G. Michael Dobbs

Springfield (Postcard History: Massachusetts) G. Michael Dobbs

Springfield is a city rich with history and a tradition of innovation. Dubbed the "City of Firsts," it has been influencing change since 1786, when the city was the site of Shays' Rebellion, the revolutionary uprising that prompted early Americans to form the Constitutional Convention. The city is the birthplace of the first American gas-powered car and the American motorcycle. In the 1930s, the pioneering Granville Brothers manufactured the airplanes that tore up the skies over Springfield during the golden age of air racing. Spring field is also the home of Dr. Seuss, the counter-culture hero Timothy Leary, and the Merriam-Webster dictionary.