Not much to see in this Museum.
I really appreciate that there is an organization devoted to preserving Springfield's beginnings, though. Unfortunately, I can't help but compare this museum to Brownsville, (population under 2,000) and wonder why there's so little to tell in Springfield (population over 60,000). The building is great, I must say, (but has no handicapped access) and the floor space is limited, so maybe that's one reason. There were random cases here and there with objects in them, a dressmakers dummy with a Victorian style dress, a few household items and a temporary exhibit with nice quilts displayed here and there. Upstairs there is a ridiculous Simpsons display area. I'm glad Matt Groening finally admitted that this is the Springfield he was thinking of when he created the television show, but find the fiberglass display quite garish and un-historical.
I just didn't get any hint of why Springfield is here, other than the photo showing the location of the spring (The spring that gave the name to Springfield) is (under an apartment building on B street). I was thinking about the wood industries here, Dorris Ranch, the large population of Latinos, the proximity to Eugene and how the people there refer to Springfield down their noses ("Springtucky") and what has been done to create an identity that speaks directly to the actual current population besides one photo of a local native tribe? What about the ferry that used to link Springfield with Eugene?
I realize the whole "Simpsons" connection is to draw in visitors, and I suppose this has been successful to some degree, but I did find this pretty empty of local history. This makes me sad, as the volunteers who run the place are well-meaning and nice. read more