Springfield's Progress in 1909
A patron found this article, "Springfield's Progress in 1909", listing the progress of businesses and public works in the Springfield Republican. Newspapers often made reports of this type to attract new businesses to the area.
Springfield Republican
1 Jan 1910, page 1.
Springfield’s Progress in 1909
- "Work inaugurated on a new $250,000 court house for Greene County.
- Landers Theater built during the year at a cost of over $100,000.
- Two electric car lines built to the new Frisco shops North West of the city.
- St. Louis & San Francisco railroad shops completed at a cost of $1,750,000.
- Deposits in the eleven banks of Springfield increased over $2,000,000 during 1909.
- Taxable wealth of Springfield increased during the year just closed more than $5,000,000.
- More than $2,000,000 invested in new business blocks and new residences during the year.
- Five new churches to cost in the aggregate more than $150,000 are now in course of erection.
- Work of improving the public square was inaugurated and will be completed early in the new year.
- Missouri Pythian Home to cost $100,000 located here by the Grand Lodge of the Knights of Pythias.
- Street paving contracts completed during the year at a cost of $100,000 with six other contracts under way.
- Work is inaugurated by John T. Woodruff and associates on a ten story office building to cost more than $750,000.
- “White Ways” [electric street lights] established on Commercial Street, Walnut Street, South Street, Campbell Street and College Street.
- State Immigration Bureau provided for by an act of the last general assembly established headquarters in Springfield.
- The Merchants’ National Bank, the People’s State Bank and the Bank of Greene County established during the year.
- Appellate court for the Southern District of Missouri created by the last general assembly is located in Springfield.
- Drury college completes a Classical hall at a cost of $25,000 and makes other improvements valued at three times that sum.
- More than fifty new retail establishments and industrial enterprises. established during the year, representing an investment of about $1,000,000.
- Exchange of property by the Springfield Gas & Electric Company and the Frisco railroad made to insure the building of a new passenger station and a larger gas plant."
More histories of Springfield and Greene County are online. More postcards are available too.
Find this article at http://thelibrary.org/blogs/article.cfm?aid=1459&lid=0