121-654: The Paramount Theater (formerly known as Julia Sanderson Theater and The Hippodrome ) is an historic theater located at 1676-1708 Main Street in Springfield, Massachusetts . Built in 1926 out of part of the grand Massasoit House hotel at a cost of over $ 1 million, the Paramount Theater was the most ornate picture palace in Western Massachusetts . As of 2011, The Paramount is in the midst of
242-668: A border ruffian , was killed. Preston Brooks 's May 22 caning of anti-slavery Senator Charles Sumner in the United States Senate , news of which arrived by newswire (telegraph), also fueled Brown's anger. A pro-slavery writer, Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow , of the Squatter Sovereign , wrote that "[pro-slavery forces] are determined to repel this Northern invasion, and make Kansas a slave state ; though our rivers should be covered with
363-672: A $ 1.725 million renovation to once again become a theater after decades as a disco and concert hall, (the Hippodrome), when it was the center of Springfield's club scene. In 2018 the building's owners, the New England Farm Workers Council, announced plans to redevelop it in tandem with a new adjacent hotel building. In a push to renovate the Paramount along with Holyoke's Victory Theater , in October 2018,
484-637: A U.S. state in the history of the United States. The Harpers Ferry raid and Brown's trial , both covered extensively in national newspapers, escalated tensions that in the next year led to the South's long-threatened secession from the United States and the American Civil War . Southerners feared that others would soon follow in Brown's footsteps, encouraging and arming slave rebellions. He
605-480: A book. He worked briefly at his father's tannery before opening a successful tannery outside of town with his adopted brother Levi Blakeslee. The two kept bachelor's quarters, and Brown was a good cook. He had his bread baked by a widow, Mrs. Amos Lusk. As the tanning business had grown to include journeymen and apprentices, Brown persuaded her to take charge of his housekeeping. She and her daughter Dianthe moved into his log cabin. Brown married Dianthe in 1820. There
726-632: A brief stint as the Julia Sanderson Theater, honoring a famous actress from Springfield. However, it remained a movie theater until the 1960s, when it began to find use as a mixed use venue for movies, rock concerts, and other live performances. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. In 1999, the venue was purchased and restored by Steven Stein and Michael Barrasso of Paramount Realty Investment LLC/Creative Theater Concepts. At that time, it
847-597: A city that shared his own anti-slavery passions, and each seemed to educate the other. Certainly, with both successes and failures, Brown's Springfield years were a transformative period of his life that catalyzed many of his later actions. Two years before Brown's arrival in Springfield, in 1844, the city's African-American abolitionists had founded the Sanford Street Free Church, now known as St. John's Congregational Church , which became one of
968-646: 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
1089-540: 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
1210-497: A farm where he could provide guidance and assistance to the blacks who were attempting to establish farms in the area. He bought from Smith land in the town of North Elba, New York (near Lake Placid ), for $ 1 an acre ($ 2/ha). It has a magnificent view and has been called "the highest arable spot of land in the State." After living with his family about two years in a small rented house, and returning for several years to Ohio, he had
1331-411: A fine at Meadville for declining to serve in the militia. During this period, Brown operated an interstate cattle and leather business along with a kinsman, Seth Thompson, from eastern Ohio. In 1829, some white families asked Brown to help them drive off Native Americans who hunted annually in the area. Calling it a mean act, Brown declined, even saying "I would sooner take my gun and help drive you out of
SECTION 10
#17327726881951452-720: A hero to many Northern abolitionists. On September 7, Brown entered Lawrence to meet with Free State leaders and help fortify against a feared assault. At least 2,700 pro-slavery Missourians were once again invading Kansas. On September 14, they skirmished near Lawrence. Brown prepared for battle, but serious violence was averted when the new governor of Kansas, John W. Geary , ordered the warring parties to disarm and disband, and offered clemency to former fighters on both sides. Brown had become infamous and federal warrants were issued for his arrest due to his actions in Kansas. He became careful of how he travelled and whom he stayed with across
1573-448: 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,
