A field full of springs. It is a lovely image, isn’t it? A beautiful little green gracious place with natural springs abounding.
Either that, or it could be the back lot behind the mattress factory where they dump all their unused… well… you know… springs.
In any case, it bears the name. Springfield. But. Does the U.S. have too many Springfields? I’ll tell you this. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there are currently 67 populated places named Springfield in the U.S.A. That is more than one in every state.
So. Is that too many? Some are saying yes after a tragic mixup not long ago involving two different Springfields and Trader Joe’s.
A newspaper in Springfield, MO, wrote that a Trader Joe’s was opening in the city after a T.J.’s spokesperson confirmed “plans to open a new store in Springfield.”
However, shortly after, the spokesperson for T.J. had to apologize. She said she thought the paper was in Springfield, VA, where the store is actually opening. Apparently, though, that paper was in Missouri. So there was a major disappointment for all of the Missouri Springfieldians who had long requested a Trader Joe’s.
This saga offers an opportunity to point out that Springfield is not the most common city name in the U.S. That would be Franklin, followed by Clinton, Madison, and Washington in a three-way tie for second, per the USPS. I’ve never lived in any of these places with these names.
But. For the record. There are 23 Camdens in the United States. So, from now on, I’ll have to be very clear when I speak of mine. Technically, I don’t live “in” Camden; I simply live near it. You see, I needed a zip code so I acquired the name by association.
And now, we have another Springfield. For much different reasons. In the news. Again.
Home sweet home.
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“What is common is not always easy to find; what is easy to find is not always common.” – Anonymous
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“Nothing is more common than the wish to be remarkable.” – William Hazlitt
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“A place for everything, everything in its place.” – Benjamin Franklin
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