 As Springfield celebrates its bicentennial , Lisa 's class at Springfield Elementary School are assigned essays . Lisa goes to the historical society to research Jebediah Springfield , the founder of Springfield . While trying to play Jebediah Springfield 's fife , she makes the shocking discovery that the town 's founder was actually a villainous pirate and enemy of George Washington who kept his dark past hidden . He had written his confession on the back side of a portrait of Washington and hidden it in his fife . Meanwhile , upon Lisa 's suggestion , Homer is elected the town crier after he demonstrated that he was better suited to the position than Ned Flanders . 