1694-835: A letter of recommendation from a prominent and wealthy merchant, George Walker. Walker was the brother-in-law of Franklin Benjamin Sanborn , the secretary for the Massachusetts State Kansas Committee , who introduced Brown to several influential abolitionists in the Boston area in January 1857. Amos Adams Lawrence , a prominent Boston merchant, secretly gave Brown a large amount of cash. William Lloyd Garrison , Thomas Wentworth Higginson , Theodore Parker and George Luther Stearns , and Samuel Gridley Howe also supported Brown, although Garrison,
1815-594: A liberal education and become a Gospel minister. He consulted and conferred with Jeremiah Hallock, then clergyman at Canton, Connecticut , whose wife was a relative of Brown's, and as advised proceeded to Plainfield, Massachusetts , where, under the instruction of Moses Hallock, he prepared for college. He would have continued at Amherst College , but he suffered from inflammation of the eyes which ultimately became chronic and precluded further studies. He returned to Ohio. Back in Hudson, Brown taught himself surveying from
1936-685: 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
2057-512: 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
2178-492: A means of developing his scheme of emancipation". The white leadership there, including "the publisher of The Republican , one of the nation's most influential newspapers, were deeply involved and emotionally invested in the anti-slavery movement ". Brown made connections in Springfield that later yielded financial support he received from New England's great merchants, allowed him to hear and meet nationally famous abolitionists like Douglass and Sojourner Truth , and included
2299-463: A mighty king. Fifty men, twenty men, in the Alleghenies would break slavery to pieces in two years. Brown kept his plans a secret, including the care he took not to share the plans with his men, according to Jeremiah Anderson, one of the participants in the raid. His son Owen , the only one who survived of Brown's three participating sons, said in 1873 that he did not think his father wrote down
2420-627: 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
2541-483: A pacificist, disagreed about the need to use violence to end slavery. Most of the money for the raid came from the " Secret Six ", Franklin B. Sanborn , Samuel G. Howe M.D., businessman George L. Stearns , real estate tycoon Gerrit Smith , transcendentalist and reforming minister of the Unitarian church Theodore Parker , and Unitarian minister Thomas Wentworth Higginson . Recent research has also highlighted
SECTION 20
#17327726881952662-630: A partnership with Zenas Kent to construct a tannery along the Cuyahoga River , though Brown left the partnership before the tannery was completed. Brown continued to work on the Underground Railroad. Brown became a bank director and was estimated to be worth US$ 20,000 (equivalent to about $ 590,710 in 2023). Like many businessmen in Ohio, he invested too heavily in credit and state bonds and suffered great financial losses in
2783-653: 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
2904-567: A preacher for a Congregational Society in Richmond. Their first meetings were held at the farm and tannery compound. He also helped to establish a post office, and in 1828 President John Quincy Adams named him the first postmaster of Randolph Township, Pennsylvania ; he was reappointed by President Andrew Jackson , serving until he left Pennsylvania in 1835. He carried the mail for some years from Meadville, Pennsylvania , through Randolph to Riceville , some 20 miles (32 km). He paid
3025-524: 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
3146-425: A raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (which later became part of West Virginia ), intending to start a slave liberation movement that would spread south; he had prepared a Provisional Constitution for the revised, slavery-free United States that he hoped to bring about. He seized the armory, but seven people were killed and ten or more were injured. Brown intended to arm slaves with weapons from
3267-582: 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
3388-472: A successful tannery, to be better situated to operate a safe and productive Underground Railroad station. He moved to Richmond Township in Crawford County, Pennsylvania , in 1825 and lived there until 1835, longer than he did anywhere else. He bought 200 acres (81 hectares) of land, cleared an eighth of it, and quickly built a cabin, a two-story tannery with 18 vats, and a barn; in the latter
3509-489: A wagon loaded with weapons and ammunition. Brown stayed with Florella (Brown) Adair and the Reverend Samuel Adair, his half-sister and her husband, who lived near Osawatomie . During that time, he rallied support to fight proslavery forces, and became the leader of the antislavery forces in Kansas. Brown and the free-state settlers intended to bring Kansas into the union as a slavery-free state. After
