business purposes, rather than using the money to pay workers (which would have turned the loan into a grant). In March 2021, Omni sold five aging properties - Omni Dallas Hotel at Park West, Omni Houston Hotel at Westside, Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade, Omni Jacksonville Hotel and Omni Austin Hotel at Southpark. All hotels managed and/or owned by Omni Corporate. The company had one franchised property, in Cancun, from 1988–2022. Sheraton Hotels Sheraton Hotels and Resorts

711-575: A luxury condominium building. The Hotel Kimball , (140 Chestnut Street), which hosted several U.S. Presidents as guests and once featured the United States' first commercial radio station (WBZ), has been converted into The Kimball Towers Condominiums . The former McIntosh Shoe Company (158 Chestnut Street), one of Springfield's finest examples of the Chicago School of Architecture , has been converted into industrial-style condominiums; and

790-627: A neighboring barbecue and music venue since 1979, recognized as the "Best Blues Club in the Country" in 2004 by the Blues Foundation . Other venues include The Student Prince Cafe , a long-running German restaurant at its downtown location since 1935, featured on Thrillist 's 2014 Editor's Choice bars, and a wide array of long-running acclaimed Italian restaurants such as Frigo's (1950), The Red Rose (1963), and Leone's (1988) and pastry shops like La Fiorentina (1947). In recent decades

869-653: A population of 699,162 in 2020. Springfield was founded in 1636, the first Springfield in the New World. In the late 1700s, during the American Revolution , Springfield was designated by George Washington as the site of the Springfield Armory because of its central location. Subsequently it was the site of Shays' Rebellion . The city would also play a pivotal role in the Civil War , as

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948-524: A protracted decline during the second half of the 20th century, due largely to the decommissioning of the Springfield Armory in 1969; poor city planning decisions, such as the location of the elevated I-91 along the city's Connecticut River front; and overall decline of industry throughout the northeastern United States . During the 1980s and 1990s, Springfield developed a national reputation for crime, political corruption, and cronyism. During

1027-766: A recession hit, and had been seized from its previous owner, the Aga Khan , by its creditors. The majority of these hotels were placed in the ITT Sheraton Luxury Collection, though a few were placed in the Sheraton division. In April 1995, ITT Sheraton introduced a new, mid-range hotel brand, Four Points by Sheraton , to replace the designation of certain hotels as Sheraton Inns. In 1998, Starwood acquired ITT Sheraton for $ 13.3 billion, topping an offer by rival Hilton . Under Starwood's leadership, Sheraton began renovating many hotels and expanding

1106-582: A stop on the Underground Railroad and home of abolitionist John Brown , widely known for his raid on Harpers Ferry , and for the Armory's manufacture of the famed " Springfield rifles " used ubiquitously by Union troops. Closing during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration, today the national park site features the largest collection of historic American firearms in the world. Today the city

1185-644: Is an American international hotel chain owned by Marriott International . As of June 30, 2020, Sheraton operates 446 hotels with 155,617 rooms globally, including locations in North America, Africa, Asia Pacific, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean, in addition to 84 hotels with 23,092 rooms in the pipeline. The origins of Sheraton Hotels date to 1933, when Harvard classmates Ernest Henderson and Robert Moore purchased

1264-400: Is considered to have a "mature economy", which protects the city to a degree during recessions and inhibits it somewhat during bubbles. Springfield is considered to have one of America's top emerging multi-cultural markets—the city features a 33% Latino population with buying power that has increased over 295% from 1990 to 2006. As of 2006, more than 60% of Hispanic Springfielders had arrived in

1343-412: Is divided into 17 distinct neighborhoods; in alphabetical order, they are: According to the 2010 Census , Springfield had a population of 153,060, of which 72,573 (47.4%) were male and 80,487 (52.6%) were female. 73.0% of the population were over 18 years old, and 10.9% were over 65 years old; the median age was 32.2 years. The median age for males was 30.2 years and 34.1 years for females. According to

