Springfield, MO: Wandering Walks of Wonder Slow TV Walking Tour

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Springfield Missouri’s nickname is "Queen City of the Ozarks" as well as "The 417" after the area code for the city. It is also known as the "Birthplace of Route 66". It is home to three universities, Missouri State University, Drury University, and Evangel University. In 1833, the southern part of the state was named Greene County after Revolutionary War hero General Nathanael Greene. The legislature deeded 50 acres of land to John Campbell for the creation of a county seat in 1835. Campbell laid out city streets and lots. The town was incorporated in 1838.

Promptly after the Civil War ended in 1865 Wild Bill Hickok shot and killed Davis Tutt in a shootout over a disagreement about a debt Tutt claimed Hickok owed him in downtown Springfield. During a poker game at the former Lyon House Hotel, in response to the disagreement over the amount, Tutt had taken Hickok's watch, which Hickok demanded he return immediately. Hickok warned that Tutt had better not be seen wearing that watch, then spotted him wearing it in Park Central Square, prompting the gunfight.

During the 1950s, Springfield ranked third in the U.S. for originating network television programs, behind New York and Hollywood. Four nationally broadcast television series originated from the city between 1955 and 1961: Ozark Jubilee and its spin-off, Five Star Jubilee; Talent Varieties; and The Eddy Arnold Show. Staged at the Jewell Theatre (demolished in 1961), Ozark Jubilee was the first national country music TV show to feature top stars and attract a significant viewership.