3630-400: 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
3751-412: 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
Paramount Theater (Springfield, Massachusetts) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3872-522: 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
3993-489: 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
4114-400: Is no known picture of her, but he described Dianthe as "a remarkably plain, but neat, industrious and economical girl, of excellent character, earnest piety, and practical common sense". Their first child, John Jr. , was born 13 months later. During 12 years of married life Dianthe gave birth to seven children, among them Owen , and died from complications of childbirth in 1832. Brown knew
4235-703: 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
4356-675: 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
4477-599: 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
4598-520: 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
4719-699: 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,
4840-696: The Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River , 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
4961-582: The Declaration of Independence , which states that "all men are created equal." He stated that in his view, these two principles "meant the same thing." Brown first gained national attention when he led anti-slavery volunteers and his sons during the Bleeding Kansas crisis of the late 1850s, a state-level civil war over whether Kansas would enter the Union as a slave state or a free state . He
Paramount Theater (Springfield, Massachusetts) - Misplaced Pages Continue
5082-646: The John Brown Farm State Historic Site has been owned by New York State and is now a National Historic Landmark . Kansas Territory was in the midst of a state-level civil war from 1854 to 1860, referred to as the Bleeding Kansas period, between pro- and anti-slavery forces. From 1854 to 1856, there had been eight killings in Kansas Territory attributable to slavery politics. There had been no organized action by abolitionists against pro-slavery forces by 1856. The issue
5203-463: The League of Gileadites onward, not one person was ever taken back into slavery from Springfield. His daughter Amelia died in 1846, followed by Emma in 1849. In 1848, bankrupt and having lost the family's house, Brown heard of Gerrit Smith 's Adirondack land grants to poor black men, in so remote a location that Brown later called it Timbuctoo , and decided to move his family there to establish
5324-549: The Panic of 1837 . In one episode of property loss, Brown was jailed when he attempted to retain ownership of a farm by occupying it against the claims of the new owner. In November 1837, Elijah Parish Lovejoy was murdered in Alton, Illinois for printing an abolitionist newspaper. Brown, deeply upset about the incident, became more militant in his behavior, comparable with Reverend Henry Highland Garnet . Brown publicly vowed after
5445-622: The Revolutionary War in New York on September 3, 1776. His mother, of Dutch and Welsh descent, was the daughter of Gideon Mills, an officer in the Revolutionary Army. Although Brown described his parents as "poor but respectable" at some point, Owen Brown became a leading and wealthy citizen of Hudson, Ohio. He operated a tannery and employed Jesse Grant , father of President Ulysses S. Grant . Jesse lived with
5566-434: 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
5687-517: 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
5808-477: The "strong-minded, brave, and dedicated" Eli Baptist, William Montague, and Thomas Thomas —who risked being caught by slave catchers and sold into slavery. Upon leaving Springfield in 1850, he instructed the League to act "quickly, quietly, and efficiently" to protect slaves that escaped to Springfield – words that would foreshadow Brown's later actions preceding Harpers Ferry. From Brown's founding of
5929-487: The 2000s. In 2011, the theater was purchased by the New England Farm Worker's Council. As of 2011, the Paramount Theater is in the midst of a $ 1.725 million renovation to once again become a theater and performance space. 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
6050-616: 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
6171-451: The Bible thoroughly and could catch even small errors in Bible recitation. He never used tobacco nor drank tea, coffee, or alcohol. After the Bible, his favorite books were the series of Plutarch 's Parallel Lives and he enjoyed reading about Napoleon and Oliver Cromwell . He felt that "truly successful men" were those with their own libraries. Brown left Hudson, Ohio , where he had
SECTION 50