1422-522: Is home to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' largest Fortune 100 company, MassMutual Financial Group. It is also home to the world's largest producer of handguns, Smith & Wesson , founded in 1852. It is home to Merriam Webster , the first and most widely read American–English dictionary, founded in 1806. Springfield is also home to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' third largest employer, Baystate Health , with over 10,000 employees. Baystate

1501-489: Is known as The City of Homes for its attractive architecture, which differentiates it from most medium-size, Northeastern American cities. Most of Springfield's housing stock consists of Victorian " Painted Ladies " (similar to those found in San Francisco); however, Springfield also features Gilded Age mansions, urban condominiums buildings, brick apartment blocks, and more suburban post-World War II architecture (in

1580-703: Is relatively flat, and follows the north–south trajectory of the Connecticut River; however, as one moves eastward, the city becomes increasingly hilly. Aside from its rivers, Springfield's second most prominent topographical feature is the city's 735-acre (297 ha) Forest Park . Forest Park lies in the southwestern corner of the city, surrounded by Springfield's attractive garden districts, Forest Park and Forest Park Heights , which feature over 600 Victorian Painted Lady mansions. Forest Park also borders Longmeadow. Springfield shares borders with other suburbs such as East Longmeadow , Wilbraham , Ludlow and

1659-675: Is the largest in western New England , and the urban, economic, and media capital of Massachusetts' section of the Connecticut River Valley , colloquially known as the Pioneer Valley . Springfield has several nicknames—"The City of Firsts", due to the many innovations developed there , such as the first American dictionary , the first American gas-powered automobile , and the first machining lathe for interchangeable parts ; "The City of Homes", due to its Victorian residential architecture; and "Hoop City", as basketball

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1738-599: Is the western campus of Tufts University School of Medicine . Baystate Health is in the midst of a $ 300 million addition; nicknamed "The Hospital of the Future", it is the largest construction project in New England. In addition to Baystate, Springfield features two other nationally ranked hospitals; Mercy Medical , run by The Sisters of Providence , and Shriners Hospital for Children. The following companies maintain their headquarters in Springfield: With

1817-580: The 2010 Census , there were 61,706 housing units in Springfield, of which 56,752 were occupied. This was the highest average of home occupancy among the four distinct Western New England metropolises (the other three being Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport, Connecticut ). Also as of 2010, Springfield features the highest average homeowner occupancy ratio among the four Western New England metropolises at 50%—73,232 Springfielders live in owner-occupied units, versus 74,111 in rental units. By comparison, as of

1896-1072: The Amelia Island Plantation in Florida for $ 67.1 million. In January 2013, Omni Hotels acquired ClubCorp 's Montelucia Resort & Spa. In June 2013, Omni Hotels acquired 5 properties (Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, TX - La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, CA - Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, CA - The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC - The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA) from KSL Capital Partners. With this deal - worth $ 900 million according to The Wall Street Journal - Omni Hotels became an owner and operator of iconic American golf resorts. In July 2013, Omni Hotels assumed management and operations of

1975-699: The City Beautiful movement. The Quadrangle's five distinct collections include the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden ; the largest collection of Chinese cloisonne outside of China; and the original casting of Augustus Saint Gaudens 's most famous sculpture, Puritan . The Quadrangle's five museums are the Museum of Fine Arts, which features a large Impressionist collection; the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum,

2054-543: The Eppley Hotel Company , which was then the largest privately held hotel business in the United States, with 22 properties across six Midwestern states. Sheraton retained ten of the largest hotels and immediately resold the other twelve. That same year, Sheraton acquired its first motels, purchasing two properties in the suburbs of Syracuse, New York. In 1957, Sheraton, which had previously focused on acquiring existing hotels, opened its first newly built hotel,

2133-685: The King Edward Hotel in Toronto , and bought shares of the property. In December 2015, Omni Hotels acquired the Omni Mount Washington Resort from CNL Financial Group , which it had operated under its brand since 2009. In March 2018, Peter Strebel was named President of Omni Hotels & Resorts. In December 2020, unions criticized Omni for using the Paycheck Protection Program to obtain

