AREA HISTORY:  Springfield Topography, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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TOPOGRAPHY – Page 715

Springfield is crossed from north to south by the York & Maryland Line Turnpike, which passed 
over the line of the old Potapsco road, laid out from York to Joppa and Potapsco (now 
Baltimore) in 1742, the year after York was founded.  Joppa, now a dilapidated village on the 
Gunpowder River, was then the county seat of Baltimore County.  The turnpike passes along the 
summit of the height of land that divides the tributaries of two large branches of the Codorus 
Creek, which form a confluence at the extreme northern point of Springfield.  These streams 
separate Springfield from Hopewell on the east, York on the north, Codorus and North Codorus on 
the west.  The southern boundary is an artificial line separating it from Shrewsbury.  The 
surface of this township is very undulating.  At different places along the turnpike, the view 
in summer over the beautifully rounded hills, and systematically carved little valleys, all 
clad in rich verdure, is delightful to behold.  The Northern Central Railway passes along the 
western part and crosses the Codorus five times within the limits of the township.  The 
population in 1840 was 1,207; in 1880 it was 1,854; the number of taxables in 1884 was 559; 
valuation of real estate, $811,191; county tax, $3,151; State tax, $220.  Foust’s Distillery in 
the lower end of Springfield is specially notes for the manufacture of pure liquors.  A very 
large business has been done at this place for many years.