#17327726881956292-446: The Brown family for some years. The founder of Hudson, David Hudson , with whom John's father had frequent contact, was an abolitionist and an advocate of "forcible resistance by the slaves." The fourth child of Owen and Ruth, Brown's other siblings included Anna Ruth (born in 1798), Salmon (born 1802), and Oliver Owen (born in 1804). Frederick, identified by Owen as his sixth son, was born in 1807. Frederick visited Brown when he
6413-943: The Congregational church at Kent, then called Franklin, Ohio, for taking a colored man into their own pew; and the deacons of the church tried to persuade him to concede his error. My wife and various members of the family afterward joined the Wesley Methodists, but John Brown never connected himself with any church again. For three or four years he seemed to flounder hopelessly, moving from one activity to another without plan. He tried many different business efforts attempting to get out of debt. He bred horses briefly, but gave it up when he learned that buyers were using them as race horses. He did some surveying, farming, and tanning . Brown declared bankruptcy in federal court on September 28, 1842. In 1843, three of his children — Charles, Peter, Austin — died of dysentery . From
6534-461: 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
6655-529: The Free State settlements there and then march on Topeka and Lawrence . On the morning of August 30, 1856, they shot and killed Brown's son Frederick and his neighbor David Garrison on the outskirts of Osawatomie. Brown, outnumbered more than seven to one, arranged his 38 men behind natural defenses along the road. Firing from cover, they managed to kill at least 20 of Reid's men and wounded 40 more. Reid regrouped, ordering his men to dismount and charge into
6776-530: The Negro community at Timbuctoo, New York , and organizing in his own mind an anti-slavery raid that would strike a significant blow against the entire slave system, running slaves off Southern plantations. According to his first biographer James Redpath , "for thirty years, he secretly cherished the idea of being the leader of a servile insurrection: the American Moses, predestined by Omnipotence to lead
6897-579: 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
7018-658: 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
7139-513: The Underground Railroad, during which, it is estimated to have helped 2,500 enslaved people on their journey to Canada, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Brown recruited other Underground Railroad stationmasters to strengthen the network. Brown made money surveying new roads. He was involved in erecting a school, which first met in his home—he was its first teacher —, and attracting
7260-482: 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
7381-472: 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
SECTION 60
#17327726881957502-408: 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
7623-577: 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
7744-543: The World (1829), which he helped publicize. Before Brown left Springfield in 1850, the United States passed the Fugitive Slave Act , a law mandating that authorities in free states aid in the return of escaped slaves and imposing penalties on those who aid in their escape. In response, Brown founded a militant group to prevent the recapture of fugitives, the League of Gileadites , operated by free Blacks—like
7865-451: The administration of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced a $ 2.5 million grant to assist the project, on top of a $ 4 million federal loan guarantee. However, the New England Farm Workers Council would subsequently announced plans to sell the building on July 30, 2024. An auction was slated for August 20 of that year before being delayed to September 23. From 1926 until the 1960s, The Paramount changed names several times—including
7986-430: The answer was that he was a slave. According to Brown's son-in-law Henry Thompson, it was that moment when John Brown decided to dedicate his life to improving African Americans' condition. As a child in Hudson, John got to know local Native Americans and learned some of their language. He accompanied them on hunting excursions and invited them to eat in his home. At 16, Brown left his family for New England to acquire
8107-495: The armory, but only a few slaves joined his revolt. Those of Brown's men who had not fled were killed or captured by local militia and U.S. Marines , the latter led by Robert E. Lee . Brown was tried for treason against the Commonwealth of Virginia , the murder of five men, and inciting a slave insurrection. He was found guilty of all charges and was hanged on December 2, 1859, the first person executed for treason against
8228-481: 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;
8349-444: The blood of their victims, and the carcasses of the abolitionists should be so numerous in the territory as to breed disease and sickness, we will not be deterred from our purpose". Brown was outraged by both the violence of the pro-slavery forces and what he saw as a weak and cowardly response by the antislavery partisans and the Free State settlers, whom he described as "cowards, or worse". The Pottawatomie massacre occurred during