2212-1069: The Moana Hotel , the Royal Hawaiian Hotel , the SurfRider Hotel, and the Princess Kaiulani Hotel . That same year Sheraton opened its first newly built motel, marketed as a "Highway Hotel," the Sheraton Inn, located in Binghamton, New York. The early 1960s saw the arrival of the first Sheraton hotels outside the US and Canada, with the opening of the Sheraton-Tel Aviv Hotel in Israel in March 1961 and two Caribbean properties in 1962 -

2291-434: The tornado left three dead, hundreds injured, and over 500 homeless in the city alone. The tornado caused hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage to Springfield and wrought significant destruction in a 39-mile-long (63 km) path from Westfield to Charlton, Massachusetts . It was the first deadly tornado to strike Massachusetts since May 29, 1995. Neighborhoods of Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield

2370-517: The "Windsor Indian" who, running 20 miles from Windsor, Connecticut , to the settlement, was able to give advance warning of the attack. The original settlement—today's downtown Springfield—was located atop bluffs at the confluence of four rivers, at the nexus of trade routes to Boston , Albany , New York City , and Montreal , and with some of the northeastern United States' most fertile soil. In 1777, Springfield's location at numerous crossroads led George Washington and Henry Knox to establish

2449-616: The 2010 Census, New Haven features an owner occupancy rate of 31%; Hartford of 26%; and Bridgeport of 43%. In terms of race and ethnicity, Springfield is 51.8% White , 22.3% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% Asian (1.2% Vietnamese, 0.3% Chinese, 0.2% Indian, 0.1% Cambodian, 0.1% Filipino, 0.1% Korean, 0.1% Pakistani, 0.1% Laotian), 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 18.0% from Some Other Race, and 4.7% from Two or More Races (1.5% White and Black or African American; 1.0% White and Some Other Race). Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 38.8% of

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2528-670: The Arabella Hospitality Group in Germany to create ArabellaSheraton, a joint venture under which 14 Arabella Hotels in Germany, Switzerland and Spain were rebranded as ArabellaSheraton Hotels. In 1999, Sheraton bought the outstanding shares in CIGA, giving it complete ownership. In 2015, Starwood introduced the "Sheraton Grand" brand, higher-end Sheraton properties located in urban or resort destinations. In 2016, Marriott International purchased Starwood Hotels, and

2607-928: The Cario-Sheraton Hotel & Casino. In 1971 Sheraton opened its first hotels in Continental Europe , the Sheraton Stockholm Hotel and the Sheraton-Copenhagen Hotel. In 1972, Sheraton opened its first hotel in Sub-Saharan Africa , the Sheraton-Mont Febe Palace in Yaounde , Cameroon . From 1977 to 1997 the company was headquartered at 60 State Street in Boston. In 1985, Sheraton became the first western chain to operate

2686-937: The Continental Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1937, Henderson and Moore purchased the Standard Investing Corporation and the International Equities Corporation, combining them into the Standard Equities Corporation, the company through which they would run their hotels. Also in 1937, they purchased their second hotel, and the first as part of the new company, the Stonehaven Hotel in Springfield, Massachusetts ,

2765-832: The East Coast from Maine to Florida. In 1946, the Standard Equities Corporation merged with the United States Realty and Improvement Corporation, forming the Sheraton Corporation of America, which became the first hotel chain to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1947. In 1949, Sheraton expanded internationally, buying the Ford Hotels chain, with three properties in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. They quickly resold

2844-461: The FBI, and indexed by NeighborhoodScout showed between 2010 and 2018 the violent crime rate for Springfield decreased by approximately 52.5%, whereas the property crime rate declined by 54%; both rates remain more than twice their respective state averages, as of 2018. Distribution of Greater Springfield NECTA Labor Force (2016) Springfield's vicinity to both Boston and New York City lends it

2923-959: The Kuwait-Sheraton Hotel. In 1967 Sheraton unveiled Reservatron II , a computer system for personalized reservations. That same year, Sheraton opened its first hotel in Asia, the Sheraton-Philippines Hotel in Manila; its first hotel in Europe, the Sheraton-Du Cap Hotel on the island of Corsica in France; and its first hotels in Australia, two Sheraton Motor Hotels in Melbourne and Sydney. In 1968,

