The Rose City

The Rose City. Springfield Ohio. , For nearly 80 years Clark County was home to a flourishing nursery and florist industry. In fact, Springfield and Clark County grew and shipped more roses than any other city in the country. Rose growing and shipping became a multi-million dollar industry beginning in the 1870s with the innovation of a safe shipping process for young bushes and the availability of rail transportation., In the late 1870s, Charles A. Reeser had an idea. He believed it was possible to send dormant one or two-year-old roses short distances by railroad. His former employee developed the process. Reeser opened a greenhouse and mail-order business, and the rest is history. In a 1919 publication, the Springfield Chamber of Commerce noted that there were 33 greenhouses in Springfield alone, which produced 9,637,000 roses each year. That total was even higher if you counted all the greenhouses in Clark County. In the 1930s more coal was used for the local floral industry than in the steel industry., Even the most prosperous of local industries will inevitably meet stiff competition. The advent of the airplane, the availability of cheaper labor abroad coupled with rising demands for higher wages locally, and competition from growers using newer labor-saving devices combined to bring about the demise of the local rose industry. The majority of local commercial greenhouses were torn down in the early 1950s., In addition to being known as the Rose City, Springfield has two other designated names. At the turn of the 20th century, Springfield became known as the Home City. It was a period of high activity by fraternal organizations. Lodges such as the Masonic Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and Odd Fellows built homes for orphans and aged members of their orders. Springfield also became known as The Champion City, a reference to the Champion Farm Equipment brand and the iconic Champion Reaper and mower, manufactured by the Warder, Bushnell and Glessner Company. In 1902 the company was absorbed into International Harvester, which operates today in Springfield as Navistar International, a manufacturer of medium-to-large trucks., [Sidebar:] , Where is She now? , This location was formerly the site of the Madonna of the Trail monument, which is one of a series of twelve identical statues that sits on National Road. These statues were intended to provide a symbol of the courage and faith of women whose strength and love aided so greatly in conquering the wilderness and establishing permanent homes in the United States. The monuments, created by sculptor August Leimbach and funded wholly by contributions, were commissioned by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Springfield's Madonna of the Trail Monument was first erected on the grounds of the Ohio Masonic Home and dedicated on July 4, 1928 by Harry S. Truman. It was relocated to this Snyder Park location in 1956 when the State Route was expanded. The sculpture was moved to its current location at the National Road Commons Park in Downtown Springfield on September 21, 2011. In 2019, the National Trail Parks and Recreation District received a generous donation from the Carleton Davidson Trust to improve this area of Snyder Park. This site sat vacant until 2020 when James Perkins, an artist from Cincinnati, was selected to create a metal sculpture. The sculpture titled "Heirloom - a Celebration of our Rich Past and Bright Future" is constructed of aluminum and was installed on July 21, 2020.