8470-575: 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
8591-407: 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
8712-605: 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
8833-681: 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
8954-494: 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
9075-494: The conflict on June 2. In the Battle of Black Jack of June 2, 1856, John Brown, nine of his followers, and 20 local men successfully defended a Free State settlement at Palmyra, Kansas , against an attack by Henry Clay Pate . Pate and 22 of his men were taken prisoner. In August, a company of over 300 Missourians under the command of General John W. Reid crossed into Kansas and headed toward Osawatomie , intending to destroy
9196-416: The country. Brown's plans for a major attack on American slavery began long before the raid. According to his wife Mary, interviewed while her husband was awaiting his execution, Brown had been planning the attack for 20 years. Frederick Douglass noted that he made the plans before he fought in Kansas. For instance, he spent the years between 1842 and 1849 settling his business affairs, moving his family to
9317-409: 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),
9438-506: The country." In 1831, Brown's son Frederick (I) died, at the age of 4. Brown fell ill, and his businesses began to suffer, leaving him in severe debt. In mid-1832, shortly after the death of a newborn son, his wife Dianthe also died, either in childbirth or as an immediate consequence of it. He was left with the children John Jr. , Jason, Owen , Ruth and Frederick (II). On July 14, 1833, Brown married 17-year-old Mary Ann Day (1817–1884), originally from Washington County, New York ; she
9559-401: The current house – now a monument preserved by New York State – built for his family, viewing it as a place of refuge for them while he was away. According to youngest son Salmon, "frugality was observed from a moral standpoint, but one and all we were a well-fed, well-clad lot." After he was executed on December 2, 1859, his widow took his body there for burial ;
9680-511: The decades preceding the Civil War . First reaching national prominence in the 1850s for his radical abolitionism and fighting in Bleeding Kansas , Brown was captured, tried, and executed by the Commonwealth of Virginia for a raid and incitement of a slave rebellion at Harpers Ferry in 1859. An evangelical Christian of strong religious convictions, Brown was profoundly influenced by the Puritan faith of his upbringing. He believed that he
9801-473: 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,
9922-400: The elementary level in Hudson at that time, Brown studied at the school of the abolitionist Elizur Wright, father of the famous Elizur Wright , in nearby Tallmadge . In a story he told to his family, when he was 12 years old and away from home moving cattle, Brown worked for a man with a colored boy, who was beaten before him with an iron shovel. He asked the man why he was treated thus, and
10043-521: The entire plan. He did discuss his plans at length, for over a day, with Frederick Douglass, trying unsuccessfully to persuade Douglass, a black leader, to accompany him to Harpers Ferry (which Douglass thought a suicidal mission that could not succeed). To attain financial backing and political support for the raid on Harpers Ferry, Brown spent most of 1857 meeting with abolitionists in Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut. Initially Brown returned to Springfield, where he received contributions, and also
10164-587: 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
10285-468: 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
10406-558: 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
10527-449: 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 );
10648-415: The foundation of the League of Gileadites . Brown's personal attitudes evolved in Springfield, as he observed the success of the city's Underground Railroad and made his first venture into militant, anti-slavery community organizing. In speeches, he pointed to the martyrs Elijah Lovejoy and Charles Turner Torrey as white people "ready to help blacks challenge slave-catchers". In Springfield, Brown found
10769-653: 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
10890-484: 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
11011-474: The incident: "Here, before God, in the presence of these witnesses, from this time, I consecrate my life to the destruction of slavery!" Brown objected to Black congregants being relegated to the balcony at his church in Franklin Mills. According to daughter Ruth Brown's husband Henry Thompson, whose brother was killed at Harpers Ferry: [H]e and his three sons, John, Jason, and Owen, were expelled from