3002-400: The Philadelphia Sheraton Hotel. In 1958, Sheraton became the first hotel chain to centralize and computerize its reservations when it introduced Reservatron , the hotel industry's first automatic electronic reservations system. In 1959, Sheraton acquired its first properties outside North America, purchasing four hotels owned by the Matson Lines on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu , Hawaii -

3081-491: The Sheraton-Kingston Hotel in Jamaica and the British Colonial Hilton Nassau in Nassau, Bahamas . In 1962, Sheraton created a franchise division, primarily to operate Sheraton Motor Inns, large highway motels providing free parking. In 1963 Sheraton opened its first hotel in South America, the Macuto-Sheraton Hotel, outside Caracas, Venezuela . In 1965 the 100th Sheraton property, the Sheraton-Boston Hotel, opened. In 1966 Sheraton opened its first hotel in an Arab country,

3160-516: The Sixteen Acres and Pine Point neighborhoods). While Springfield's architecture is attractive, much of its built-environment stems from the 19th and early 20th centuries when the city experienced a period of "intense and concentrated prosperity"—today, its Victorian architecture can be found in various states of rehabilitation and disrepair. As of 2011, Springfield's housing prices are considerably lower than nearby New England cities which do not feature such intricate architecture. In Metro Center, stands

3239-429: The Springfield-headquartered Hampden Bank sponsored the Hoops City Jazz & Art Festival, a three-day event that drew approximately 30,000 people to Metro Center to hear varieties of different jazz music—from smooth jazz, to hard bop, to New Orleans-style jazz. Headliners included Springfield great Taj Mahal , the Average White Band , and Poncho Sanchez . In addition to its nickname The City of Firsts , Springfield

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3318-428: The Toronto and Ottawa properties to finance their continued Canadian expansion in 1950, paying $ 4.8 million to purchase Cardy Hotels, a chain of six properties in Ontario and Quebec. In April 1951, the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York City would host the 1951 NBA draft , which was the second ever draft under the NBA name and fifth overall NBA draft in existence by that time. In 1956, Sheraton paid $ 30 million to buy

3397-423: The United States' National Armory at Springfield , which produced the first American musket in 1794, and later the famous Springfield rifle . From 1777 until its closing during the Vietnam War , the Springfield Armory attracted skilled laborers to Springfield, making it the United States' longtime center for precision manufacturing. The near-capture of the armory during Shays' Rebellion of 1787 led directly to

3476-412: The United States' City Crime Rankings—its second-lowest ranking in recent years, (in 2009, it ranked 51st). Springfield's 2010 crime rating of 142 is down approximately 50% from its heights in the late 1990s and 2000s. The Urban Land Institute stated in 2010 that "the perception of crime [in Springfield] appears to be worse than the reality". By another measure, crime and population data collected by

3555-408: The United States. The city of Springfield itself is home to Springfield College , Western New England University , American International College , and Springfield Technical Community College , among other higher educational institutions. The area that would become Springfield was historically inhabited by indigenous people, with documented middle archaic period sites, a ceramic workshop site from

3634-400: The Woodland period in south Springfield, and the contact period Long Hill site, excavated in 1895. At the time of European contact at settlement, the Springfield area was inhabited by the Agawam tribe, who sold land to English settlers. Springfield was founded in 1636 by English Puritan William Pynchon as "Agawam Plantation" under the administration of the Connecticut Colony . In 1641 it

3713-401: The arms industry of the Armory, as well as from private companies such as Smith & Wesson , established by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson . Similarly, the industrial economy led Thomas and Charles Wason to establish the Wason Manufacturing Company , which produced the first manufactured sleeping car . The largest railcar works in New England, Wason produced 100 cars a day at its peak;

3792-412: The brand was renamed Four Points Flex by Sheraton. [REDACTED] Media related to Sheraton hotels at Wikimedia Commons Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts , United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River ,

