Springfield Armory: A historic site in the nation's founding

As we approach the 250th birthday of the United States, we look at the pivotal role Springfield played in getting to that point. 22 News reporter Claire Overton has the history of the Springfield Armory. Springfield, Massachusetts was always known from colonial times as an amazing location. For almost 200 years, the Springfield Armory on State Street was a working arsenal and armory, starting during the American Revolution, with George Washington sending Henry Knox to bring cannons from Fort Ticonderoga in New York to Boston, stopping halfway in Springfield. What they found out, Knox was impressed not only by the location, but by the artisans who were here, the people who knew how to prepare and make wagons, who knew, who were already skilled in firearm production. So then, when the Continental Army was founded, Springfield became the home to the nation's armory from 1777 to 1968, when it closed and now solely operates as the museum. The Springfield Armory has thousands of pieces of history from when it was an arsenal to an armory, and they even have a few muskets from 250 years ago. These are some of the only ones that we actually have from the collection, but it's nice to be able to get them out here to view. The museum has three muskets, one French, one British, and one American, all artifacts from 250 years ago, all of them a part of how Springfield put their mark on the map. You know, what is the role here in Springfield of really developing things like interchangeable parts? Our whole factory industries were sort of based on that, and that was perfected here. Fellner said those who visit from all generations can not only be proud of Springfield's contribution to history, but also understand the lesson, that this success was by all different types of men and women who came together and worked through problems. Working for you, Claire Overton, 22 News.