Jason B Woods

About forestry service, 45874, Ohio City, OH, US, Ohio

Springfield is a city in Clark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in southwestern Ohio along the Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, about 45 miles (72 km) west of Columbus and 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Dayton. The city had a total population of 58,662 at the 2020 census, while the Springfield metropolitan area had 136,001 residents. Springfield is home to Wittenberg University, a liberal arts college, and Clark State College, a community college. The Little Miami Scenic Trail, a paved rail-trail that is nearly 80 miles (130 kilometers) long, extends from the Buck Creek Scenic Trail head in Springfield south to Newtown, Ohio. Buck Creek State Park and its Clarence J. Brown reservoir are located at the city limits. == History == === Before European settlement === The original pre-contact inhabitants of Springfield were the Shawnee people. During the 18th century, the Ohio Country saw warfare, waves of migration and displacement, and imposition of claims by rivaling colonial powers France and Britain. With the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, the British became the sole European claimants of the region. The area was home to the major Shawnee village in the region, called Peckuwe or Piqua.