3871-455: The brand's footprint. Starwood also began marketing The Luxury Collection as a completely separate brand, even though it contained a large number of hotels still named Sheraton. Most of those properties have since been renamed. Only three such hotels remain today - Sheraton Addis in ( Addis Ababa , Ethiopia ), Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit in ( Bangkok , Thailand ), and Sheraton Kuwait in ( Kuwait City , Kuwait ). Also in 1998, Sheraton joined with

3950-467: The brothers to manage the properties. In 1976, Aer Lingus , the national airline of Ireland, purchased Dunfey Hotels from Aetna. In 1983, Dunfey Hotels acquired the small Atlanta-based Omni International Hotels chain from Cousins Properties . The chain had been formed in 1973 and consisted of three hotels in Atlanta, Norfolk and Miami. Dunfey Hotels was reorganized into two operating divisions, with Omni Hotels focusing on large, upscale modern hotels, while

4029-449: The chain's headquarters for the very first time, from Hampton to his own base of Corpus Christi, Texas. The following year, Omni's headquarters moved again, to Dallas. In 2000, Omni Hotels struck a deal with Turner Broadcasting to build a 600-room tower wing addition next to their existing hotel located in the CNN Center . The new wing opened in 2003. Omni bought Time Warner's share of the building in 2017. In 2010, Omni Hotels purchased

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4108-446: The city has also become home to a number of cuisines not found elsewhere in the region, including Cajun restaurant Chef Wayne's Big Mamou, Lebanese restaurant Nadim's Downtown, local chain Puerto Rican Bakery, and a host of other Greek, Jamaican, Mexican, and Vietnamese venues. Springfield is home to five distinct museums at the Quadrangle , along with the ornate Springfield City Library —an architecturally significant example of

4187-407: The city of Chicopee (which constituted one of Springfield's most populous neighborhoods until it separated and became an independent municipality in 1852). The Connecticut state line is only 4 miles (6 km) south of Springfield, beside the wealthy suburb of Longmeadow , which itself separated from Springfield in 1783. Springfield's densely urban Metro Center district surrounding Main Street

4266-528: The city of Chicopee. The small cities of Agawam and West Springfield lie less than a mile (1.6 km) from Springfield's Metro Center, across the Connecticut River. The City of Springfield also owns the Springfield Country Club, located in the autonomous city of West Springfield, which separated from Springfield in 1774. Springfield, like other cities in southern New England, has a hot-summer humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfa ) with four distinct seasons and precipitation evenly distributed throughout

4345-551: The city since 1986. With 25 universities and colleges within a 15-mile (24 km) radius from Springfield, including several universities and liberal arts colleges , and more than six institutions within the city itself, the Hartford–Springfield metropolitan area has been dubbed the Knowledge Corridor by regional educators, civic authorities, and businessmen—touting its 32 universities and liberal arts colleges , numerous highly regarded hospitals, and nearly 120,000 students. The Knowledge Corridor universities and colleges provide

4424-435: The company was eventually purchased by Brill in 1907 and closed during the Depression in 1937. Among numerous other industries, during the first half of the 20th century Springfield also produced brass goods, chemicals, clothing and knit goods, paper goods, watches, boilers, engines, manufacturing machinery, silverware, jewelry, skates, carriages, buttons, needles, toys, and printed books and magazines. Springfield underwent

4503-409: The country. On the occasions that hurricanes have hit New England, Springfield's inland, upriver location has caused its damages to be considerably less than shoreline cities like New Haven, Connecticut , and Providence, Rhode Island . On June 1, 2011, Springfield was directly struck by the second-largest tornado ever to hit Massachusetts . With wind speeds exceeding 160 mph (257 km/h),

4582-439: The decade and into the eighties" but the jingle's lifespan went even beyond. In 1970, Sheraton introduced the Sheraton Towers concept, a line of luxury "hotel-within-a-hotel" facilities designed for business travelers and located within Sheraton's largest and most exclusive hotels. The first Sheraton Towers to open was in the chain's flagship Sheraton-Boston Hotel. That same year, Sheraton opened its first hotel in North Africa ,