11132-677: The mid-1840s, Brown had built a reputation as an expert in fine sheep and wool. For about one year, he ran Captain Oviatt's farm, and he then entered into a partnership with Colonel Simon Perkins of Akron, Ohio , whose flocks and farms were managed by Brown and his sons. Brown eventually moved into a home with his family across the street from the Perkins Stone Mansion . In 1846, Brown moved to Springfield, Massachusetts , as an agent for Ohio wool growers in their relations with New England manufacturers of woolen goods, but "also as
11253-489: The most active and forceful. John's mother Ruth died a few hours after the death of her newborn girl in December 1808. In his memoir, Brown wrote that he mourned his mother for years. While he respected his father's new wife, Sallie Root, he never felt an emotional bond with her. Owen married a third time to Lucy Hinsdale, a formerly married woman. Owen had a total of 6 daughters and 10 sons. With no school beyond
11374-520: The most anti-slavery region of the country. Owen hated slavery and participated in Hudson's anti-slavery activity and debate, offering a safe house to Underground Railroad fugitives . Owen became a supporter of Oberlin College after Western Reserve College would not allow a Black man to enroll in the school. Owen was an Oberlin trustee from 1835 to 1844. Other Brown family members were abolitionists, but John and his eccentric brother Oliver were
11495-564: The most prominent abolitionist platforms in the United States. From 1846 until he left Springfield in 1850, Brown was a member of the Free Church, where he witnessed abolitionist lectures by the likes of Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth . In 1847, after speaking at the Free Church, Douglass spent a night speaking with Brown, after which Douglass wrote, "From this night spent with John Brown in Springfield, Mass. [in] 1847, while I continued to write and speak against slavery, I became all
11616-446: The night of May 24 and the morning of May 25, 1856. Under Brown's supervision, his sons and other abolitionist settlers took from their residences and killed five "professional slave hunters and militant pro-slavery" settlers. The massacre was the match in the powderkeg that precipitated the bloodiest period in "Bleeding Kansas" history, a three-month period of retaliatory raids and battles in which 29 people died. Henry Clay Pate , who
11737-426: 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
11858-567: The red-brick, former Milton Bradley toy factory is now Stockbridge Court Apartments (45 Willow Street). In the Ridgewood Historic District, the 1950s-futurist Mulberry House (101 Mulberry Street), is now a condominium building that features some of the finest views of Springfield. John Brown (abolitionist) John Brown (May 9, 1800 – December 2, 1859) was a prominent leader in the American abolitionist movement in
11979-404: 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
12100-467: The same less hopeful for its peaceful abolition." During Brown's time in Springfield, he became deeply involved in transforming the city into a major center of abolitionism, and one of the safest and most significant stops on the Underground Railroad. Brown contributed to the 1848 republication, by his friend Henry Highland Garnet , of David Walker 's An Appeal to the Colored Citizens of
12221-467: The servile nations in our Southern States to freedom." An acquaintance said: "As Moses was raised up and chosen of God to deliver the Children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage, ...he was...fully convinced in his own mind that he was to be the instrument in the hands of God to effect the emancipation of the slaves." Brown said that, A few men in the right, and knowing that they are right, can overturn
12342-481: The substantial contribution of Mary Ellen Pleasant , an African American entrepreneur and abolitionist, who donated $ 30,000 (equivalent to $ 981,000 in 2023) toward the cause. In Boston, he met Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson . Even with the Secret Six and other contributors, Brown had not collected all money needed to fund the raid. He wrote an appeal, Old Browns Farewell , to abolitionists in
12463-472: 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
12584-430: The trip took five days, and he was buried on December 8. Watson's body was located and buried there in 1882. In 1899 the remains of 12 of Brown's other collaborators, including his son Oliver, were located and brought to North Elba. They could not be identified well enough for separate burials, so they are buried together in a single casket donated by the town of North Elba; there is a collective plaque there now. Since 1895,
12705-500: 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
