Springfield has a rich history, and Commercial Street has contributed to a significant chunk of its story. C-Street Street started thriving shortly after the Atlantic and Pacific rail depot that resided there was able to grow a commercial district in the area.
Back then, there was an assortment of bars, hotels, and restaurants to cater to the workers and immigrants that came from the railroad. As the community prospered, a population boom occurred in the area.
Nowadays, we can still see many flourishing businesses and events going on in the area. Commercial Street is home to businesses such as Van Gough’s Eeterie and Soozeezbees Honey Beetique. These small businesses create a culture and close community with locals and visitors.
Commercial Street hosts many community events such as its PupCrawl, Culture Fest, and Thriller. These events often work with the local community and create business for vendors in the area.
Commercial Street also hosts a city market from April to October with small businesses selling locally grown produce to handmade wares. The market has been open since 2000 and according to the historic C-Street website, is often referred to as the sweetest little market in town.
This open-air market is located right next to the historic Jefferson Avenue Footbridge, a bridge where you can walk from the Commercial District to the Moon City Creative District.
According to the City of Springfield website, the footbridge was the first of its kind in Missouri, and a symbolic representation of North and South Springfield coming together, crossing over 13 railroad tracks and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railyard.
While the footbridge is currently closed, a budget has been approved for its renovations. However, the date it will be reopened has not been determined as it’s highly dependent on which contractor the project is sourced to.
Commercial Street has been a booming area in Springfield for decades and has something people from every walk of life can enjoy. Not only has it been a source of pride for Springfield, but it gives a thriving community to the artists and entrepreneurs that reside there now. Hopefully, C-Street will remain a spot of SGF culture for decades to come.