4661-400: The early 21st century, Springfield saw long-term revitalization projects and several large projects, including the $ 1 billion New Haven–Hartford–Springfield intercity rail ; a $ 1 billion MGM casino ., and the $ 95 million redevelopment of Springfield Union Station. In December 2022, Springfield was designated by the National Park Service as an American World War II Heritage City,

4740-413: The eastern Chicopee River , and the eastern Mill River . At the 2020 census , the city's population was 155,929, making it the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the fourth most populous city in New England after Boston , Worcester , and Providence . Metropolitan Springfield , as one of two metropolitan areas in Massachusetts (the other being Greater Boston ), had

4819-468: The fertile Connecticut River Valley , surrounded by mountains, bluffs, and rolling hills in all cardinal directions, Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River, near its confluence with two major tributary rivers—the western Westfield River , which flows into the Connecticut opposite Springfield's South End Bridge; and the eastern Chicopee River , which flows into the Connecticut less than 0.5 mi (0.8 km) north of Springfield, in

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4898-406: The first American gasoline-powered car (1893, Duryea Brothers ); the first successful motorcycle company (1901, " Indian "); one of America's first commercial radio stations (1921, WBZ , broadcast from the Hotel Kimball ); and most famously, the world's second-most-popular sport, basketball (1891, Dr. James Naismith ). Springfield would play major roles in machine production, initially driven by

4977-478: The first in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and one of only 18 communities in the country. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 33.1 square miles (85.7 km ), of which 31.9 square miles (82.5 km ) are land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km ), or 3.65%, are water. Once nicknamed "The City in a Forest", Springfield features over 4.0 square miles (10.4 km ) of urban parkland, 12% of its total land area. Located in

5056-449: The formation of the U.S. Constitutional Convention . During the 19th and 20th centuries, Springfielders produced many innovations, including the first American-English dictionary (1805, Merriam-Webster ); the first use of interchangeable parts and the assembly line in manufacturing (1819, Thomas Blanchard ); the first American horseless car (1825, Thomas Blanchard); the mass production of vulcanized rubber (1844, Charles Goodyear );

5135-462: The ground . During that attack, three-quarters of the original settlement was burned to the ground, with many of Springfield's residents survived by taking refuge in John Pynchon's brick house, the "Old Fort", the first such house to be built in the Connecticut River Valley. Out of the siege, Miles Morgan and his sons were lauded as heroes; as one of the few homesteads to survive the attack, alerting troops in Hadley, as well as Toto, often referred to as

5214-433: The high snowfall amounts and blustery wind averages of nearby cities such as Worcester, Massachusetts , and Albany, New York . Springfield's summers are very warm and sometimes humid. During summer, several times per month, on hot days afternoon thunderstorms will develop when unstable warm air collides with approaching cold fronts . The daily average in July is around 74 °F (23 °C). Usually several days during

5293-580: The multinational conglomerate ITT Corporation purchased the chain and immediately sold eighteen aging Sheraton properties. Under ITT's ownership, Sheraton quickly moved away from ownership and operation of its properties to a new model of franchising and management, as the chain expanded greatly both in the US and abroad. In late 1969, Sheraton introduced the hotel industry's first nationwide toll-free number , which displaced two hundred local Sheraton reservation numbers. The radio jingle for "Eight-Oh-Oh, Three-Two-Five, Three-Five Three-Five" "ran throughout

5372-463: The newly merged company again became the world's largest hotel and resort company. Although the Sheraton brand expresses quality in Asia, aging properties have made the US market more problematic. In 2023, Marriott announced a new spinoff brand of Four Points by Sheraton, called Four Points Express by Sheraton, targeting the mid-range market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Its first property opened in Nilüfer, Bursa , Turkey that fall. In 2024,

5451-426: The population (33.2% Puerto Rican, 1.7% Dominican, 1.0% Mexican, 0.5% Guatemalan, 0.3% Cuban, 0.2% Colombian, 0.2% Spanish, 0.2% Salvadoran, 0.1% Peruvian, 0.1% Ecuadorian, 0.1% Panamanian, 0.1% Costa Rican, 0.1% Honduran). Non-Hispanic Whites were 36.7% of the population in 2010, down from 84.1% in 1970. Data is from the 2009–2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. In 2010, Springfield ranked 35th in