12826-470: The winter snows thawed in 1856, the pro-slavery activists began a campaign to seize Kansas on their own terms. Brown was particularly affected by the sacking of Lawrence , the center of anti-slavery activity in Kansas, on May 21, 1856. A sheriff -led posse from Lecompton, the center of pro-slavery activity in Kansas, destroyed two abolitionist newspapers and the Free State Hotel . Only one man,
12947-514: The woods. Brown's small group scattered and fled across the Marais des Cygnes River . One of Brown's men was killed during the retreat and four were captured. While Brown and his surviving men hid in the woods nearby, the Missourians plundered and burned Osawatomie. Though defeated, Brown's bravery and military shrewdness in the face of overwhelming odds brought him national attention and made him
13068-410: 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
13189-475: Was "an instrument of God," raised to strike the "death blow" to slavery in the United States , a "sacred obligation." Brown was the leading exponent of violence in the American abolitionist movement , believing it was necessary to end slavery after decades of peaceful efforts had failed. Brown said that in working to free the enslaved, he was following Christian ethics , including the Golden Rule , and
13310-464: 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
13431-558: Was a hero and icon in the North. Union soldiers marched to the new song " John Brown's Body " that portrayed him as a heroic martyr . Brown has been variously described as a heroic martyr and visionary, and as a madman and terrorist . John Brown was born May 9, 1800, in Torrington, Connecticut , the son of Owen Brown (1771–1856) and Ruth Mills (1772–1808). Owen Brown's father was Capt. John Brown, of English descent, who died in
13552-460: Was a secret, well-ventilated room to hide escaping slaves. He transported refugees across the state border into New York and to an important Underground Railroad connection in Jamestown , about 55 miles (89 km) from Richmond Township. The escapees were hidden in the wagon he used to move the mail, hides for his tannery, and survey equipment. For ten years, his farm was an important stop on
13673-493: Was dissatisfied with abolitionist pacifism, saying of pacifists, "These men are all talk. What we need is action – action!" In May 1856, Brown and his sons killed five supporters of slavery in the Pottawatomie massacre , a response to the sacking of Lawrence by pro-slavery forces. Brown then commanded anti-slavery forces at the Battle of Black Jack and the Battle of Osawatomie . In October 1859, Brown led
13794-474: Was in jail, awaiting execution. He had an adopted brother, Levi Blakeslee (born some time before 1805). Salmon became a lawyer, politician, and newspaper editor. While Brown was very young, his father moved the family briefly to his hometown, West Simsbury, Connecticut . In 1805, the family moved, again, to Hudson, Ohio , in the Western Reserve , which at the time was mostly wilderness; it became
13915-444: 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
14036-761: 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
14157-592: Was part of the sacking of Lawrence was, either during or shortly before, commissioned as a Deputy United States Marshal. On hearing news of John Brown's actions at the Pottawatomie Massacre , Pate set out with a band of thirty men to hunt Brown down. During the hunt for Brown, two of his sons (Jason and John Junior ) were captured (either by Pate or another marshal), charged with murder, and thrown in irons. Brown and free-state militia gathered to confront Pate. Two of Pate's men were captured, which led to
14278-645: 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
14399-453: Was the younger sister of Brown's housekeeper at the time. They eventually had 13 children, seven of whom were sons who worked with their father in the fight to abolish slavery. In 1836, Brown moved his family from Pennsylvania to Franklin Mills, Ohio , where he taught Sunday school . He borrowed heavily to buy land in the area, including property along canals being built, and entered into
14520-409: Was to be decided by the voters of Kansas, but who these voters were was not clear; there was widespread voting fraud in favor of the pro-slavery forces, as a Congressional investigation confirmed. Five of Brown's sons — John Jr., Jason, Owen, Frederick, and Salmon — moved to Kansas Territory in the spring of 1855. Brown, his son Oliver, and his son-in-law Henry Thompson followed later that year with
14641-477: Was turned into a lavish nightclub and performance space. The venue's main floor seats were removed; however, the 1,100 balcony seats were retained and restored. The theater underwent a $ 1.3 million renovation in 1999, and was reopened as the Hippodrome. The original organ was restored and the marquee was changed to reflect the theater's new name. The Hippodrome became a popular nightclub and concert venue during
#194805