Springfontein is a small mixed farming town in the Free State province of South Africa. History The town was established in 1904 on the farm Hartleydale, which was part of the farm Springfontein. The name Springfontein, which is Afrikaans for "jumping fountain", stems from the existence of a spring on the farm. A village management board was established in 1904 and the town attained municipal status in 1912. Farming with sheep, cattle and maize is prevalent in the district, and in the early part of the twentieth century the Springfontein Creameries were one of the main employers. The town is an important railway junction on the main line to Johannesburg, being the point where the Bloemfontein line converges with the East London and Port Elizabeth lines and where a westward line to other Free State towns commences. Anglo-Boer War During the Second Boer War/Anglo-Boer War, there was a British concentration camp in the district. The camp was started in February 1901, initially with an estimated total of 411 inmates being held there. William Gostling, who was a magistrate in Philippolis, was appointed superintendent of the camp. The majority of the inmates that arrived at the camp were bywoners, or poor Boer farm labourers. Many arrivals had little clothing, were barefoot and improvised with what little they had. By the end of March the camp in Springfontein took on hundreds more inmates, including a large number of black people, many of whom were from the Thaba’Nchu district. These inmates were placed in a separate camp. It is reported that the mortality rate was extremely high within the blacks’ concentration camp. During this time, Springfontein struggled to secure a steady supply of water. This was due to the British military base camps that were in constant need of water, and who therefore monopolised the dams initially meant for the Springfield Concentration Camp. The camp was initially built to house only 500 people, but by April 1901 the pressure of the war brought in almost 2000 more people from various military sweeps. This resulted in a shortage of tents for the incoming inmates. As a result, Bethulie camp was established to help ease the pressure experienced by the Springfontein Camp. Five hundred and sixty eight people of all ages are recorded in the Springfontein Grave Register as having died there between April the fourth and the end of 1901. Their graves can be