5530-404: The region with an educated workforce, which yields a yearly GDP of over $ 100 billion—more than at least 16 U.S. States. Hartford–Springfield has become home to a number of biotech firms and high-speed computing centers. As of 2009 Springfield ranks as the 24th most important high-tech center in the United States with approximately 14,000 high-tech jobs. In 2010, the median household income

5609-447: The remaining smaller motels and Sheraton franchises were branded as Dunfey Hotels while they were divested over the following three years. In 1988, Aer Lingus sold Omni Hotels to World International Holdings, Ltd., and the Hong Kong –based conglomerate The Wharf (Holdings) Limited for $ 135 million. Those companies, in turn, sold Omni in February 1996 to Texas-based private equity investor Robert Rowling of TRT Holdings , who moved

5688-472: The summer exceed 90 °F (32 °C), constituting a " heat wave ". Spring and fall temperatures are usually pleasant, with mild days and crisp, cool nights. Precipitation averages 45.85 inches (1,165 mm) annually, and snowfall averages 40.5 inches (103 cm), most of which falls from mid-December to early March. Although not unheard of, extreme weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes occur infrequently in Springfield compared with other areas in

5767-563: The two prominent skyscrapers, Tower Square, and Monarch Place , the latter of which is the tallest building in Massachusetts outside of Boston. Many of the city's Victorian buildings including former hotels, factories, and other institutions have been converted into apartment buildings and luxury condominiums. For example, Springfield's ornate Classical High School (235 State Street), with its immense Victorian atrium—where Dr. Seuss, Timothy Leary, and Taj Mahal all went to high school—is now

5846-465: The year, but the intensity (and sometimes the duration) of warmer periods is greater than in northern areas. Winters are cold with a daily average in January of around 26 °F (−3 °C). During winter, nor'easter storms can drop significant snowfalls on Springfield and the Connecticut River Valley . Temperatures below 0 °F (−18 °C) can occur each year, though the area does not experience

5925-464: Was $ 35,236. Median income for the family was $ 51,110. The per capita income was $ 16,863. About 21.3% of families and 26.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.0% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over. The City of Springfield is the economic center of Western Massachusetts. It features the Pioneer Valley 's largest concentration of retail, manufacturing, entertainment, banking, legal, and medical groups. Springfield

6004-512: Was invented in Springfield in 1891 by Canadian James Naismith . Hartford , the capital of Connecticut , lies 24 miles (39 km) south of Springfield, on the western bank of the Connecticut River. The Hartford–Springfield region is known as the Knowledge Corridor because it hosts over 160,000 university students and over 32 universities and liberal arts colleges —the second-highest concentration of higher-learning institutions in

6083-831: Was officially rebranded as ITT Sheraton. On January 13, 1992, ITT Sheraton designated 28 of its premier hotels and 33 of the Sheraton Towers as the ITT Sheraton Luxury Collection. The flagship of the division was The St Regis in New York City. In 1994, ITT Sheraton purchased a controlling interest in the Italian CIGA chain, the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, or Italian Grand Hotels Company. The chain had begun by operating hotels in Italy, but over-expanded across Europe just as

6162-761: Was one of the Quadrangle's five museums until 2009. In 2017 the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum opened in the former location, the William Pynchon Memorial Building. The collections of the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum are now located in the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History. Springfield's Indian Orchard neighborhood is home to the RMS Titanic Historical Society's Titanic Museum , which displays

6241-645: Was renamed after Pynchon's hometown of Springfield, Essex , England, following incidents, including trade disputes as well as Captain John Mason's hostilities toward native tribes, which precipitated the settlement's joining the Massachusetts Bay Colony . During its early existence, Springfield flourished both as an agricultural settlement and as a trading post, although its prosperity waned dramatically during (and after) King Philip's War in 1675, when natives laid siege to it and burned it to

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